New Deal Timeline

Black Thursday

Oct 24, 1929

"Black Thursday: Could This Be the Fatal Economic Crash?"
New York Stock Exchange crashes with $5 billion in losses. Is this the beginning of a new dark age?

Black Tuesday

Oct 29, 1929

"Black Tuesday" was the name given to the stock market crash on October 29, 1929. During the event, shareholders in the stock market frantically sold their stocks (in an act known as "panic selling") despite projected economic prosperity.
The New York Stock Exchange saw the loss of $14 billion, and Black Tuesday became a signpost starting the Great Depression.

Al Capone Opens a Soup Kitchen

1930

Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act

Jun 17, 1930

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act raised tariffs on internationally imported goods. The theory behind this was to reduce production of consumer products and prevent surplus, as the goods being produced were not being consumed at the same rate. The tariff increased unemployment from 4.3 million to 12 million.
The cartoon shows a man in a suit speaking to farmers, saying, "It may not be perfect, but I'm sure it'll help quite a bit," referring to the efficiency of the bill and prospective unemployment.

Dust Bowl Exacerbated

1931

The attached map shows the areas affected by the Dust Bowl. As displayed in the map, the Dust Bowl largely targeted the American West. The map shows the intersectional portions of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas to be the regions most severely effected by the Dust Bowl storms.

Norris La-Guardia Act

Mar 23, 1932

The Norris La-Guardia Act repealed yellow-dog contracts, thus giving employees more protection in self-advocacy. The Norris La-Guardia Act gave workers the right to unionize without risking their position in employment. Employers could no longer fire their employees for going on strike or unionizing, creating a new age in employee self-advocacy and employee rights.

Bonus Army March

Jul 5, 1932

FDR Elected

Nov 8, 1932

Text:
BREAKING NEWS: FDR Elected to Office!
•
After a nearly unanimous election an an excellent campaign, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), former New York governor (D), won to President Herbert Hoover. Congratulations!
• newage #fdr #1932election

20th Amendment

Jan 23, 1933

"Lame Ducks: 20th Amendment Says Out With the Old, in With the New"
The passing of the 20th Amendment ends the presidential term on the 20th of January after their defeat. What will the extra time bring?

AAA Established

May 12, 1933

The rise of overproduction of crops greatly outweighed the demand for crops, and thus, the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) regulated farming. The AAA provided subsidies to the agricultural industry in return for crop reduction so that the price of produce could rise and to end the surplus. This led to farming regulation. Farmers often killed livestock and cut back on farming land properties in accordance with the AAA.

TVA Established

May 18, 1933

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was a public works project that created dams and thus created accessible electricity to the Tennessee Valley. This allowed for prosperity in rural regions through providing industrial luxuries (such as electricity provided by the dam) and employed many previously unemployed Americans.

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Construction Begins

Jul 9, 1933

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge marked a new point in time. To begin with, this bridge had been heavily anticipated as early as the Gold Rush. The construction of the bridge also showed the true significance of automobiles and the Ford Model T, owned by most every American family. Because of its wide accessibility in price, many families were able to purchase the car. This led to government projects, such as the Bay Bridge itself, in support of such high demand and use of automobiles.

Prohibition Repealed

Dec 5, 1933

Schechter v. United States

May 27, 1935

The case of Schechter v. United States essentially checked the power of the executive branch (FDR) in New Deal legislation. The A. L. A. Schechter Poultry Corporation was charged for violation of business practices. This raised the question of the true authority the president had over industry regulation, and it was ruled that the regulation of industry by the executive branch without providing guiding laws was unconstitutional.

Wagner Act

Jul 5, 1935

The Wagner Act of 1935 allowed for employees of the private sector to unionize without their position being threatened. The Wagner Act essentially eliminated yellow dog contracts that would bar employees from unionizing.
This political cartoon titled "Let's Feed the Kitty" is about corporate greed and shows two large tigers mocking a small cat trying to drink from the large bowl that is the Wagner Act.

First Social Security Number Issued

1936

"Social Security Marks New Era for Working Class"
New Social Security Numbers (SSN) will track the earnings of each worker in America. John D. Sweeney, Jr. was the first recipient of an SSN.

1937 Recession

1937

Text:
1937 Recession:
The third recession of the 20th century marks a 20% unemployment rate and a 10% GDP decline. In a period of supposed recovery, Americans across the nation are finding themselves unemployed.
@FDR, what’s next?
• recession #greatdepression #newdealornodeal

Court-Packing Attempted

1937

During Roosevelt's presidency and the second New Deal, the president faced a lot of criticism and push-back from the Supreme Court. He, in turn, replaced a significant portion of the Supreme Court with justices he had nominated in order to pass his proposed bills and laws without the opposition of the previous Court. A lot of journalists and citizens were unhappy with the Court-Packing. It was seen as an abuse of power from the executive branch and upset the checks and balances.

Fair Labor Standards Act

Jun 25, 1938

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 protected employee rights in various ways. The FLSA established a federal, nationally recognized minimum wage, eliminated oppressive child labor laws. The FLSA also allowed for workers to gain overtime pay in tandem with the 40 hour workweek.

Hoover Dam Authorized

Apr 30, 1947

"Hoover Dam Authorized: Our New Aquatic Hope"
The Hoover Dam, projected to take 5 years to complete, could be the new hope of the west. The Hoover Dam could promote the growth of the American West, providing water to thousands.