1. What was the Works Progress Administration?
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a program that was set up as part of the Second New Deal and run by Harry Hopkins. The goal of the WPA was to create many jobs quickly, even to unskilled workers. These jobs were jobs such as building airports, repairing roads, and building public buildings. There were also jobs created for women, such as sewing groups who made clothes for the poor. There were also professionalism who held positions created by the WPA, such as writing guides, taking down slave narratives, painting murals, and performing in theater groups. Between 1935 and 1943, around eleven billion dollars were spent to create jobs for over eight million people. There were critics of the make-work project, but others argued that this gave people money and a sense of purpose and dignity, all thanks to the WPA.
2. How did the New Deal help labor? (Hint: Wagner Act)
Besides makes jobs, the New Deal helped labor through the Wagner Act. This act, sponsored first by Senator Robert F. Wagner from New York, was part of the Second New Deal. Since the Supreme court had decided that the National Industrial Reform Act (NIRA) was unconstitutional in 1935, the Wagner Act was able to put some of the parts of the NIRA back in place. Collective bargaining was one of these provisions. So, with the Wagner Act, workers who joined unions and used collective bargaining with employers were protected by the federal government so companies could not fire union members or interfere with the organizing of unions. Another aspect of the Wagner Act is that the National Labor relations Board (NLRB) was set up. This board with hear the testimonies of workers who felt that they were treated unfairly and they had elections to see whether or not workers wanted unions.
The other way the New Deal helped labor was through the Fair Labor Standards Act. This act helped workers by stating that they could not work, or be asked to work, over a certain number of hours nor could they work for less than a certain wage. Also, rules protecting workers under 18 years of age and 16 years of age were set up by this act. The Wagner Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act are clear examples of parts of the New Deal helping labor.
3. What benefits did the Social Security system provide?
The Social Security system provided Americans, especially the elderly, with many benefits. One of the benefits was the insurance that was a type of retirement plan for those over 65 years old and their spouses. This allowed people to retire comfortably with half of the money coming from themselves, the worker, and the other half from the employer. Another benefit was unemployment payments so that, funded by federal tax on employers, those who were unemployed could receive some money from the state government each week while they were unemployed. The third major benefit of the Social Security system is the money, from the federal government, that the states gave to families with children who are dependent and the disabled. There were many benefits of the Social Security system.
Read pages 710 to 713 in Chapter 23-3 (The New Deal Affects Many Groups) and answer the following questions:
4. Why was the “Black Cabinet” important to the Roosevelt administration?
The "Black Cabinet" was important to the Roosevelt administration because it helped him and was historic. This group of influential African Americans contained William H. Hastie, Mary McLeod Bethune, Robert C. Weaver, and many others. This was historic because it was the first time so many African Americans had had that much power in the White House. This may have been important because it might have made some inthe African American community like Roosevelt and it almost labeled him as one who was for civil rights for all. This group was also important to Roosevelt because he consulted them on racial issues. Clearly the "black cabinet" was quite important to the Roosevelt administration.
5. Evaluate the actions and policies of the Roosevelt administration on civil rights.
The actions and policies of the Roosevelt administration on the subject of civil rights was in favor of civil rights, but not in favor enough to actually do anything lasting. The "Black Cabinet" was a part of the Roosevelt administration and was made up of a group of influential African Americans who would advise them. This was important because it was the first time so many African Americans had been in the White House. Then there was the incident where an African American singer, Marian Anderson, was not allowed to sing at a concert of the Daughters of the American Revolution. It was certainly a stand against racism when Eleanor Roosevelt then dropped out of the Daughters of the American Revolution and had Marian Anderson perform at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter. Those were very nice stands against racism, but they did not change anything for the future. They were simply singular incidents that happened once and did not change anything long term.
Roosevelt refused to pass any long term legislation for civil rights. He would not support an anti-lynching law or an end to the poll tax. Since these were two main goals of those behind civil rights, it is proof that Roosevelt did not really help the civil rights movement in any lasting fashion.
6. What changes occurred for Native Americans as a result of the New Deal?
Changes occurred for Native Americans as a result of the New Deal. Most of these changes were a result of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. This act changed the economic, cultural, and political aspects of the relationship between the Native Americans and the government. The economic aspect was to prevent the government from taking unused reservation land and selling it to others. So, the act stated that the land belonged to the entire tribe. The cultural aspect was that less Native American children would be sent to boarding schools, by reducing the number of boarding schools, and that other Native American children could go to school within the reservation. The political aspect was that tribes could elect their own people to govern their reservations. That was how the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, part of the New Deal, created changes for the Native Americans.
7. Why was the Wagner Act significant?
The Wagner Act was significant because it created an increase in union activity. Since the Wagner Act protected unions, union members from being fired, and collective bargaining, being in a union was fairly safe. Therefore, union membership more than triple in the eight years after 1933. Unions were being created in industries where they had never existed. However, there were also issues with this. Some fought for control within the unions and other did not like how unions were expanding to incorporate many other workers, so some split. Also sit-down strikes, a major tactic of unions in the 1930s, were detrimental because they stopped all production because people would not leave their places of work, but they also would work. Some even considered this a violation of the right to private property. Also, sometimes union protests were not peaceful, which was, of course, an issue. Good or not, the main reason the Wagner Act was significant was because it increased the activity of unions.
