"We have nothing to fear, but fear itself" was the message Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated during his inaugural address. America needed a different voice, someone who could speak to the people and promise them action. FDR was that voice he promised a "New Deal" for America. One that would bring jobs and a chance for those people who had lost all hope. Also it seemed a bit silly spending money enforcing Prohibition while people were starving. FDR made a campaign promise to end Prohibition. "I think America needs a drink" he stated and early in 1933 Roosevelt signed the 21st Amendment into law ending Prohibition.
Watch the first six minutes of this video that explains all the ways the New Deal influenced the country and if it actually worked? |
New Deal ProgramsThese FDR programs helped older Americans and those who couldn't work survive based on the contributions of their fellow Americans. This is kind of like alphabet soup stay with me. In his first 100 days in office FDR created a banking holiday which closed all the banks in the country. During this time the FDIC was created which guaranteed your money could not go poof into think air, the government would insure your money up to 100,000$ so it would always be there. This gave more people confidence in the banks again. The Glass-Steaggell Act made it illegal for commercial banks to invest in the stock market which got us into this mess. The Civilian Conservation Core put hundreds of thousands of people to work creating more national parks, building schools, and bridges. However not everyone was in love with the idea of the Federal government having such an impact on the economy and giving people jobs and so many handouts. Some compared FDR to a Communist (by far the worst thing to be.)
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Fireside ChatsWith the power of radio FDR spoke to the people of America giving them hope and promising their government is working hard for them.
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FDR's Polio FightFDR was stricken with Polio at the age of 35. He would walk with special braces and the help of the secret service. Great care was taken to keep the public from knowing how hard it was for him to walk. He wanted to portray the image of being a strong President, this must have been very painful for him at times.
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