Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay Research Paper Franklin

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay, Research Paper

Franklin Delano Roosevelt.s New Deal programs for relief and works projects were beneficial to America.s economic collapse while helping the nation as a whole. Before these programs, however, the nation was in a most needy state. On October 24th 1929 a day known as “Black Thursday” came. The stock market crashed and so did the economy. Unemployment ran rapid through the country whereas millions of Americans were out of work and money. The nation succumbed to one of the fiercest events in history- the Great Depression. Roosevelt, the governor of New York at the time, was well aware of the need for action and swept the election of 1932. In his inaugural speech he spoke of a “New Deal” for America and thus the New Deal was born. As soon as Roosevelt took office, help was on the way as he created many programs to take the nation out of hard times. The most important ones were FERA, or Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the CWA, or Civil Works Administration, and the WPA, or Works Progress Administration. Each one of these programs had an impact on the nation that aided in helping the people and the badly scarred economy. They also lifted the spirits and morals of the people. In addition, the lasting effects of the New Deal programs are still felt today, which proves that the relief and works progress programs were of outmost benefit to America.

Roosevelt was determined to directly relieve the suffering of the American people. In his inaugural speech he said, “I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people”. He meant that, as president, he promises a new America that will help the people and preserve their morale. Roosevelt was committed to helping the nation out of the economic crisis and directly helping the people. The New Deal was made up of numerous programs to help the nation surpass the depression. Roosevelt had long been a supporter of direct government assistance. He believed the government should provide for the welfare of the people. Because of his strong belief in governmental aid, he carried the nation through the depression. The first of his relief works projects was designed to be a quick jumpstart to help families receive money. This was called FERA.

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration, commonly known as FERA, was established as a temporary program that would run on direct governmental aid to give the states large grants that were passed on as direct cash payments for needy families. Roosevelt, along with Harry Hopkins, was allotted $500 million for direct relief of the people. FERA was the first major effort made to cope with the problems the nation was facing. It was short-lived because it stressed the importance of immediate relief rather than long-term recovery. The goal of this program was to bring the unemployed to a higher financial level so that the working class could survive in order to become self-sufficient. FDR placed Harry Hopkins in charge of FERA. Hopkins recognized need for speedy distribution of funds. He disbursed FERA grants widely and rapidly. The pressure of the emergency created by the Great Depression was so intense and the power of Roosevelt.s voice was so persuasive that Congress did just about anything he wished. This opportunity gave Roosevelt the lead in emergency legislation where Congress would have, instead, seized the initiative and done the job rather badly. Because of this Roosevelt had the ability to create these imperative programs. This was only the beginning of the New Deal. FERA was a temporary program that would not revive the economy and the people. Americans felt humiliated and had a loss of pride. This was so because getting handed money from the government tends to be shameful and having a job shows self-worth and responsibility. Aside from that, Roosevelt didn.t want to kill the spirit of the country so that the free enterprise would get a chance to work effectively again. FERA was an early form of welfare; Roosevelt knew this and thus began to devise another program aimed at conquering the economic collapse and improving the face of the nation.

In the fall of 1933 the Civil Works Administration, or CWA, was formed as a temporary measure to provide work. It was designed to give jobs for up to 4 million people at a given time. Jobs were necessary because they get money circulating through the economy and through the treasury. The CWA allowed for men to work and receive money while also improving the nation. Some men who were put to work through the CWA had money in their pockets for the first time in over a year. The kinds of jobs the CWA workers held were designed to give money to the employees while also giving back to the nation. Many people had jobs in the fields of construction, teaching, social work, and medicine. All of these jobs gave back to the nation and the community. The CWA basically helped people help themselves. The country improved from this work by gaining 240,000 miles of roads, 30,000 schools, 3,700 playgrounds, 5,000 public buildings, and 800 small airports. Because of all these great advantages, people were becoming educated and had the luxury of traveling and commuting. The CWA was praised by many including Governor Landon of Kansas who wrote that the civil-works program is one of the soundest, most constructive policies. Not only did the CWA help the people receive money indirectly, but it also