DIRECTIONS: Read, Chapter 23-5, which is about the impact of New Deal reforms, and take notes about the lasting effects of those reform on American society.
8a. What were the New Deal Laws and Agencies created for LABOR? 8b. And, what were the lasting effects of these LABOR laws and agencies on American Government and Life?
a) There were many New Deal Law and Agencies created for labor. Agencies such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which created jobs for professionals, unskilled workers, and women. The National Youth Administration (NYA) provided jobs to students in college, high school, or graduate school. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) provided jobs for young men on conservation projects and the Civil Works Administration (CWA). The laws passed as part of the New Deal that related to labor were the Wagner Act, which set up the National Labor Relations Board and had the federal government protect unions, and the Fair Labor Standard Act, which set up a minimum wage, maximum hours, and law protecting working minors. Those were the law and agencies set up for labor during the New Deal.
b) There were lasting effects on labor. The Wagner Act and Fair Labor standards Act affect Americans quite a bit. They set minimum wage, maximum hours, and laws against child labor. The Wagner Act also created the board that handles arguments between union and employers, the National Labor Relations Board. These are all clearly lasting effects.
9a. What were the New Deal Laws and Agencies created for AGRICULTURE AND RURAL LIFE? 9b. And, what were the lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American Government and Life?
a) There were New Deal Laws and Agencies created for agriculture and rural life. There agencies were the Agricultural Adjustment administration (AAA), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). The AAA paid farmers to produce less so that prices of agricultural goods would rise and the TVA helped developed resources in the Tennessee Valley. The REA helped electricity be affordable to those in rural areas. Those were the agencies related to agriculture and rural life.
b) The agencies for agriculture and rural life had effects on life today. The AAA created a precedent where federal aid is offered to farmers. Also, the Commodity Credit Corporation, passed under the second AAA, allows the value of a loan to be determined based on the amount of extra crops a farmer has and a parity price is created to help the income of farmers stay stable. All of these are clearly lasting effects.
10a. What were the New Deal Laws and Agencies created for BANKING AND FINANCE 10b. And, what were the lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American Government and Life?
a) There were many New Deal Laws and Agencies created for banking and finance. These included the Emergency Banking Relief Act (EBRA), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), National Recovery Administration (NRA), Securities and exchange Commission (SEC), and Banking Act of 1935. The EBRA inspected banks and reopened the ones that were healthy, loaned money to ones who were almost healthy, and kept others closed. The FDIC, created by the Glass-Steagall act of 1933, promised Americans that, if a bank was insured by the FDIC and that bank closed, the government would give the people who had their money in that bank up to a certain amount back. The NRA helped to created laws so that competition was fair and the SEC watched the stock market and called out and stopped practices that were not fair. The Banking Act of 1935 was a board that was created for seven years to manage interest rates and the nation's money supply.
b) There were lasting effects of the agencies and laws created for banking and finance. The SEC still watches the stock market and the FDIC continues to back banks and promise money to those who invest in those banks if they were to close, but the amount of money backed has risen over the years from about $5,000 to $100,000. Despite that change, the agencies for banking and finance from the New Deal are still around.
11a. What were the New Deal Laws and Agencies created for SOCIAL WELFARE 11b. And, what were the lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American Government and Life?
a) There were New Deal Laws and Agencies created for social welfare, including the Social Security Administration and other organizations that created jobs. This administration helped the old by giving them a sort of payment plan and life insurance that was half payed by the worker and half by the employer. There were also unemployment benefits and money for the disabled or families with dependent children. The REA also helped the people by providing electricity to rural areas. There were also organizations mentioned above in the labor section that created jobs, that lifted the spirits of many who felt that there was no more hope. Those were the laws and agencies for social welfare.
b) The main New Deal agency for social welfare, the Social Security Administration, has had lasting impacts on American life. The old-age insurance is still around today as well as the compensation for unemployment system. The money that goes to the disabled and families with dependent children is also still distributed. Over the years and today, the Social Security Administration has impacted Americans and it all started as an agency for social welfare int he New Deal and there is also electricity in rural areas thanks to the REA.
12a. What were the New Deal Laws and Agencies created for ENVIRONMENT 12b. And, what were the lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American Government and Life?
a) The New Deal Laws and Agencies created for the environment were also created to created jobs. For example, the CCC and Tennessee Valley Authority, explained above, helped the environment by conserving land and preventing destructive floods. Another agency that was created for the environment int the New Deal was Soil Conservation Service, which would try to prevent another Dust Bowl and conserve soil by teaching farmers contour plowing, crop rotation, and terracing. A law for the environment was the Taylor Grazing Act, which would decrease the amount of grazing on public lands, as to decrease erosion and prevent another Dust Bowl.
b) There were many lasting effects of the laws and agencies for the environment. There was not another big Dust Bowl thanks to the Soil Conservation Service and Taylor Grazing Act. There were also many lasting products of the CCC and TVA. This is shown by the many paths, national parks, and public lands developed, taken care of, and protected by those by the CCC. There was also water power in Tennessee, which might have decreased the amount of fossil fuels used thanks to the TVA. Those were the lasting effect of laws and agencies for the New Deal on the environment.
