Farmers had been hit a lot harder than most in the 20’s and past the Wall Street crash, the new deal did much to improve the lives of American farmers, especially those with large farms. By the mid-1930’s farmers incomes were rising, this was mainly thanks to Federal government created alphabet agencies.
The new deal did much to raise the morale and confidence of many Americans. Many began to believe in themselves again. Few turned to extreme Communist or Fascist groups. Roosevelt had increased the role of the federal government in America. It became much more involved in people’s lives. Most Americans now accepted that the federal government had a role to play in making sure the weaker sections of society – the unemployed, the homeless, the old and the poor – were looked after. Roosevelt’s own background of disability meant that he could sympathise with the disadvantaged in American society. He was determined to help the unemployed, the disabled and the elderly in his policies.
However, there were still a number of people who weren’t enjoying the excitement on the road to recovery. Unemployment was reduced by a considerable amount but was not ended. The various schemes had limited impact. Some said they did not provide “real” jobs and the moment government ceased to pay, the jobs would disappear. Some felt that work was being created just for the sake of it. Unemployment was still 9 million in 1936 and rose over 10 million two years later.
Workers rights, American employers deeply resented this aspect of the new deal and many large companies hired thugs to beat up union leaders and intimidate workers who were on strike. During a strike by steelworkers in Chicago in 1937, ten demonstrators were shot dead by the police and ninety were wounded. Farmers, small farmers, farm labourers and sharecroppers saw little benefit from the new deal. There was still much poverty in rural America, especially in the south. In 1934-5 a long-term drought hit the prairie states, and in many areas the soil was turning to dust. With no rain, previously fertile landscapes became deserts. These were the “dustbowl” areas of Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Many farmers left to seek work in the golden state of California.
The poor, the new deal did not go far enough in dealing with poverty, or in helping the poorest people in American society. The Social Security Act excluded 20% of the workforce, including five million desperate farm workers and domestics. Also there was no provision for state-paid medical care. Little was done to share out the country’s wealth. In 1941 the richest 20% were earning 49% of the national income, the poorest 20%, were earning 4%.
The slump of 1937-8, the limitations of the new deal. The economy seemed to be improving and Roosevelt took the opportunity to cut the amount spent on the new deal programmes. The economy went back into depression. Industrial production fell by one-third and unemployment rose nearly 3 million.
For black Americans, the programmes did little to improve the position of black Americans. Although around 30% of all black people were dependent on emergency relief for survival, no new deal laws attempted to assist blacks and improve their civil rights. Roosevelt felt dependant on the support of democrats from the south, who were determined to deny full rights to black Americans.
In conclusion there were a lot of success about the new deal, Roosevelt was very popular with Americans. He was elected 4 times and never lost an election, he died in office in 1945 after the Second World War. Roosevelt created a lot of prosperity and generated feelings of hope for the good of America. But the problem of unemployment was not fully resolved until the start of the European war of 1939. The need for American weapons, ammunition and America’s entry into the Second World War finally revived the economy and relived unemployment. Even before American participation in the war, the USA sold goods and food produce to Britain and France, which increased the demand for American manufactured goods and food produce. The level of unemployment fell. All in all the new deal was generally a success give or take a few minor discrepancies.
