New Deal
Relief, Recovery and Reform
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New Deal Facts: Fast Fact Sheet
Fast, fun facts and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
about FDR's New Deal for
kids.
What was the New Deal in the Great
Depression? The New Deal was a series of
programs introduced during the Great
Depression by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt to address the problems of mass
unemployment, homelessness and the nation's
economic crisis.
What were the goals of the New Deal? The
goals of the
New Deal were to pass laws and introduce
federal programs aimed at providing
RELIEF to the needy during the Great
Depression, RECOVERY of the economy
and industries and REFORM of the
financial system (banks and Stock Market).
Relief, Recovery and Reform
What were the New Deal Programs?
The
New Deal Programs
were diverse relief schemes and 'alphabet
soup agencies' such as the Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA), Public Works Administration
(PWA), Civil Works Administration and the
National Recovery Administration (NRA)
Where was the Second New Deal?
The
Second New Deal
covered the period from 1935 - 1939 as FDR's
administration reacted to criticisms and
focused on social reform together with
policies and programs to speed up the
nation's recovery. Refer to the
Second New Deal Programs.
What was the
New Deal Coalition?:
The
New Deal Coalition
was the alliance of voters from different
walks of life and ethnic groups with
differing needs who supported FDR's New Deal
programs.
Was the
New Deal successful?
The FDR's New Deal was successful in many
ways: ● President Roosevelt
inspired a new level of confidence in Americans. FDR kept the
nation informed of important events with his series of radio
broadcasts called
Fireside Chats. He was a reassuring
and powerful leader whose fearless approach provided the
psychological support that helped Americans get through the
Great Depression
● The banking system was
stabilized and the Stock Market and banks were regulated
● The New Deal programs
created millions of jobs and government sponsored public works
projects rebuilt the infrastructure of the US
● ● The PWA completed
34,000 heavy construction projects, improving the
infrastructure of America, building highways, airports,
bridges, dams, irrigation and sewage systems
● ● The WPA became the
nation's biggest employer and
provided light construction jobs for millions of
unskilled workers who built schools, hospitals,
libraries, post offices and houses
● ●
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) employed young men
who produced impressive conservation achievements planting
over three billion trees, building 97,000 miles of forest
trails and roads, stocking rivers with nearly a
billion fish which resulted in an increase of wildlife
population
● ● The Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA) rejuvenated the region bringing cheap,
hydroelectric power (electricity) into rural areas
●
Workers were guaranteed the right to organize Unions and to
collective bargaining for the negotiation of wages, hours and
working conditions in the Wagner Act
●
The Fair Labor Standards Act abolished child labor and limited
working hours for employees
● The Social Security Act
established an unemployment insurance system, a national pension
fund and benefits for victims of industrial accidents
● The Rural Electrification Administration (REA)
was established to supply electricity to rural agricultural
communities and resulted in 98% of American farms being equipped
with electricity
What were the Failures of the
New Deal?
The failures of the New Deal included:
● The Agricultural
Adjustment Act (AAA) adopted the policy of the destruction of
crops and livestock that resulted in the increase of food prices
of up to 50%
● The 1937-1938 'Roosevelt
Recession', triggered by significant federal government spending
cuts during the period of the Second New Deal, resulted in a
massive surge in unemployment. The 'Roosevelt Recession' also
saw Industrial production decline by 33% and wages drop by 35%
● The business world viewed
the New Deal as hostile to business interests by encouraging
strikes and the power of unions
● Large scale unemployment
continued throughout the Great Depression. Many of the jobs
created by the New Deal were only temporary and implemented as
short-term policies
New Deal
Facts for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information on New Deal
for kids.
Facts
about the New Deal for kids
New Deal Fact 1:
During the 1932
Presidential election campaign Democrat Franklin D
Roosevelt promised "A new deal for the American people."
New Deal Fact
2: When FDR came to
office the nation was in the grip of the Great
Depression, it was the most severe economic recession in
the history of America. Over 1 million were homeless and
12 million people (25% of the population) were
unemployed.
New Deal Fact 3:
FDR promised to take action and made the famous
quote "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself..."
New Deal Fact 4:
He had no clear agenda
strategy to tackle the massive task that faced him but surrounded
himself with many trusted advisors, who were referred to as the
"Brains Trust". These men had boundless energy and ideas and
President Roosevelt took the approach best explained in the
following quote "the country need bold, persistent
experimentation...above all, try something".
New Deal Fact 5:
FDR was true to his word and
the
First
Hundred Days of his presidency,
between March 9, 1933 and June 16, 1933 saw a flurry of activity as
FDR presented his plan for national recovery, which would later
become known as the First New Deal. The First New Deal ushered in an
unprecedented era of government intervention in the economy.
New Deal Fact 6:
President
Roosevelt was an excellent communicator and he used the
power of the radio to reach millions of Americans in his
Fireside Chats that he used to in
times of crisis and national importance to convey
important information and reassure the nation.
New Deal Fact 7:
The first thing the president needed
to do was to fix the banks and the Stock Market. FDR
declared a National Bank Holiday and temporarily closed all the
banks from March 6, 1933 until March 13, 1933, when the banks
re-opened. On March 9, 1933 the
Emergency Banking Relief Act was passed which
addressed the banking crisis followed by the
Glass-Steagall Act, he then took the nation off of
the gold standard. The Federal
Securities Act established
the SEC to regulate trading on Wall Street.
