Fdr's Response To The Great Depression

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On October 29th, 1929, the United States witnessed one of it’s greatest economic tragedies. The American people watched banks fail with uninsured deposits, leading to people losing the entirety of their savings. Surviving banks were no longer lending freely to the general public, and unemployment skyrocketed to nearly 25%. This infamous event is now referred to as Black Tuesday and the time period to follow would be known as the Great Depression. Events soon grew immensely worse with the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which raised taxes on imported goods, forcing the general public to buy American goods. This in turn worsened the economy and lowered buying potential. In total, the Depression of the 1930’s had cut the United States’ industrial …show more content…
Roosevelt created multiple organizations to create jobs and further benefit the economy. Organizations like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Civil Works Administration, and the Tennessee Valley Authority Act (TVA) created jobs for unemployed males during the 1930’s. The CCC allowed jobless men, ages 18 to 25, to enroll in work camps across the country. They planted trees, created fish hatcheries, and developed game and bird sanctuaries to reclaim land. Overall, this program created jobs while simultaneously protecting environment. The Civil Works Administration also created job opportunities for men by digging ditches and teaching highway repairs, even though it was later abandoned a few months later. As previously stated, the TVA built dams along the Tennessee River and created hydroelectric power for nearby citizens. The designing and execution of these dams, along with the production of hydroelectric power, helped lower unemployment. FDR also wanted to fund the arts and promote culture. The Second New Deal had an organization known as the Works Progress Administration which constructed public buildings and roads which in turn funded the arts. The New Deal also aimed to improve the quality of the work life of Americans. The National Industrial Recovery Act and Wagner Act both guaranteed workers the right to unionize and promoted labor unions. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 also set maximum hours and minimum wages. These organizations ultimately led to the decrease of unemployment and the overall betterment of the American

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