Works Progress Administration(WPA)
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a relief measure established in 1935 by executive order as the Works
Progress Administration, and was redesigned in 1939 when it was transferred to the Federal Works Agency. Headed by
Harry L. Hopkins and supplied with an initial congressional appropriation of $4,880,000,000, it offered work to the
unemployed on an unprecedented scale by spending money on a wide variety of programs, including highways and
building construction, slum clearance, reforestation, and rural rehabilitation. So gigantic an undertaking was inevitably
attended by confusion, waste, and political favoritism, yet the 'pump-priming' effect stimulated private business during
the depression years and inaugurated reforms that states had been unable to subsidize.
Particularly novel were the special programs. The Federal Writers' Project prepared state and regional guide books,
organized archives, indexed newspapers, and conducted useful sociological and historical investigations. The Federal
Arts Project gave unemployed artists the opportunity to decorate hundreds of post offices, schools, and other public
buildings with murals, canvases, and sculptures; musicians organized symphony orchestras and community singing. The
Federal Theatre Project experimented with untried modes, and scores of stock companies toured the country with
repertories of old and new plays, thus bringing drama to communities where it had been known only through the radio.
By March, 1936, the WPA rolls had reached a total of more than 3,400,000 persons; after initial cuts in June 1939, it
averaged 2,300,000 monthly; and by June 30, 1943, when it was officially terminated, the WPA had employed more than
8,500,000 different persons on 1,410,000 individual projects, and had spent about $11 billion. During its 8-year history,
the WPA built 651,087 miles of highways, roads, and streets; and constructed, repaired, or improved 124,031 bridges,
125,110 public buildings, 8,192 parks, and 853 airport landing fields.
1.
2.
3.
Was the WPA an agency to reform the economic system,
regulate banks, provide relief, repair faith in the system, or fight
poverty? [which one(s)]
What are three major accomplishments of this New Deal agency
What do you think the motive of creating the posters to the right
was?
Civilian Conservation Corps(CCC)
The prominently recognized facets of the CCC legacy cover a wide range of items












1.
2.
3.
Nearly Three Billion trees were planted to help reforest America
Modern tenants of conservation are an outgrowth of the conservation work begun by the CCC.
Forest fire fighting methods were developed under the CCC program to meet the needs of controlling
wild fires that kept the land from healing and naturally restoring the watersheds.
The modern service corps movement in America today is founded on the Corps concept of the CCC.
Nurtured by CCC alumni and their supporters, modern conservation corps are expanding and
contributing to American youth and culture.
Constructed public roadways and buildings. Today citizens still drive on roadways built by the men of
the CCC. Vast expanses of public land are connected through scenic byways and fire trails. Lodges,
cabins, picnic pavilions, and many other recreational structures still stand as a testament to the
craftsmanship and design of the CCC program. One of the most recognizable examples of a scenic road
in the central eastern United States is the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park.
Soil conservation was taught to private citizen as well as implemented on government land. The dust
bowl of the Great Plains hampered agricultural output for many years.
The development of the infrastructure of the outdoor recreational system is attributed to the CCC
program. Most state park systems we started through the CCC program with an estimated 800 parks
constructed across the nation. The National Parks and the National Forest systems received great
benefit and still proclaim the vast legacy of CCC labor.
Built and operated fish hatcheries which replenished the
species killed by unfavorable conservation practices.
Reintroduced wildlife to depleted area. In many areas
wildlife was hard hit due to the devastation of their habitat.
Some camps we involved in research and many more were
tasked with the reintroduction and monitoring of wildlife.
Military style camp life developed citizens that supported
the WWII manpower effort.
The boys supported their families by earning $30 monthly
through the distribution of a $25 financial allotment to
home.
Advanced the standard of living in surrounding communities
due to the infusion of revenue amounting to as much as
$5,000 a month.
Was the CCC an agency to reform the economic system, regulate
banks, provide relief, repair faith in the system, or fight poverty?
[which one(s)]
What are three major accomplishments of this New Deal agency
Why was it so essential to help young men find work, why not
create an employment agency for middle-aged or elderly? (think about the economics behind that)
Tennessee Valley Authority(TVA)
TVA was one of the most ambitious projects of the New Deal in its overall conception. Its comprehensive nature
encompassed many of FDR's own interests in conservation, public utility regulation, regional planning, agricultural
development, and the social and economic improvement of the "Forgotten Americans."
TVA encountered many setbacks and failures. It was involved in many controversies. But it brought electricity to
thousands of people at an affordable price. It controlled the flood waters of the Tennessee River and improved
navigation. It introduced modern agricultural techniques. All of these stories must be told to appreciate the changes TVA
brought to the people of the Tennessee Valley.
