New Deal Dbq

During the 1920’s, society as allowed to have freedom in their lives. With shorter, looser clothes, fun parties, and money to spend, many young people became accustomed to this easy, simple lifestyle. In October of 1929, the stock market crashed; in addition, many citizens panicked, pulling their money out of savings, causing the banks to run out of money and close. Many were left jobless, poor, and even homeless, living in small communities called shantytowns or Hoovervilles. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was inaugurated, he was obligated to solve many of these problems and re-instill hope into the heart of American citizens. He and his administration implemented the New Deal, a plan to improve the lives of the average American. The

The stock market crash was a huge catastrophe that affected millions of Americans, even those not involved in the stock market, “[The crash] came suddenly, and violently, after holders of stocks had been lulled into a sense of security” (Document 1). After a huge drop in stock prices, many stock owners sold their stock in fear of losing money. The stock market was down $14 million, which even today is a very substantial number. FDR saw the issue in this, and immediately worked to eliminate the issue as well as prevent it for future generations. The Federal Securities Act of 1933, mandating that all companies selling stock provide proof of their company’s worth, and the Securities Exchange Commission of 1934, monitoring the stock market to ensure no one corrupts the stock market, allowed stock to be sold and bought safely once

Prior to his help, many were unemployed; unemployed wanderers, later labeled hobos, were shooed out of towns (Document 2). FDR put many acts into effect in order to provide jobs, including rural jobs, wildlife restoration jobs, and even jobs for teenagers. The CCC,or the Civilian Conservation Corps, proved to be a favorite of these labor acts. As recounted by Keith Hufford, former CCC member, “the CC has equipped me with the weapons necessary to cope with the innumerable problems that are bound to obstruct my path through life and that must be surmounted before success can be obtained” (Document6). Men and women of all demographics were given the opportunity to work through FDR’s labor acts.
Living conditions also improved under FDR’s administration. Hoovervilles, communities of poor, homeless families in public areas, existed all over the country prior to FDR (Document 5). With government assistance to make loans and improve conditions of homes for low-income families, fewer people were evicted from their homes. Unemployment, at a peak of 12 million unemployed in 1933, greatly decreased throughout the 30’s, ending the decade with a low of 670,000 (Document 9). Overall, FDR worked very hard to solve all of the problems in America in such a manner that is understandable to the average