Was the New Deal successful? - source related study
History coursework: Was the New Deal successful?
Source A is part of a speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt during his campaign for the Presidency of America in 1932. Back then America, which had previously enjoyed an economic boom of prosperity, was gripped in the devastating Depression, a collapse of the economy.
The President at the time, Herbert Hoover, was a Republican, and Republicans believed in a 'laissez-faire' policy. This meant that the Republicans would not interfere in industry or business, as he believed that non-interference brought prosperity. Therefore, he did little for welfare and relief to the poor and unemployed. Roosevelt however, promised action in the shape of 'a New Deal for the American people'. This included jobs and relief to the needy. The speech shows Roosevelt's determination to nullify the effects of the Depression with his New Deal. At such desperate times, the American people would accept anything promised to them, so they backed Roosevelt rather than the 'do-nothing' President Hoover.
2
The two sources B and C offer contrasting judgments on the New Deal. Source B was by an American historian in 1945. It states that 3 million young Americans were involved in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), an organization that gave work to people through building dams and replanting forests, for example. Also, he introduced unemployment assistance and old-age pensions, and banned child labour. However, source C, also by an American historian in 1945, says that despite the New Deal, 11 million were unemployed and one in four relied on government agencies like the CCC for employment.
Source C also suggests that Roosevelt's increasing power could only lead to a dictatorial government. Source B rejects this claim, claiming that power still lies in the hands of the American people, who can choose to vote out governments they dislike.
Source B says that the New Deal restored confidence. It says the people would remember the change from despair to hope in spring 1933. Source C mentions a different attitude; that Roosevelt's reputation was falling in 1938, as 11 million remained unemployed, the national debt rocketed and taxes increased.
Source C implies that it was the Second World War that saved the country and not the New Deal, which source B maintains. Source C portrays Roosevelt as desperate, whereas in source B Roosevelt gave excitement and hope to the people through the New Deal.
3
Source D is by a photographer in 1937. It shows black people queuing for government relief in front of a poster, which says: 'World's Highest Standard of Living' and 'There's No Way like the American Way'. The poster depicts a rich white family in a car. The picture shows that black people were more likely to be unemployed and poorer than the whites. The contrast shown here in the photo shows how much worse off black people are than whites. The Depression made more blacks unemployed than whites, particularly in farming. I think the message the photographer wants to convey the message that the 'World's Highest Standard of Living' only applies to whites, while the blacks ask for government relief.
4
Source E is a cartoon in a 1930s American newspaper. It shows Roosevelt trying to prime the New Deal pump with buckets of water that represents money. The pump has lots of leaks and doesn't work, and $16 billion has already been spent on the pump. A man representing the taxpayer is bringing Roosevelt more water. The cartoon says that the New Deal isn't working, but is wasting money. The taxpayer has to pay for the New Deal unnecessarily. This cartoon is therefore against Roosevelt.
Source F is a cartoon published in 1933 and ...
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4
Source E is a cartoon in a 1930s American newspaper. It shows Roosevelt trying to prime the New Deal pump with buckets of water that represents money. The pump has lots of leaks and doesn't work, and $16 billion has already been spent on the pump. A man representing the taxpayer is bringing Roosevelt more water. The cartoon says that the New Deal isn't working, but is wasting money. The taxpayer has to pay for the New Deal unnecessarily. This cartoon is therefore against Roosevelt.
Source F is a cartoon published in 1933 and it shows Roosevelt 'getting rid of the rubbish' from the White House. In the rubbish bin are Republican ideals, such as Herbert Hoover's sayings: 'rugged individualists' (referring to the American people) and 'prosperity is just around the corner'. Hoover is shown walking away from the White House, and this indicates that Roosevelt threw away Hoover's old ideals as soon as he became President. This cartoon is pro-Roosevelt as it diminishes Republican policies as rubbish.
Source G is against Roosevelt. It is a mid-1930s cartoon that shows 'Uncle Sam' (the United States) as a sick old man with many bottles of medicine beside him. Each bottle has the initials of a government agency on it. Roosevelt is a doctor holding a bag of 'New Deal remedies' and Congress is an old man dressed as a woman. Roosevelt is telling Congress "Of course we may have to change remedies if we don't get results". Congress is dressed as a woman to make it appear weak to Roosevelt's power. The criticism that Roosevelt kept changing policies is raised in this cartoon. Also Uncle Sam is sitting motionless with no visible signs of a problem, so the cartoon raises the question: is there a problem anyway? If so, why does it not look like the agencies are working? And if not, why is Roosevelt making the effort to fix something that isn't broken? The cartoon criticizes Roosevelt.
5c
I think source I is more useful as evidence about public opinion than source H. Source H is a letter published by Roosevelt's supporters for his 1936 election campaign. It's apparently from an elderly couple that has had problems, like lost furniture and a loan extension, sorted by a man sent by the President. They are very grateful and support Roosevelt. Source I is part of a popular song from 1936, the basic message of the song being that Roosevelt doesn't neglect the people and has provided them with work. Source H is from Roosevelt's election campaign so is likely to be made up. Even if it was a real letter it only represents one couple's thoughts. Source I is a popular song so many Americans liked it. This might mean they liked or agreed with its message, so they might have agreed that it's great he won the 1936 election. Source I is better as it's more genuine and reliable.
6
In source J a self-made businessman speaks in 1980 about his memory of the time of the New Deal. He complains that the New Deal hurt America in that giving hurts. He says loss of confidence resulted in the Depression and the New Deal did little for restoring confidence. The dog example implies men won't 'hunt' if money is given to them, they must go hungry first. He tries to say pay for your food or starve if you can't pay. Source K is from the Secretary of Labour in Roosevelt's government. She says Roosevelt understood the poor were most at danger; she uses the word 'desperate'. She comments that the idea was to use the people to help the people. Government authorities such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (or the TVA, which built dams in the Tennessee Valley to rejuvenate industry) revolutionized relationships between local and central government. As a result, communities prospered and grew confident.
