Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal And The Great Depression

It’s a Done Deal When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office as President of the United States, American spirits were at an all-time low. The Great Depression was in full swing; millions of Americans were unemployed and the economy was in a state of utter disrepair. Roosevelt set to work as soon as he was elected President. He proposed a now-famous plan called “The New Deal,” which aimed to put an end to the Great Depression through “the three r’s;” relief, recovery, and reform. The New Deal provided relief and employment to thousands of Americans and imparted a well-needed boost to American morale, but ultimately failed to end the Great Depression. The New Deal is perhaps best characterized by the plethora of programs established under it.

Under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Federal Art Project (FDA) was established. This project employed artists to design murals and posters, which would be displayed to the public. The initiative “…nourished much precious talent” and “…preserved self-respect” among countless American painters (Kennedy 751). Not only did the initiative empower artists, but much of the art itself depicted scenes of hope and generally served as inspiration to American across the country. Another strategy Roosevelt used to create a feeling of hope and security was his practice of giving fireside chats. Roosevelt knew that the radio was a very powerful tool when it came to communication. He decided to deliver a series of “chats” over the radio in which he would discuss the latest actions of the government as well as his future plans for new programs under the New Deal. The chats were informal, and he spoke to his audience members as if they were close friends. Roosevelt had captured the nation’s attention; around 35 million people tuned in to listen to Roosevelt’s words of wisdom (Kennedy 747). Most importantly, Roosevelt used to chats to assuage Americans’ fears and doubts about the current state of the country. He “…gave an air of confidence to the American people to overcome the fears of the Depression” (Teaching 5). He spoke positively about his newly created programs and even

By the time the New Deal had run its course, unemployment had only dropped a meager 15%. Millions of Americans had been employed through the New Deal’s programs, yet the unemployment crisis would not be fixed until World War II (Kennedy 765). As for the economy, Roosevelt had attempted to fix it by enacting several reform acts and taking the country off the gold standard to produce inflation. However, the president’s actions were not enough; America was a victim of unlimited spending. In the end, Roosevelt only succeeded in doubling the national