Even by Depression standards, the Tennessee Valley was in sad shape in 1933. Thirty percent of the population were
affected by malaria, and the average income was only $639 per year, with some families surviving on as little as $100
per year. Much of the land had been farmed too hard for too long, eroding and depleting the soil. Crop yields had fallen
along with farm incomes. The best timber had been cut, with another 10% of forests being burnt each year.
TVA was designed to modernize the region, using experts and electricity to combat human and economic problems. TVA
developed fertilizers, taught farmers ways to improve crop yields and helped replant forests, control forest fires, and
improve habitat for fish and wildlife. The most dramatic change in Valley life came from TVA-generated electricity.
Electric lights and modern home appliances made life easier and farms more productive. Electricity also drew industries
into the region, providing desperately needed jobs.
None of this was easy. The development of the dams displaced more than 15,000
families. This created anti-TVA sentiment in some rural communities. Many local
landowners were suspicious of government agencies. But TVA successfully introduced
new agricultural methods into traditional farming communities by blending in and
finding local champions.
A Tennessee farmer would not take advice from an official in a suit and tie, so TVA
officials had to find leaders in the communities and convince them that crop rotation
and the judicious application of fertilizers could restore soil fertility. Once they had
convinced the leaders, the rest followed.
At its inception, TVA was based in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, but later moved its headquarters to Knoxville, Tennessee,
where they remain today. At one point, TVA's headquarters were housed in the old Federal Customs House at the
corner of Clinch Avenue and Market Street. The building is now a museum.
The unemployed were hired for conservation, economic development, and social programs such as a library service that
operated for the surrounding area. The professional staff headquarters was composed of experts from outside the
region. The workers were categorized into the usual racial and gender lines of the day. TVA hired a few AfricanAmericans for janitorial positions. TVA recognized labor unions; its skilled and semi-skilled blue collar employees were
unionized, a breakthrough in an area known for corporations hostile to miners' unions and textile unions. Women were
excluded from construction work, although TVA's cheap electricity attracted textile mills that hired mostly women.
1.
2.
Was the TVA an agency to reform the economic system, regulate banks, provide relief, repair faith in the system,
or fight poverty? [which one(s)]
What are three major accomplishments of this New Deal agency
3.
Why was the TVA so controversial?
Social Security Administration(SSA)
The Social Security Act was enacted August 14, 1935. The Act was drafted during Roosevelt's first term by the President's
Committee on Economic Security, under Frances Perkins, and passed by Congress as part of the New Deal. The Act was
an attempt to limit what were seen as dangers in the modern American life, including old age, poverty, unemployment,
and the burdens of widows and fatherless children. By signing this Act on August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt became
the first president to advocate federal assistance for the elderly.
The Act provided benefits to retirees and the unemployed, and a lump-sum benefit at death. Payments to current
retirees are financed by a payroll tax on current workers' wages, half directly as a payroll tax and half paid by the
employer. The act also gave money to states to provide assistance to aged individuals (Title I), for unemployment
insurance (Title III), Aid to Families with Dependent Children (Title IV), Maternal and Child Welfare (Title V), public health
services (Title VI), and the blind (Title X)
1.
2.
Was the SSA an agency to reform the economic system, regulate banks, provide relief, repair faith in the system,
or fight poverty? [which one(s)]
What are three major accomplishments of this New Deal agency
3.
Why was the SSA so controversial?
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporations(FDIC)
One of FDR's major accomplishments during his first 100 days in office was a program that revolutionized the financial
industry. For the first time, the business of buying and selling shares in companies was regulated, and the bank accounts
of ordinary people were insured. The SEC and FDIC were established by the New Deal. These two agencies – the
Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – had a significant, indirect effect
on the nation's farmers.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) also helped rural residents because for the first time they knew that
their money in the bank was insured. If the bank went out of business, the FDIC would reimburse depositors up to
certain limits.
The FDIC operates by imposing a small tax on the amount of money that a bank has in deposits. If a bank goes under, the
FDIC will first try to sell the assets that were used to secure the loans and will then dip into the insurance fund to pay
back depositors. The FDIC also regulates banking practices.
Ads for banks in the Great Plains prominently display the "Insured by the FDIC" logo – more so than in other regions of
the country. The FDIC has become an important part of the confidence that people feel in the banking system.
1. Was the FDIC an agency to reform the economic system, regulate banks, provide relief, repair faith in the
system, or fight poverty? [which one(s)]
2. What are the major accomplishments of this New Deal agency (see chart)
3. What is the message of the cartoon?