In 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president of the United States at the time, put forth a plan to fix problems within the US economy, known as the New Deal in response to the Great Depression. The New Deal was made up of programs, reforms and regulations that sought to bring reform to a struggling nation. Although the New Deal was able to revive the economy, create millions of jobs, the programs varied based upon class, gender, race and disability status.
The biggest division in the New Deal act was class. New Deal programs aimed to help working class Americans and the poor. The unemployment rate at this time was twenty-five percent because of the major collapse in the economy. Programs such as WPA and the CCC were able to put forth millions of jobs and provided income and a sort of purpose during a time when despair was widespread. The FERA helped with food, housing assistance, clothing, and other basic necessities. The NIRA sought to stabilize working wages, promoting unions. The middle class benefited from these reforms like the social security act of 1965, which introduced unemployment insurance, retirement pensions, and assistance for disabled independent children. The FHA helped people obtain mortgages resulting in a housing boom that developed suburban America in the following years. The upper class viewed the New Deal as a hostile act, some even accused Roosevelt of undermining capitalism and promoting socialism.
Throughout history women have experienced hardships. The New Deal was largely shaped by gender roles. Programs such as the CCC and WPA were intended especially for young men who were considered to be the primary breadwinners in society. The WPA involved women, traditionally promoting “feminine” roles such as sewing, nursing, teaching, or libraries. These jobs were lower paid and considered to be a secondary to mens labor. New Deal programs assumed that households had male head. Widows, single women, and mothers struggled to gain aid or pushed into charity or other low forms of relief. Even with the struggles womens faced, they played an important role in the Roosevelt administration. Francis Perkins was the first woman in the United States to hold a cabinet position. She was important in securing labor policies and social security. The first lady Elanor Roosevelt helped advocate not only African Americans but other women and other marginalized groups.
Discrimination based on race and heritage was also another inequality that the New Deal introduced. African Americans who were affected by the depression received less benefits and faced systemic discrimination within the New Deal programs. Hundreds of thousands of African Americans were employed through the WPA but were paid less than white workers for the same jobs and were segregated into work camps or projects of public housing. The social security act excluded agricultural and domestic workers initially. The jobs were often worked by African Americans within the South. This exclusion along with pressure from southern lawmakers who wanted to maintain white supremacy meant that a whole black population was denied crucial lifelong benefits. Roosevelt developed an informal “black cabinet” which was a group of African American advisors that lobbied for racial inclusion. Although with all the efforts, racism especially in Jim Crow south limited progression. The Indian reorganization act of 1934 also known as the Wheeler-Howard Act, ended an allotment policy that was known for breaking up tribal lands and it allowed for the establishment of land ownership and tribal governments to be rebuilt. This was a shift away from formed assimilation. Some tribes were happy with the changes welcoming them while others feared that the federal government was opposing its will on them. People of Chinese and Japanese heritage often faced harsh exclusion with immigration restrictions and anti asian sentiment. Discrimination was throughout housing, labor, and land ownership especially in states like California. Asian Americans did not have access to public programs and private opportunities. In the Southwest many Latino Americans faced similar discrimination, they were excluded from programs, faced language barriers and citizenship requirements. In the 1930’s hundreds of thousands of Mexican Americans were forcibly deported under the pretense of reducing job competition. This was known as the Mexican Repatriation.
The New Deal was one of the first times the federal government acknowledged formerly the needs of people with disabilities. The Social security Act offered assistance for those with physical disabilities, dependent children, and the blind. This was a shift in national policy recognizing that disability was a public issue rather than private. The WPA created jobs for people with disabilities especially in workshops and community programs. However, people with severe disabilities were left out due to physical barriers, lack of legal protection, and a sort of social stigma.
The nation's government in society was reshaped with the implication of the New Deal. Class, gender, race, and disability all played key roles in determining who was left out, or was able to receive support. For some the New Deal was considered a lifeline, while others thought of it as a reminder that the government policies are shaped by the people, power structures within this time, and prejudices. Understanding the impact of the New Deal allows us to consider today's economic, racial, and social challenges. The lessons brought about in the New Deal remind us that real progress is brought about by a commitment for justice for everyone.
"African Americans and the New Deal." Digital History, University of Houston, https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=2&psid=3443.
Badger, Anthony J. The New Deal: The Depression Years, 1933–1940. Macmillan, 1989.
Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945. Oxford University Press, 1999.
