WPA: Work Pays America!
Founded in 1935, the “Works Progress Administration” (WPA), which is now known as the “Works Projects Administration”, was an important New Deal reform program. It was considered as a key to resolve economic crises and the rise of unemployment; these factors led to this reform movement. The WPA was successful when it came to producing projects that shaped the country such as construction and art projects; however, the WPA was not that effective to decrease the rate of unemployment that remained high because of pay differences and the recession of 1937.
The WPA was launched by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The purpose of it was to generate public jobs for the unemployed by creating projects. The projects of the …show more content…
These projects helped them a little bit to get back on their feet after the Great Depression. Roosevelt and Harry Hopkins focused their projects on building and renovating things such as unpaved streets and bridges. Under the supervision of Harry Hopkins, the WPA built thousands miles of roads, over 100,000 bridges and almost 600 airports. Not only the WPA concentrated on repairing places and building things, but it also focused on creating projects that allowed unemployed people in the arts to make use of their talents. The Federal Art Project helped painters and sculptors. The Federal Writers’ Project employed poets, writers and journalists. Also the Federal Music Project and the Federal Theatre Project composed plays and concerts that employed many actors and musicians. The WPA was successful; it employed millions of Americans. Yet the success of this program was not sufficient and did not last for …show more content…
There were pay differences that were considered in their opinion as an inequality. Concerning African Americans, the WPA kept downgrading them and were paid less than the usual payment for American citizens. Also, when government funds declined, African Americans were the first to be fired and so were women. Likewise, when it came to unemployed women, the WPA did not assist them enough; it offered small employment such as sewing and making clothes. In addition to that, when there was a hard time finding available jobs for men, women had to be removed from their occupations. Consequently, in their own point of view, wage differences did not fulfill their (African Americans’ and women’s) expectations as it should. Furthermore, with the recession of 1937 or most likely known as the “Roosevelt recession”, more than 4 million workers lost their jobs. Considering that incomes were rising, FDR tried to balance the federal budget. To achieve that balance, thousands of people got unemployed again by splitting the WPA in half. This recession weakened the role of the WPA. Subsequently, the WPA did not end the great depression or to be more precise, it did not widely decrease the amount of unemployment. It actually came to an end when World War II began; which provided jobs to produce weapons for the war. Wealth was increasing and the WPA was getting harder to justify. As a result, President Roosevelt announced the termination of
Founded in 1935, the “Works Progress Administration” (WPA), which is now known as the “Works Projects Administration”, was an important New Deal reform program. It was considered as a key to resolve economic crises and the rise of unemployment; these factors led to this reform movement. The WPA was successful when it came to producing projects that shaped the country such as construction and art projects; however, the WPA was not that effective to decrease the rate of unemployment that remained high because of pay differences and the recession of 1937.
The WPA was launched by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The purpose of it was to generate public jobs for the unemployed by creating projects. The projects of the …show more content…
These projects helped them a little bit to get back on their feet after the Great Depression. Roosevelt and Harry Hopkins focused their projects on building and renovating things such as unpaved streets and bridges. Under the supervision of Harry Hopkins, the WPA built thousands miles of roads, over 100,000 bridges and almost 600 airports. Not only the WPA concentrated on repairing places and building things, but it also focused on creating projects that allowed unemployed people in the arts to make use of their talents. The Federal Art Project helped painters and sculptors. The Federal Writers’ Project employed poets, writers and journalists. Also the Federal Music Project and the Federal Theatre Project composed plays and concerts that employed many actors and musicians. The WPA was successful; it employed millions of Americans. Yet the success of this program was not sufficient and did not last for …show more content…
There were pay differences that were considered in their opinion as an inequality. Concerning African Americans, the WPA kept downgrading them and were paid less than the usual payment for American citizens. Also, when government funds declined, African Americans were the first to be fired and so were women. Likewise, when it came to unemployed women, the WPA did not assist them enough; it offered small employment such as sewing and making clothes. In addition to that, when there was a hard time finding available jobs for men, women had to be removed from their occupations. Consequently, in their own point of view, wage differences did not fulfill their (African Americans’ and women’s) expectations as it should. Furthermore, with the recession of 1937 or most likely known as the “Roosevelt recession”, more than 4 million workers lost their jobs. Considering that incomes were rising, FDR tried to balance the federal budget. To achieve that balance, thousands of people got unemployed again by splitting the WPA in half. This recession weakened the role of the WPA. Subsequently, the WPA did not end the great depression or to be more precise, it did not widely decrease the amount of unemployment. It actually came to an end when World War II began; which provided jobs to produce weapons for the war. Wealth was increasing and the WPA was getting harder to justify. As a result, President Roosevelt announced the termination of