Post on 04-Jan-2016
Roosevelt’s New Deal
Social Security• set up to help the elderly, disabled,
children, and unemployed• 1. created a pension for retired workers
(65+)• 2. offered unemployed short-term
benefits while they looked for work• 3. provided payments to women with
dependent children or to disabled people
Frances Perkins• Secretary of Labor• 1st woman ever appointed
to the Cabinet• believed in strong govt.
involvement in the economy
• created labor reforms and government agencies to aid unemployment & workers
The WPA
• Works Project Administration – largest employer of the country
• purpose: create organizations that give jobs & wages to people currently unemployed– Ex. building roads, libraries, parks,
airports, etc.
Civilian Conservation Corps• designed to tackle the
problem of unemployed young men (18-25)
• gave environmental jobs to men: plant trees, built public parks, restocked rivers with fish, etc.
• 3 million men served in the CCC
The Federal Housing Administration
• insured mortgages of lower-income Americans (helping these people afford homes)
• provided loans to local govts. for public housing projects
Eleanor Roosevelt• political “helpmate”
(compared to Hillary Clinton)
• she became FDR’s eyes & ears (especially during ill times)
• strong 1st lady behind the man
Arizona & the Depression
• Route 66 – population increase (migrant farmers from the Dust Bowl)
• JOBS! Copper, cotton, farming, and mining flourished during this time
• copper & cotton prices drop
Indian New Deal
• hopped on the bandwagon • used federal funding to create
jobs for Indians on reservations (built schools, hospitals, gave food aid)
• Indian Reorganization Act – self-governing reservations
Congress of Industrial Organization
• federation of unions that organized industrial workers
• sit-down strike – remained in the factories but refused to work– to prevent owners from replacing
them with new employees
The Supreme Court• Supreme Ct. worried that President
Roosevelt was taking more power than the Constitution
• The Court had ruled against some New Deal programs, so…
• “Court Packing bill” – allowed the President to appoint up to 6 new justices; rejected; but established power of the Presidency
Why haven’t we had another Depression?
• govt. set up programs to prevent another Depression– i.e. Social Security & Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation