Criticism and Reformulation

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Criticism and Reformulation
What is ironic about this Margaret Bourke-White
photograph?

• Section 11.2

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FDR the New Deal

• Charisma
• We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
• Alphabet Soup Legislation
• CCC
• NIRA
• Truth in Securities Act
• Glass-Steagall Act

FDR takes oath of office, 3/4/1933
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ObjectivesAt the end of this day you should be
able to

• State reasons each of these people and groups
  didnt agree with FDR and the New Deal
• Dr. Townsend
• Father Charles E. Coughlin
• Huey Long
• The American Liberty League
• The Supreme Court
• Provide more examples of how the New Deal would
  lead to new programs like
• the WPA
• the Social Security Act of 1935

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Dr. Townsend Presentation
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Describe Dr. Townsends social security plan.

• Retired physician
• Horrified after he saw elderly women rummaging in
  garbage for food
• Proposed retiring people over 60 and giving them
  a pension of 200 per month
• Had to be spent by end of month
• Result would help elderly and stimulate the
  economy
• His idea would later influence the Social
  Security Act of 1935

Cartoon implies that FDR will drain the pockets
of the workers in order to fill the pot of the
elderly with the Townsend Plan. FDR was a
vehement opponent of the Townsend Plan.
What is ironic about this cartoon?
6
Describe the economic recovery under the New Deal
(1933-34)

• A limited recovery
• National income rose by 25, many farms saved,
  unemployed got relief (welfare) or an Alphabet
  Soup job
• Workers made 13 less than pre-Crash income level
• Farm prices were 28 lower
• Unemployment was still 20
• Discontent started rising over slow pace of
  recovery

People holding the signs wanted more aggressive
policies.
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What was the Southern Tenant Farmers Union and
how did the New Deal help end malnutrition?
Photo by Arthur Rothstein, Aug.,
1935Sharecropper's child suffering from rickets

• Interracial union of displaced farmers who were
  upset with the Agricultural Adjustment Act
• Landowners were supposed to share the government
  subsidy with them but evicted them from land
  instead
• Looked to FDR for help
• Too often he has talked like a cropper and acted
  like a planter, STFU leader said of FDR

What effect has poverty had on this Tenant
Farmer? This Child?
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What impact did the NIRA have on union membership
and worker/management relations?

• 1 million workers joined union in 2 years
• Unionization did not bring better relations
• Minnesota police shot 67 union protestors in 1934
  who were trying to get businesses to negotiate
  with truck driver union (Teamsters)
• Hundred thousand attended funeral and business
  leaders gave in
• 1, 800 strikes in 1934

Below funeral of Teamsters bottom scenes of
violence between police and union protestors
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Video capture of dockworkers strike in SF
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Father Charles E. Coughlin
Close-up of Father Coughlin
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Why is Father Charles E. Coughlin labeled as a
demagogue?

• Demagogue a leader who gains power by appealing
  to peoples prejudices and fears rather than
  reason
• Roman Catholic Priest/Radio Talk Show
• Audience of 30 million
• Wanted FDR to nationalize banks
• Blamed Jewish bankers for the nations troubles
• Wanted to redistribute wealth of the rich
• Silenced by Church leaders in 1942

Above and below Father Coughlin
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Huey Long Presentation
Huey Long in mid-speech
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Describe Huey Longs Share the Wealth program.

• Known as The Kingfish
• Taxed wealthy for to build roads, bridges,
  schools, hospitals, for the poor
• Dictator of Louisiana
• Installed a puppet government when elected
  senator in 1930
• Controlled all state appointments in Louisiana
• Share the Wealth Program-
• Governor/Senator of Louisiana
• Socialist idea to confiscate all income over 5
  million and give it to poor
• Assassinated by his wealthy dentist in 1935

Above Long again below Every Man a King pin
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FDR Critics
Video capture The White House from Lafayette Park
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What was the American Liberty League?

• Organization of business leaders and conservative
  politicians who hated the New Deal
• GM and the Du Ponts defied FDRs demand that they
  improve working conditions
• Instead, they instituted the speedup systems
• forced men to work at terrifying speeds on the
  assembly lines
• Many died of the heat and pressure, increased by
  fear of losing their jobs.
• Claimed dedication to upholding the
  Constitution
• Real goal was to destroy the New Deal
• Used propaganda to smear FDRs administration
  (argument was that to profit, they had to get the
  workers to do as much work in eight hours as they
  had previously done in ten or twelveno way could
  they afford to hire another shift!)

Symbol (Liberty Bell) of A.L.L.
Irénée du Pont (1876-1963)
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How did the Supreme Court weaken the New Deal?

• Used power of judicial review
• Ruled that
• NIRA gave executive branch too much power over
  small businesses
• that Federal Gov had no right to regulate
  business within states
• AAAs method of regulating agricultural
  production through taxation was unconstitutional

Cartoon implies that FDR wanted a bunch of
yes-men on the Court
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What was the WPA and how did it put people to
work?

• Works Progress Administration
• Part of Second New Deal
• Built schools, hospitals, airports, playgrounds
• Employed teachers, writers, actors
• Taught people to read, beautified buildings with
  murals, wrote guidebooks to historical places,
  put on live plays

Above FDR visits WPA below WPA symbol
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What was the Social Security Act of 1935?

• Govt. relief retirement pension program
• Enough to meet basic needs of citizens
• Gave a pension (12-85 per month) to injured
  workers, elderly, orphaned

Youngish man pictured must be an injured worker!
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Social Security Act
Video clip background is of original 13-star flag
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What does this cartoon imply?
Cartoon implies FDR blames Court for holding up
the New Deal thus, his court-packing plan
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Why did FDR want to pack the court and was he
successful?

• Wanted to put 6 new justices in who would support
  his ideas
• Claimed that he wanted to ease the workload of
  the aging justices
• Public viewed FDR as dictator
• Supreme Court started to support some of his
  legislation and he withdrew the proposal

In this cartoon, FDR is cracking the whip,
hitting the horse labeled judicial. All three
horses are shown laboring hard and breathing
heavily. So what does the cartoon imply?
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Video capture Greek-revival building thats home
to Supreme Court
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Lets ReviewHoover and the Crash
Video capture review of the Crash and Hoovers
response