The two sources disagree because in source J the businessman made money by himself and others should too. He claims that people should earn their bread or starve for being lazy. But in source K the woman claims the New Deal meant people actually did work for their wages. The man says welfare makes it even less likely for people to seek jobs but the woman states that the Deal gave people work rather than welfare and was constructive and advantageous to the community.
7
I think the explanation that the New Deal wasted money, made people depend on welfare, gave government too much power and didn't solve America's financial problems; is a better interpretation of the effects of the New Deal. It is better supported by the sources and my own knowledge of the time. The other explanation is weak as a result and I think this one is much stronger as it is backed up better by facts and the opinions of those at the time.
First of all, it wasn't exactly the New Deal that helped America beat the depression. It failed to restore consumer confidence to the same level as at the 'roaring twenties', as by 1937 people spent and invested 75% of what they did in the 20s. Through the 30s unemployment remained high, despite the TVA and other 'alphabet agencies' providing work. When the national workforce finally recovered it was due to the Second World War.
("By leading his [Roosevelt's] country into war he was able to put every man and woman into work" Quote from source C)
The armed forces and munitions factories cut unemployment levels more than the New Deal could. It was the War and not the New Deal that saved America from depression.
The Deal failed the poorest and neediest, in particular migrants, the unskilled and farm laborers. The Deal was negative to black people, who were often paid less than whites, and some farming measures actually made 200,000 blacks redundant. Also, one in four depended on the agencies for work and many more on welfare. A common argument is that people would get lazy and live on welfare when they should be getting jobs, and the more welfare they acquire the more idle they become.
("Welfare kills a man's initiative...You're free to eat if you can pay for your food, and you're free to starve if you don't pay" Quote from source J)
So not only were Americans not spending as much, they weren't earning money for themselves, just taking what they could from the government.
Early in Roosevelt's reign he passed many orders which Congress were happy to accept in light of the events. But Roosevelt seemed to have too much power, and some feared he was becoming dictator-like.
("The only result of this [Roosevelt's power] will be dictatorial government" Quote from source C)
Congress had thrown billions of dollars at him to spend unwisely. To their regret, Roosevelt had made the national debt 13 times its sum before his presidency.
But the Deal wasn't totally useless; it gave Americans self-respect and hope. Welfare did help many of the needy and the TVA was a very successful fruit-bearing agency. The Deal did its best to restore America to its booming 20s days, but it was the War that finally helped America recover, and Roosevelt desperately seized the opportunity.
8
There's been so much disagreement over the New Deal because it's had diverse effects, some beneficial, some ineffective and some wasteful. One of the two major opinions on the Deal is that the Deal was central to America's recovery, and the other is that the Deal wasted money senselessly without beating depression. These effects have been the focal subjects of the debate.
All the sources are either pro- or anti-Roosevelt, no source praising as well as criticizing the Deal. This makes it hard to deduce which opinion is truer as no source accounts for the opposing point of view when giving its own, so no single source provides a comparison or counter-argument. The only source that shows any sign of this is the photograph D, but it's done sarcastically to back up the main argument made by the photo, so it can't be taken as another point of view in its own right.
The pro-Deal sources make a big point of how Roosevelt did more for America than his predecessor Hoover did, throwing out the Republican laissez-faire attitude and actively attempting to push America out of depression (as illustrated in source F). This active involvement included welfare (including old-age pensions and unemployment assistance) and the 'alphabet agencies' to employ people for government work. Such aid transformed America and revived American spirit and hope. The Deal helped America beat the depression psychologically if not physically. This argument is constantly backed up by such quotes as "I am waging war against Destruction, Delay, Deceit and Despair" (Roosevelt, source A), "Since Roosevelt's been re-elected, we'll not be neglected" (from the song, source I), and "from depression and discouragement to excitement and hope" (source B). The agencies did much too physically rebuild the country. As a result of the farming industry's downfall lots of land was left unattended and the soil became sterile dirt. The masses of abandoned farmland became known as the Dust Bowl, and the country was losing its soil, forests and water because of it. Source B presents the government's actions: "Roosevelt tackled it with energy. Three million young men in the Civilian Conservation Corps planted 17 million acres of new forests and built over 6 million dams to stop erosion". Those who support the Deal will accentuate what and how much Roosevelt did for America.
However those who oppose Roosevelt will highlight what he didn't do for certain groups of people, besides criticizing his welfare policy and claiming the Deal was a colossal waste of money. Source J criticizes welfare by saying if people are given money they feel they don't have to work for it, whereas people who are left hungry will be willing to work hard for money. Source D points out that welfare did not reach black people and they are still queuing for relief. Black people had been severely hit by the Depression, most losing jobs as farm laborers. Blacks weren't the only people unemployed by the fall of the farming industry, but they formed the majority. Even Roosevelt's measures to help the industry made more redundancies, because providing fast, efficient, cost-effective machines meant farmers didn't need as many workers. Source C slates Roosevelt heavily, but puts Congress to blame for giving Roosevelt too much power and money, saying, "The only result will be dictatorial government". The source mentions the increase in taxes, the national debt, inflation and unemployment since the Democrats came to power. It ends by stating that the war saved Roosevelt: "By leading his country into war he was able to put every man and woman into work".
Disagreement over the Deal is due to its mixed effects on the USA, some saying it saved America and restored confidence, and some arguing that it was very wasteful and damaging to America. My view is that it's true the New Deal did much for America's people, but the War really rescued the country from depression.
