FDR and the First New Deal

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Section 11.1

• FDR and the First New Deal

Smiling FDR with trademark cigarette holder (and
cigarette) in his hand
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What traits make a great president in a time of
crisis?

• Intelligence
• Experience
• Expertise
• Stamina
• Compassion
• Charisma
• Which did Hoover lack?
• What does this say about the role of the media?

President Hoover addresses the nation via radio
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ObjectivesAt the end of this lesson (two to
three classes), you should be able to

• Describe FDRs background and traits in a short
  paragraph (Was he destined for greatness?)
• What was the Hundred Days?
• How did FDR deal with the Bank Crisis?
• How did FDR give immediate relief to the needy?
• How did the New Deal relief efforts help to
  stimulate the economy and modernize the nation?
• How did the National Recovery Administration
  (NRA) try to increase productivity and workers?
• How did the AAA try to help farmers and why were
  the results so controversial?
• How did the TVA try to aid in long-term recovery?
• How did FDR try to restore confidence in the
  stock market and banks?
• How did FDR make people feel connected to the
  White House?

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Who was FDR?

• Sheltered life
• Did not seem presidential
• nice but colorless
• Married to Eleanor
• She took him to see poor people
• I didnt know people lived like that! FDR
• Assistant Secretary of Navy (1913-20)
• VP candidate in 1920
• Stricken with polio in 1921
• Life-changing
• Recovery demonstrated grit
• Elected governor of NY in 1928, 1930 (two-year
  terms)

Young Franklin with his mother
Paralyzed FDR with girl
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FDR Background
Montage of FDR photos including one of him
swimming (part of polio rehab regimen)
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Describe FDRs Inauguration

• March 4, 1933
• 3.5 years into the Depression
• Americans lacked faith in country, capitalism
• Outlined New Deal plan for economic recovery
• We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
• Compare with Obama on Economy

Scenes from FDRs first inaugural
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First Inaugural Address
FDR takes the oath of office I (insert name of
President) do solemnly swear that I will
faithfully execute the office of President of the
United States and will, to the best of my
ability, preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States. So help me
God.
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100 Days Presentation
FDR signs legislation (part of first New Deal)
during his initial three months in office
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What was the Hundred Days?

• Term to describe first three (3) months of FDRs
  administration marked by rapid new legislation
• March 9-June 16, 1933
• 15 new laws
• FDR was an experimenter

Says A New Captain at the Wheel and depicts FDR
steering the ship of state
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How did FDR deal with the Bank Crisis?

• 38 state banks had closed
• Americans stuffed the mattresses
• Hoarded their money
• declared a bank holiday from 3/5-3/9
• sound banks reopened
• unsound opened after government aid arrived
• Reassured public began to deposit back in bank
  and crisis was over

Top unclear image shows a stampede Below,
another FDR with cigarette and holder in mouth
behind wheel of auto
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100 Days
Young-looking FDR in top hat, riding this time
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What was the New Deal?

• FDRs plan for economic reform (recall New
  Nationalism, New Freedom)
• Legislation addressed the 3 Rs
• Relief
• (for unemployed)
• Recovery
• measures to stimulate the economy
• Reform
• laws to help lessen threat of future economic
  disaster

Top FDR signs legislation below, alphabet soup
agencies as kids dancing around FDR
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New Deal
Video capture (black screen) but it summarizes
New Deal
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How did FDR give immediate relief to the needy?

• Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)
• gave 500 million directly to relief agencies
• Critics said rapid distribution of funds may hurt
  in long run
• Harry Hopkins
• Disliked dole (government charity)
• Thought it broke down self esteem
• But said
• People dont eat in the long runthey have to
  eat every day.

Top Harry Hopkins below, complex cartoon
critical of New Deal pump
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How did the New Deal relief efforts help to
stimulate the economy and modernize the nation?

• Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
• 100, 000s put to work on environmental projects
  (state, national parks)
• Got room/board 30 per month
• Public Works Administration (PWA)
• Built schools, dams, sewer pipes, highways,
  modernized nation
• stimulated local economies

Top Cover of a CCC manual below, CCC boys at
work thinning a forest
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How did the National Recovery Administration
(NRA) try to increase productivity and workers?

• National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)
• asked business to set quality standards,
  maximum work hours, minimum wages
• Allow workers to form unions, collective
  bargaining
• Publicity campaign
• only buy from companies displaying blue eagle
• hurt small companies

Top and below The NRA Blue Eagle
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New Deal Programs
FDR poses by the fireside with his wife and mother
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How did the AAA try to help farmers recover and
why were the results so controversial?

• Agricultural Adjustment Administration
• subsidized farmers to reduce production
• Help to raise prices
• Controversial
• 1933
• farmland/newborn animals were destroyed to meet
  requirements

Top farmer receives his AAA check below, cattle
being rounded up
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Video capture (first image is of Dust Bowl but
the clip is about the farm crisis and FDRs
response)
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How did the TVAtry to aid in long-term recovery?

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
• Built dams on Tennessee River and created
  electricity
• intended to create ecosystems, lakes, tourism,
  jobs
• Critics
• Farmers who lost land
• Businesses saw TVA as unfair competition

Above Map showing area for Tennessee Valley
Authority below, one of the dams
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How did FDR try to restore confidence in the
stock market and banks?
Top, panic outside a bank below, calm scene
outside a bank

• Truth-in-Securities Act
• said that companies who deceived investors about
  its financial status could be sued
• Glass-Steagall Banking Act
• prohibited banks from investing savings deposits
  in the unpredictable stock market
• Repealed by Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
• insured deposits (5 thousand)
• Now 250 thousand

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How did FDR make people feel connected to the
White House?

• Fireside Chats-
• FDRs frequent radio addresses that outlined his
  policies and reassured public
• Held weekly press conferences and answered all
  questions
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Symbol of Roosevelts empathy, energy to the
  downtrodden
• Received hundreds of thousands of letters each
  year

Dressed-up Eleanor Roosevelt
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FDR and the Media
Video clip first frame is of Capitol steps being
readied for inaugural
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Conclusion

• Was the New Deal a liberal or conservative
  program?
• Liberal in that a lot of new, progressive
  programs were created that moved the country
  toward a bigger role for government
• Conservative in that FDRs goal was to preserve
  the system and the programs he introduced were
  much less radical than what was going on in Europe