New Deal Fact 8:
During the first Hundred Days of his presidency 15 major
pieces of legislation were passed to combat the economic
crisis and the Great Depression. Federal
government agencies, nicknamed 'alphabet soup agencies',
were established incorporating the
strategy of
Relief, Recovery and Reform
to bring about Industrial and agricultural recovery,
tackling unemployment and providing relief from poverty.
Refer to the
New Deal Programs for
details .
New Deal Fact
9:
FDR abandoned a balanced budget and
adopted a temporary policy of deficit spending to finance his relief
programs. This economic strategy used a theory called
Keynesianism which was based on the view that in the
short term the government should spend heavily, even if
it had to run a deficit, to jump-start employment and
production.
New Deal Fact
10: Under the New
Deal, the country gained from public works projects.
The
Public Works Administration
(PWA) was created by the
National
Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 (NIRA)
and heavy
construction public
works programs such as building bridges,
dams, highways,
airports, irrigation and
sewage systems.
New Deal Fact
11: The
Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) constructed dams and power
plants rejuvenating the Tennessee Valley area.
New Deal Fact 12:
The Reforestation Relief Act established the
Civilian Conservation Corps
CCC that employed young men to contribute to the conservation of
the nation’s natural resources.
New Deal Fact 13:
The
Agricultural
Adjustment Act (AAA) aimed at reducing farm
production to boost farm prices.
Continued...
Facts
about the New Deal for kids
Facts
about the New Deal for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about New Deal for kids.
Facts
about New Deal for kids
New Deal Fact 14:
The
National Recovery
Administration (NRA) established voluntary business codes and
rules of fair competition. The NRA
introduced the "Blue
Eagle" campaign for businesses who joined the scheme as a sign of
patriotism and as a "seal of approval"
New Deal Fact 15:
At the start of
1934 there was still over 11 million people out of work.
The period known as the First New Deal dealt with
emergency measures but many Americans believed that
progress was too slow. The 1936 presidential election
was on the horizon and the New Deal began to change
direction and entered the period known as the
Second New Deal.
New Deal Fact 16:
The
Second New Deal
Programs focused on social
reform together with policies to speed up the nation's
recovery.
New Deal Fact 17:
Major programs
included the
Works Progress
Administration (WPA) that combated unemployment by providing light construction jobs for millions of
unskilled workers.
New Deal Fact 18:
The
Social Security Act
established an unemployment insurance system and a national
pension fund.
New Deal Fact 19:
The
1935 Wagner Act
created the National Labor
Relations Board (NLRA) to protect the rights or organized labor and
to organize collective bargaining
New Deal Fact
20: People, such as
Huey Long, Father Coughlin, Gerald Smith and Dr. Francis
Townsend began criticizing the New Deal. Political
opposition came from followers of both left and right
wing politics and the Supreme Court but voters from
different walks of life backed FDR who won the 1936
election in a landslide victory due to
New Deal Coalition of voters.
New Deal Fact
21:
FDR was furious that the Supreme Court had ruled that
major New Deal legislation had been declared
unconstitutional and feared other acts would go the same
way. The conflict led to the
Court Packing Plan
by which FDR tried to change the political balance on
the Supreme Court.
New Deal Fact
22: In
1937 the economy was improving and although unemployment
was still high, production, profits, and wages had
regained their 1929 levels.
New Deal Fact
23:
FDR, worried about
inflation and the size of the federal deficit, decided
it was time to balance the government budget and
reduce federal spending.
New Deal Fact
24:
The PWA and the WPA
were cut significantly resulting in a massive rise in
unemployment. Industrial production declined by 33%, wages
dropped by 35% and and the stock market crashed. FDR had
inadvertently caused a second, serious economic downturn
that became known as the
"Roosevelt recession".
New Deal Fact
25: FDR reverted to
the Keynesian Economics and the policy of deficit
spending to stabilize the economy. The Roosevelt
Recession lasted about 13 months from mid-1937 to 1938
but had seriously delayed the nation's recovery.
New Deal Fact
26: Despite the numerous positive effects
the New Deal had failed to end the Great Depression and
millions of Americans were still unemployed and
homeless.
New Deal Fact
27: World War II erupted in Europe in
1939 and the effects of the Great Depression began to
subside in December 1941 when the United States entered
World War II. Economic output surged and unemployment
fell as the United States saw a surge in demand for
war-related goods such as ships, tanks, airplanes and
munitions.
New Deal Fact
28: The New Deal Programs by FDR were
admired by a later president, Lyndon B. Johnson who
introduced additional programs to fight poverty called
the
Great Society.
Facts
about New Deal for kids
New Deal for kids - President Franklin Roosevelt Video
The article on the New Deal provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following
Franklin Roosevelt video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 32nd American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945.
New Deal
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Interesting Facts about New Deal for kids and schools
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Summary of the New Deal in US history
●
New Deal of important, key
events
●
Franklin Roosevelt
Presidency from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945
●
Fast, fun facts about the New Deal
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Foreign & Domestic
policies of President Franklin Roosevelt
● Franklin Roosevelt Presidency and
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