Name: ___________________________________ Period: _____ Date: ___________________
FDR’s Report Card
In the spaces below, reflect on the New Deal programs and grade FDR on four different aspects of his
first term in office. In assigning a grade for a particular “subject,” you must state your rationale. In
doing so, you must draw upon prior knowledge or the documents included in this packet. Each
rationale statement should include at least two pieces of evidence.
Subject
Public Relations
How successfully
does the President
communicate with
the American
people?
Relief
How successful
has the President
been at helping
those who cannot
help themselves?
Recovery
How successful
has the President
been at creating
jobs and improving
the economy?
Reform
What changes has
the President
instituted that will
prevent another
economic crisis?
Grade
Rationale/Evidence
Document 1: Economic Figures from the First New Deal
A. Average Rate of Unemployment
in 1932: 24.1%
in 1933: 24.9%
in 1934: 21.7%
in 1935: 20.1%
in 1936: 16.9%
B. United States Gross Domestic Product
in 1932: $58.7 billion
in 1933: $56.4
in 1934: $66.0
in 1935: $73.3
in 1936: $83.8
C. Number of bank failures
in 1932: 2,294
in 1933: 4,004
in 1934: 61
in 1935: 25
in 1936: 69
Document 2: Carla Due, “Joining the CCC”
“Oh, yes. There were some of the young fellows in the neighborhood. They sure did [join the CCC
enthusiastically]. What were they going to do? They couldn't get a job. They couldn't make a penny
anywhere. They were just glad there was such a thing they could go into… They didn't take the money
and go and have fun with it. They got $5.00 and the rest went to their families, their parents or
whatever, who were needing it. And it was sure the rescue of a lot of families.”
Document 3: Citizen’s Letters to Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt (June 14, 1934)
Dear Mr. President and Mrs. Roosevelt,
I know you are overburdened with requests for help and if my plea cannot be recognized, I’ll
understand it is because you have so many others, all of them worthy. . . .
My husband and I are a young couple of very simple, almost poor families. We married eight
years ago on the proverbial shoe-string but with a wealth of love. . . . We managed to build our home
and furnish it comfortably. . . . Then came the depression. My work has continued and my salary alone
has just been sufficient to make our monthly payments on the house and keep our bills paid. . . . But
with the exception of two and one-half months work with the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey under
the C.W.A. [Civil Works Administration], my husband has not had work since August, 1932.
My salary could continue to keep us going, but I am to have a baby. . . . I can get a leave of
absence from my job for a year. But can’t you, won’t you do something so my husband can have a job,
at least during that year?
As I said before, if it were only ourselves, or if there were something we could do about it, we
would never ask for help. We have always stood on our own feet and been proud and happy. But you
are a mother and you’ll understand this crisis.
Very sincerely yours,
Mrs. M. H. A.
Document 4: Photos from the New Deal
A. Christmas Dinner in Iowa, 1935
B. Soup Kitchen Line, c. 1936
C. Poor mother and children, California 1936
Document 5: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “First Fireside Chat” (March 12, 1933)
My friends:
I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking -- to talk with the
comparatively few who understand the mechanics of banking, but more particularly with the
overwhelming majority of you who use banks for the making of deposits and the drawing of checks. . .
Document 6: Excerpt from The Forgotten Man, by Amity Shlaes (pages 262 – 263)
“Benjamin Anderson at the Chase Bank . . . warned of trouble too. The new law raised taxes on several
classes of taxpayer. But it targeted the rich. It might sound amusing to impose high rates on wealthy
people. But such taxes also caused enormous damage. The thing to focus on was not that the economy
might be improving a little bit, but rather that the country was not getting the strong recovery that it
should expect. The New Deal was causing the country to forgo prosperity, if not recovery. The
wealthy, after all, were in a position to take risks with new ventures precisely because they were
wealthy --- they could invest in several projects at once. Under the new 1935 law, a very wealthy man
would see more than three-quarters of any profits from new ventures taken by income tax. Any loss,
however, would be the same man's to bear. This man would try to hoard his capital and wait --- thus
coming to fit the very stereotype of the idle rich man the New Dealers were hoping to propagate.”
Document 7: Cartoon by Herbert Johnson, Saturday Evening Post (August 18, 1934)
Document 8: Father Charles Coughlin, “Roosevelt and Ruin” (June 19, 1936)
March 4, 1933! I shall never forget the inaugural address, which seemed to re-echo the very words
employed by Christ himself as he actually drove the moneychangers from the temple. The thrill that
was mine was yours. Through dim clouds of the depression, this man Roosevelt was, as it were, a new
savior of his people! Oh, just a little longer shall there be needless poverty! Just another year shall
there be naked backs! Just another moment shall there be dark thoughts of revolution! Never again will
the chains of economic poverty bite into the hearts of simple folks, as they did in the past days of the
Old Deal! Such were our hopes in the springtime of 1933. It is not pleasant for me who coined the
phrase "Roosevelt or ruin" -- a phrase fashioned upon promises -- to voice such passionate words. But
I am constrained to admit that "Roosevelt and ruin" is the order of the day, because the moneychangers
have not been driven from the temple.
Said he, when the flag of hope was proudly unfurled on March 4, 1933: "Plenty is at our doorsteps, but
the generous use of it languished in the very sight of the supply. . . Primarily, this is because the rulers
of the exchange of mankind's goods have failed through their own stubbornness and their own
incompetence - - have admitted to their failure and abdicated. Practices of the unscrupulous moneychangers stand indicated in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men."
These words, my friends, are not mine. These are the caustic, devastating words uttered by Franklin
Delano Roosevelt on March 4, 1933, condemning Franklin Delano Roosevelt in November of 1936.
Grading FDR DBQ Assignment
Historical Context: During the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt implemented
policies with the goals of relief, recovery, and reform. Collectively, these programs are known as the
New Deal.
Task: Write an op-ed article that responds to the following question.
Question: Imagine that you are living in the year 1936, and you are of voting age. Based upon the
success or failure of his policies, is President Roosevelt deserving of a second term in office? If no,
would it be better to embrace a more liberal vision of the New Deal (in the style of Huey Long) or
would it be more appropriate for a more conservative Republican to take office?
Instructions: How to Write an Op-Ed and Letter to the Editor
Most newspapers feature an "Op-Ed" and "Letters to the Editor" section in which readers and public
figures can express viewpoints and/or respond to particular news events. An Op-Ed is generally a short
(750 - 1000 words) article expressing an opinion or viewpoint on a timely news topic.
Guidelines
In this activity, you will write an op-ed piece based upon your knowledge of the Great Depression, the
New Deal, and how Roosevelt’s policies affected the American people during his first term in office.
You may utilize you notes, graphic organizers, and the documents that have been provided for you.

Answer the question in its totality with a clear thesis statement that will serve as the foundation
of your article.

You must cite evidence from at least five different documents. You may utilize parenthetical
(Document 3) citations in your work or cite the source author and full title. YOU MUST CITE
THE SOURCES YOU USE.

Write clearly and use proper word usage, grammar, and punctuation.

Avoid colloquialisms (language that is common in conversational speech). For example, you
might use the words “gonna” and “wanna” while talking with your friends, but they are not
appropriate for formal writing.
You will be graded on your persuasiveness, accuracy, writing quality, and completion of the task.