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Election of 1933
Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt overwhelmingly beats Republican Herbert Hoover in the race making FDR our 32nd President. FDR being elected put a major turn in the time period. Now there was a president that cared about taking action in the government to help resolve the Great Depression. -
Emergency Banking Act
This act closed down all American banks for 4 days in order to inspect them, and see which banks should be revived, and which banks should be shut down. The Great Depression brought a loss of hope to many American investors. The national bank "holiday" helped the decade by bringing back hope to the investors and citizens, and encouraged them to put their savings back in the banks. -
Fireside Chats
These were a series of about 30 radio broadcastings where FDR would go on air for about an hour and express his views and ideas with the American people. These chats were significant because they brought hope and social connection to the people, this did not happen before with any other president. -
Tennessee Valley Authority Act
This was an important act because it allowed the construction of dams in order to control flooding, improve navigation around the country, and create hydroelectric power on the Tennessee River. The new development of dams revolutionized the era because now electricity could be produced from water, and floods became less frequent, so they couldn't damage the towns and economies as much. -
Civilian Conservation Corps
In this foundation arrived FDR's idea of helping the environment. Civilians gathered around large camps in forests in order to enact reforestation and to rebuild the national forests. This left a huge impact on both the environment and unemployed of this decade. Thousands of people were put to work and they rebuilt forests, making unemployment drop. The CCC formed one of the largest environmental reconstruction projects in history. -
Agricultural Adjustment Act
In order for farmers to regain an economic status the crops had to raise in price. What this act did was demand farmers to limit production, so that the prices could rise and allowed the unused land to fertilize. There was no hope in sight for farmers to become a booming business again, but this act allowed them to strategize and get back in the playing field again. -
National Industrial Recovery Act
This act was substantial to the industrial community because it put in place fixed wages and prices, allowed workers to unionize for better working conditions, limited production, and managed business alliances. This was significant for this decade, because busniessmen were greedy, so it put a stop to that, and said that workers had the right to unionize for what they wanted. Now workers had more power against their bosses and could demand what they wanted. -
21st Amendment
This amendment to the Constitution repealed the 18th Amendment making the consumption and vending of alcohol laws to be enforced by the states. This meaning that now state governments had the power to decide if they wanted alcohol to be sold and drank in their state. This was a substantial change for years to come, because now this opneed up a new market place for selling and making profit off of liquor, which boosted the economy. -
Security Exchange Act
This act made sure that transactions and exchanges between broke-dealers and the public were viewed over. Before this act, transactions were not surveilanced properly, so actions were made and the government didn't know about them. The significance between this act is that now these exchanges would be monitored and the governmnet will know if their is a huge withdraw from the banks or sale to a customer. -
Workers Progress Administration
During the Great Depression many people were unemployed and had no chance of working. What this program did was develop jobs for the unemployed by making them do public contruction like rebuilding the country's infrastructure. This program was a change for the decade because it gave jobs to the American people and reconstructed a majority of our infrastructure. -
National Labors Relations Act (Wagner Act)
Although the National Industrial Recovery Act was in effect, unions still didn't have all their pieces together. This act watched over union elections and enforced stricter laws against the treatment of workers. What this act basically did for this decade was touch up the NIR Act and made businessmen know if they continued to treat workers unfairly, there would be legal consequences. -
Social Security Act
With the passing of this act, people were now guaranteed pensions and the government had to financially help families with disabled and handicapped members. This changed the era, because now familes with disabled members didn't have to pay for a majority of their medical treatment. Also, people didn't have to worry about getting money when they retired because they were ensured a pention.
