Explain why Roosevelt introduced the New Deal

People in agricultural areas were hit hard by the depression. Farmers needed to pay their mortgages but were unable to do this as they had no money. This drove many farmers off there land and turned farmland area into a dust bowl. In the towns it was not much better. At night the parks were full of homeless people who were unemployed. In every city, workers who had contributed to the prosperity of the 1920s now queued for bread and soup dished out by charity workers. Every town had a so called Hoover Ville. This was a shanty town of huts and where migrants lived.

The people of America had lost all confidence especially in president Hoover who was known as the “do nothing” president. So they elected a new president, Roosevelt. Roosevelt needed to bring back the confidence in the people by sorting out all the problems. So he introduced the new deal.

Roosevelt had strong personal beliefs. He believed in an active Government to improve the lives of ordinary people. He also had a firm belief in the American Dream. That meant that anyone who worked hard enough could become rich. This became a strong ethos that many Americans believed in. Roosevelt knew that he could bring America into recovery with the New Deal and the many agencies and acts that were to be passed to solve issues raised by the depression.

The New Deal was introduced to transform America's economy which had been shattered by the Wall Street Crash. The downturn that followed the Wall Street Crash also had a psychological impact on America and that Roosevelt was actually doing something did a great deal to boost America's self-esteem.