Life did get better for many Americans in the 1930's. How far was Roosevelt responsible for this or was it due to other factors?

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3. Life did get better for many Americans in the 1930's. How far was Roosevelt responsible for this or was it due to other factors?

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president of America in 1932, things appeared to improve for the citizens and for the economy. This was not just down to Roosevelt's work; other factors also played an important role.

When Roosevelt came to power the country was in trouble. Unemployment was extremely high and the morale of the Americans was low with people's trust and confidence in the government and banks gone. Roosevelt offered the 'New Deal' to his people. In this 'New Deal' he set out to restore the confidence that had been lost, boost the American economy and reduce unemployment.

The 'Wall Street Crash' of 1929 started unemployment, poverty and low confidence. Roosevelt needed to do something quickly to put a stop to this. He decided to put government money into businesses so they can employ people who, in turn, spend money on goods and services, therefor creating employment for additional people to supply this increased demand. This cycle then continued and gradually brought down unemployment.

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The previous president, Hoover, believed in a very different method, which involved, letting the trouble sort itself out without government intrusion. This system is known as Laissez-faire government, and it did not work for Hoover at that time. Roosevelt's method however, did appear to succeed.

Roosevelt had another tactic which he called 'Fireside Chats'. This was an original presidential idea that allowed Roosevelt to speak to the people of America via the radio. This was a brilliant breakthrough because millions of people could listen to him throughout America in the comfort of their own homes. Roosevelt was able to offer ...

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