"The New Deal." Social Welfare History Project, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/great-depression/the-new-deal/.
“Digital History.” Uh.edu, 2021, www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=2&psid=3451.
The biggest division in the New Deal act was class. New Deal programs aimed to help working class Americans and the poor. The unemployment rate at this time was twenty-five percent because of the major collapse in the economy. Programs such as WPA and the CCC were able to put forth millions of jobs and provided income and a sort of purpose during a time when despair was widespread. The FERA helped with food, housing assistance, clothing, and other basic necessities. The NIRA sought to stabilize working wages, promoting unions. The middle class benefited from these reforms like the social security act of 1965, which introduced unemployment insurance, retirement pensions, and assistance for disabled independent children. The FHA helped people obtain mortgages resulting in a housing boom that developed suburban America in the following years. The upper class viewed the New Deal as a hostile act, some even accused Roosevelt of undermining capitalism and promoting socialism.
Throughout history women have experienced hardships. The New Deal was largely shaped by gender roles. Programs such as the CCC and WPA were intended especially for young men who were considered to be the primary breadwinners in society. The WPA involved women, traditionally promoting “feminine” roles such as sewing, nursing, teaching, or libraries. These jobs were lower paid and considered to be a secondary to mens labor. New Deal programs assumed that households had male head. Widows, single women, and mothers struggled to gain aid or pushed into charity or other low forms of relief. Even with the struggles womens faced, they played an important role in the Roosevelt administration. Francis Perkins was the first woman in the United States to hold a cabinet position. She was important in securing labor policies and social security. The first lady Elanor Roosevelt helped advocate not only African Americans but other women and other marginalized groups.
Discrimination based on race and heritage was also another inequality that the New Deal introduced. African Americans who were affected by the depression received less benefits and faced systemic discrimination within the New Deal programs. Hundreds of thousands of African Americans were employed through the WPA but were paid less than white workers for the same jobs and were segregated into work camps or projects of public housing. The social security act excluded agricultural and domestic workers initially. The jobs were often worked by African Americans within the South. This exclusion along with pressure from southern lawmakers who wanted to maintain white supremacy meant that a whole black population was denied crucial lifelong benefits. Roosevelt developed an informal “black cabinet” which was a group of African American advisors that lobbied for racial inclusion. Although with all the efforts, racism especially in Jim Crow south limited progression. The Indian reorganization act of 1934 also known as the Wheeler-Howard Act, ended an allotment policy that was known for breaking up tribal lands and it allowed for the establishment of land ownership and tribal governments to be rebuilt. This was a shift away from formed assimilation. Some tribes were happy with the changes welcoming them while others feared that the federal government was opposing its will on them. People of Chinese and Japanese heritage often faced harsh exclusion with immigration restrictions and anti asian sentiment. Discrimination was throughout housing, labor, and land ownership especially in states like California. Asian Americans did not have access to public programs and private opportunities. In the Southwest many Latino Americans faced similar discrimination, they were excluded from programs, faced language barriers and citizenship requirements. In the 1930’s hundreds of thousands of Mexican Americans were forcibly deported under the pretense of reducing job competition. This was known as the Mexican Repatriation.
The New Deal was one of the first times the federal government acknowledged formerly the needs of people with disabilities. The Social security Act offered assistance for those with physical disabilities, dependent children, and the blind. This was a shift in national policy recognizing that disability was a public issue rather than private. The WPA created jobs for people with disabilities especially in workshops and community programs. However, people with severe disabilities were left out due to physical barriers, lack of legal protection, and a sort of social stigma.
The nation's government in society was reshaped with the implication of the New Deal. Class, gender, race, and disability all played key roles in determining who was left out, or was able to receive support. For some the New Deal was considered a lifeline, while others thought of it as a reminder that the government policies are shaped by the people, power structures within this time, and prejudices. Understanding the impact of the New Deal allows us to consider today's economic, racial, and social challenges. The lessons brought about in the New Deal remind us that real progress is brought about by a commitment for justice for everyone.
"African Americans and the New Deal." Digital History, University of Houston, https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=2&psid=3443.
Badger, Anthony J. The New Deal: The Depression Years, 1933–1940. Macmillan, 1989.
Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945. Oxford University Press, 1999.
"The New Deal." Social Welfare History Project, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/great-depression/the-new-deal/.
“Digital History.” Uh.edu, 2021, www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=2&psid=3451.