The New Deal Pros And Cons

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It takes a lot to succeed, some just don’t bother. Back in 1929, the United States of America was hit with the biggest economic slump in history because of the stock market crash. Also known as the Great Depression, it caused many families to go broke and lose everything in a matter of days. Companies closed and over 8,000,000 employees lost their jobs. All hope was lost in the eyes of the nation and the person they turned to was a lost cause. President Hoover didn’t do very much at all to help his country through this hard time. This led to Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) becoming president in 1932. His attempt to help the nation involved the New Deal. However, was the New Deal a success? There were pros and cons to the programs involved in the …show more content…

The NRA offered white people jobs with higher wages and had blacks left with jobs that paid less. Nevertheless, these blacks were given a lot more hard labor jobs like the “40 percent of all blacks who made their living as sharecroppers and tenant farmers,” (Digital History 2). There was also a program known as the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) which was very discriminatory when it came to blacks. The FHA felt the need to deny blacks a mortgage who desired to live in an all-white neighborhood. Along with that, living arrangements were also prejudice when blacks would depend on the Civilian Conservation Corporation (CCC) only to be living in segregated camps. The CCC was meant to help single men and women learn how to live independently. It just didn’t do justice with all the discriminatory actions going on. There was a program created by a social reformer named John Collier who was appointed by FDR. There was a program called the Indian Reorganization Act that stated “Congress is authorized to appropriate $10 million from which loans may be made for the purpose of promoting the economic development of the tribes,” (Stevens 3). It also gave jobs to over 85,000 unemployed Native Americans. Although this was helpful it was “neither as successful as it publically says it is,” (Stevens 5). There were just “many Indian problems that remain unsolved,” (Stevens 5). Since when was the nation just whites and Indians? FDR should have helped the whole nation without a doubt in his mind. Help should have been given to all and not just certain groups and societies. Where does that leave FDR and his good hearted character? It’s all just a facade to hide his real beliefs and narrow

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