New Deal - questions and answers.
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Introduction
American Coursework a) Explain the new features of the New Deal There were many features to do the new deal. Roosevelt had promised action and in the first hundred days of his administration, he kept up a very hectic pace of activity. During the time of his election the economic crisis deepened and bank failures increased. FDR's first task was therefore to restore confidence in the banking system. The most important acts of congress passed in the hundred days were those which tried to bring relief for the unemployed and recovery from the depression in both industry and agriculture. Alphabet agencies were set up to put the new acts into practice. The federal government at this point had now played a greater role in American life than ever before. When FDR came into power America's economy was on the brink of collapse. Unemployment stood at 13 million and banks were closed in 38 states. FDR's first New Deal victory came about by saving the nation's banks; he issued a decree closing the nation's bank and called congress back into session. The government would aid the banks in the best way they could, strong banks would reopen the next day and weaker banks closed with weaker ones helped by government loans. ...read more.
Middle
The Wall Street crash started when share prices were unrealistically high and when people began to sell their shares prices fell. By the end of the day people were ruined and companies were forced to be shut down and the stock market completely collapsed. This made economic problems worse and the Great depression affected America in many different ways. Even before the Wall Street crash there were flaws in the economy and this only helped show these flaws which cost America. There was a weakness in the economy and it was suffering as a result of falling demand and overproduction. Too much income from the income from the prosperous was going into few hands and the republicans helped make the wealthy even wealthier. There was a decline in demand which led to industries cutting back production so workers were sacked and the unemployed could not afford goods, and a cycle appeared which was badly affecting America. The crash revealed badly structured companies and banks lacked proper cash reserves and lent too easily, by 1929 many banks went bankrupt and by 1933 4,000 banks had collapsed. President Hoover blamed the depression on international economic problems. ...read more.
Conclusion
Even though this was done employers were still arguing with the unions and the relationship between workers and employers still remained difficult. Strikes also still occurred. The new deal gained a large amount of black votes because of his relief agencies. But some agencies discriminated against blacks e.g. AAA and NRA. Black workers were removed form jobs and black farmers lost land. FDR never actually said he wanted "equal rights" for blacks as he would have lost many votes from white people. However FDR may have actually wanted this as he supported the anti-lynching Bill so the new deal helped this with the black people actually being appointed to posts in the new deal agencies. The new deal got the chance for women to promote "women's rights". Women made up nearly 25% of the workforce and many suffered from the effects of the depression. Eleanor Roosevelt and others helped set up public works programmes for women and in the 1930s the first women to become a member of the presidents cabinet was Frances Perkins, and women could be appointed to being administrators in the alphabet agencies. The new deal did help America out of the depression however it did produce more problems to American life that was needed. Edward Clive 11CBG ...read more.
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