When Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated as president of the United States on March 4, 1933, the United States had begun its passage through one of the most atrocious events in American history, The Great Depression. When Roosevelt assumed office, the economy was in shambles, jobs were vanishing, and many people were struggling. America was in desperate need of help, and once Roosevelt became president, he immediately began working to fight the devastating effects of the Depression. His recovery plan included a multitude of programs, acts, and legislation, called the New Deal, which was broken up into two separate groups of programs, the first and second New Deal programs. For countless Americans, both New Deal programs provided immediate relief in the forms of regulation, basic living necessities, and work. Overall, the first New Deal, despite its seemingly business favored approach, provided necessary and immediate relief as well as some longer-term legislation to alleviate the difficulties Americans faced during the Great Depression. In the second New Deal, Roosevelt introduced longer-term programs, which were less successful in providing the relief necessary to combat the Great …show more content…
Opposition towards the first New Deal came from both conservatives and liberals. While conservatives felt the first New Deal exceeded the amount of governmental power the constitution allowed, liberals felt the first New Deal did not extend enough power to the government. Additionally, the first New Deal faced harsh criticism from the working classes as they had the greatest need for relief. Faced with continued opposition, Roosevelt felt a new approach was necessary and started the second New Deal. Overall, the first New Deal was perceived as a failure to provide the immediate relief the American people