The Great Depression

FDR and the Depression

The Hundred Days
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first one hundred days in office were known as "The Hundred Days." During this time, he presented a wide variety of legislation to Congress which brought relief to the needy and helped boost the economy. "The Hundred Days" set a new standard for Presidents and members of Congress that followed Roosevelt.

The Brain Trust
President Roosevelt frequently turned for help to what was called the Brain Trust, which was made up of individuals from outside of government including professors, lawyers, and others who came to Washington to advise him on economic affairs. Roosevelt liked to learn through listening to experts and then questioning them. In doing so, he became familiar with different points of view. Thus he was able to make up his own mind after considering their input.

Fireside Chats
As the number of radios grew in the U.S., more people relied on this media for obtaining information and entertainment. During the Great Depression, people were bored, worried, anxious, and depressed. The radio was just one way people got away from everyday life to beat those emotions.

When disappointment in the economy reached its peak, Franklin Delano Roosevelt resorted to speeches on the radio. These soon became known as Fireside Chats. In these chats, FDR talked about the banking system and other economic concerns. Because the President seemed to be talking directly to each listener, everything was "So clearly explained that even the bankers understood it," said one humorist. During the chats, FDR could describe his actions and his reasoning with no one to interrupt so that everyone would understand what the government was doing.

The New Deal

The New Deal was a program designed to reverse the effects of the Depression. Some of the programs worked and some didn't.

FDIC and REA
The FDIC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, insured savings accounts in banks approved by the government. If an FDIC bank failed, the government would repay the depositors their money. Another important program the REA, Rural Electrification Administration, loaned money to extend electricity to rural areas. Soon instead of one out of ten farms having electricity, one out of four had it.
CCC
The Civilian Conservation Corps was introduced as a New Deal program. It provided jobs for single men between the ages of 18 and 25. The men developed new parks, built bridges, planted trees, and helped with flood control projects. For this work, they earned $1.00 each day.

WPA
The WPA made jobs for people to work in buildings, hospitals, and parks. It also hired artists and photographers. They did this so many people could have jobs during the Depression. It probably was the most successful program.
AAA
One of the New Deal programs that dealt with agriculture was the AAA, Agricultural Adjustment Administration. which helped farmers. Overproduction caused farm income to drop. The AAA said that the government would pay the farmers for not producing crops. Since less was being grown, the price for farm goods would rise. The government said that they would also pay farmers to plow some crops under and destroy some of the surplus.

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FDR and the Depression
The Hundred Days President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first one hundred days in office were known as "The Hundred Days." During this time, he presented a wide variety of legislation to Congress which brought relief to the needy and helped boost the economy. "The Hundred Days" set a new standard for Presidents and members of Congress that followed Roosevelt.
The Brain Trust President Roosevelt frequently turned for help to what was called the Brain Trust, which was made up of individuals from outside of government including professors, lawyers, and others who came to Washington to advise him on economic affairs. Roosevelt liked to learn through listening to experts and then questioning them. In doing so, he became familiar with different points of view. Thus he was able to make up his own mind after considering their input.	Fireside Chats As the number of radios grew in the U.S., more people relied on this media for obtaining information and entertainment. During the Great Depression, people were bored, worried, anxious, and depressed. The radio was just one way people got away from everyday life to beat those emotions. When disappointment in the economy reached its peak, Franklin Delano Roosevelt resorted to speeches on the radio. These soon became known as Fireside Chats. In these chats, FDR talked about the banking system and other economic concerns. Because the President seemed to be talking directly to each listener, everything was "So clearly explained that even the bankers understood it," said one humorist. During the chats, FDR could describe his actions and his reasoning with no one to interrupt so that everyone would understand what the government was doing.
The New Deal The New Deal was a program designed to reverse the effects of the Depression. Some of the programs worked and some didn't.
FDIC and REA The FDIC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, insured savings accounts in banks approved by the government. If an FDIC bank failed, the government would repay the depositors their money. Another important program the REA, Rural Electrification Administration, loaned money to extend electricity to rural areas. Soon instead of one out of ten farms having electricity, one out of four had it.	CCC The Civilian Conservation Corps was introduced as a New Deal program. It provided jobs for single men between the ages of 18 and 25. The men developed new parks, built bridges, planted trees, and helped with flood control projects. For this work, they earned $1.00 each day.
WPA The WPA made jobs for people to work in buildings, hospitals, and parks. It also hired artists and photographers. They did this so many people could have jobs during the Depression. It probably was the most successful program.	AAA One of the New Deal programs that dealt with agriculture was the AAA, Agricultural Adjustment Administration. which helped farmers. Overproduction caused farm income to drop. The AAA said that the government would pay the farmers for not producing crops. Since less was being grown, the price for farm goods would rise. The government said that they would also pay farmers to plow some crops under and destroy some of the surplus.