What Is The Purpose Of The Federal Emergency Relief Administration During The 1920's

Following the devastating economic disaster in 1920, 15 million people had not only lost their jobs, but a majority of their savings as well. Many of their homes were dependent on the money used for relief from the government. A number of business and banks were shutting down, the production and sales of services and goods were drastically reduced. All the while, very little aid had reached state level. By May 22, 1933, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration was set up. With their primary objectives, acceptability of relief measures; providing work for the unemployed; and diversification of relief programs. During this period of relief, around three-fourths of the heads of families were employable, if they were on relief. The aim of FERA

Many of their homes were dependent on the money used for relief from the government. A number of business and banks were shutting down, the production and sales of services and goods were drastically reduced. All the while, very little aid had reached state level. By May 22, 1933, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration was set up. With their primary objectives, acceptability of relief measures; providing work for the unemployed; and diversification of relief programs. During this period of relief, around three-fourths of the heads of families were employable, if they were on relief. The aim of FERA was to work together with state government, providing federal grants for relief purposes. States also gave information on provisions used to assure sufficient administrative supervision of the funds. The provisions of the Federal Emergency Relief Act of 1933 gave that authorization for FERA would be expired in two years from when it first started. One problem with FERA would be to build suitable relief organizations. In the past, state relief agencies were very inadequate and had to be refurbished in order to meet the criteria of FERA. Overall, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration was not as successful as it could have been as many states refused to take join the

President Franklin D. Roosevelt believed that the CCC would help the rural unemployed and keep youth off the streets. The CCC was operated under the army’s control. In September 1935 over 500,000 young men had already lived in CCC camps, staying for nearly a year. The work focused on soil conservation and reforestation. Most importantly, the men planted thousands of trees on land that was made useless by fires, natural erosion, or lumbering. The CCC was actually responsible for over half the reforestation done in America’s history. Their work also included digging canals and ditches, building nearly forty thousand wildlife shelters, stocking rivers and lakes with almost a billion fish etc. This made the Civilian Conservation Corps very significant in the relief of the American people. Despite all of this, the CCC failed to give a decent amount work to the blacks for them to survive on, particularly in the South. Even though there was a nondiscriminatory policy, nothing could be done to help individual cases. In spite of this, black participation reached 10 percent by