Franklin Delano Roosevelt changed the United States with the New Deal Program. “Not only did he change the US but he changed the federal government’s relationship to United States citizens.” (HISTORY.com) I believe the New Deal is still important to discuss. The New Deal took immediate economic relief. The United States was in a tremendous hard time. Numerous amounts of people were unemployed and even banks were having a hard time keeping things the way they needed to kept. Wage and salaries were decreasing drastically.
Additionally, when Roosevelt gave his speech he gave the people confidence that they had elected a man who was not afraid to take bold steps to solve the nation’s problems and he fulfilled his promise. With the people willing to trust him with making such an important move during this time is why I believe this is a honor to still be spoken upon. In today’s society, most people don’t truly know much about politics and really dig into information into figuring out about who’s hand our society is about to be in. I respect each and everyone of the people wanting better.
The New Deal had many programs to help change lives. How were the people suppose to help themselves with nothing to start from. Some of the major initiatives were: The Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) were farmers were paid subsidies to restrict crop production and tended to benefit large landowners rather than sharecropped. Another program that I believed helped is Emergency Banks Act that required to take a four day “holiday”, banks were inspected to ensure they were “sound” and weak banks restricted and healthy/strong banks reopened. Significantly this restored faith in the banking systems. The Works Progress Administration (“Umbrella Agency”) provided jobs to the unemployed, even though they weren’t allowed to compete with private industry. They focused on hiring artist, writers, theater, directors and musicians.
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Also, they focused on constructing 125,000 buildings; hospitals, schools, and post offices. The major policy initiative that I believed helped out a lot was the Social Security Act during the Second New Deal.With the elderly not being able to work and/ or being disabled this act was substantial. It was already a struggle but with being elderly or disabled and/or having to take care of someone in your family who was disable was an even more downfall. Especially if there were single mothers who didn’t have someone to help with the children at home. How was she supposed to make ends meet with not a shoulder to lean on? With the help of the programs people were able to start putting their lives back on the right track.
Problems still remained even though all these different program had been taking into place. Even though these programs were ordered not to discriminate these people brought their own prejudices, which meant African American or any other minority was excluded from the benefits that were given. The women and minorities were just treated horribly. Many people were still stuck on the culture of all time that men were supposed to work, and women were supposed to stay at home and take care of their families, many of the programs did not go the way they were planned.
The New Deal brought more women into government before. For Mexican-Americans, immigration restrictions and allowed for deportation of illegal residents to reduce state welfare programs. “They sought greater rights by claiming to be white Americans- in order not to suffer the same discrimination as African-Americans- but also sought the backing of the Mexican government and promoted a mystical sense of pride and identification with Mexican heritage later given the name la raza.” (Foner, 667) This quote goes to show that they even had to hide their own identity for them not to get treated unfairly, which this was something where everyone was suppose to get the equal treatment that was suppose to go by discrimination. I feel like no one should have to hide who they are to get treated the right way, this should have been taking more seriously. Especially because this whole deal was suppose to be a “change” not only for women but for everyone regardless of color.
Additionally, black were hit hardest by The Great Depression. In my opinion they were treated the worst. Even the blacks who had jobs were now in competition with unemployed white. Even though Roosevelt had a little interest in race relations and civil rights he helped the blacks by bringing Mary McLeod Bethune, a black educator to help make changes. With Mary and her team’s help they directed national attention to the injustices, segregation, disenfranchisement, and lynching. Federal Housing Agency stopped blacks from moving into white neighborhoods and even some Public Work Administration refused to hire blacks. The Agricultural Adjustment Administration even pushed the African Americans off their farms because it paid the white landowners not to grow food.
The Social Security Act left out also left out blacks because it was only those who workers and paid FICA tax into system would get out the system. However there was some good for the Indians, Roosevelt placed boarding schools on reservation and dramatically increased spending on Indian Health. He divided Indian lands into small plots for individual families and selling off the rest. So in conclusion, the New Deal did have its ups and down with minorities and how they treated them wasn’t right but it helped out tremendously and helped a numerous amount of people open their eyes to how to treat people equally regardless the situation and for the people to gain order in their lives.
Even though The New Deal didn’t have the greatest outcome or didn’t end the depression. The name still has some meaning behind it and took major growth with it. I believe it provided Americans with security and a new perspective on life generally that they would have never known or thought of because of Franklin Roosevelt. It was great while it lasted and that’s what the people should be thankful for!
