1929 06 Roosevelt y el New Deal.mpg

Summary

The transcript recounts the efforts of Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression, focusing on his New Deal policies aimed at restoring confidence, stabilizing the financial system, and providing relief to Americans. Through initiatives like the TVA, WPA, and agricultural reforms, Roosevelt tackled unemployment, economic despair, and the effects of natural disasters. Despite facing fierce opposition from wealthy elites and the Supreme Court, Roosevelt's leadership helped the U.S. recover. The eventual onset of World War II, which spurred demand for weapons, ultimately ended the era of economic hardship in the country.

Takeaways

• 😀 FDR was elected president in 1932 with overwhelming support and focused on restoring confidence in the American economy.
• 😀 One of Roosevelt's first actions was to ensure bank deposits and implement strict government oversight on banks.
• 😀 Roosevelt established the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to regulate Wall Street and appointed Joe Kennedy to lead it, despite Kennedy's controversial financial history.
• 😀 The president took immediate action, closing banks for four days to stabilize the financial system and pushing through 15 laws in the first 100 days.
• 😀 Roosevelt legalized the sale of beer to end Prohibition, reduce gangster control, and address public demand for alcoholic beverages.
• 😀 The New Deal's Alphabet Laws included the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), which subsidized farmers and aimed to stabilize agricultural prices, despite criticism for destroying crops and livestock.
• 😀 The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was created to provide jobs for millions of Americans, offering employment through government projects.
• 😀 The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) aimed to build infrastructure, prevent floods, and provide affordable electricity, though it faced opposition from private companies.
• 😀 Roosevelt's presidency faced resistance from socialists, communists, and wealthy elites who saw his policies as threatening their interests.
• 😀 The New Deal faced legal challenges, particularly from the U.S. Supreme Court, which declared several of its policies unconstitutional, threatening its progress.
• 😀 World War II, not the New Deal itself, ultimately resolved the economic crisis by driving the demand for American-made weapons and military supplies, thus ending widespread unemployment.

Q & A

What was Franklin D. Roosevelt's first major task upon being elected president in 1932?

Roosevelt's first major task was to restore public confidence and regulate the financial system, particularly by stabilizing the banking system and implementing strict government supervision over banks.

Why did Roosevelt appoint Joe Kennedy to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)?

Roosevelt appointed Joe Kennedy, a man familiar with unethical practices, to head the SEC, effectively making him the person to clean up Wall Street, despite concerns that it was like putting the fox in charge of guarding the henhouse.

What was the significance of Roosevelt's 'fireside chats'?

The 'fireside chats' were a series of radio addresses through which Roosevelt directly communicated with the American people, explaining new legislation and policies to gain their trust and support.

What did Roosevelt's Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) aim to achieve, and how was it criticized?

The AAA aimed to raise agricultural prices by reducing production through subsidies to farmers. It involved destroying crops and eliminating livestock, which some critics considered wasteful, especially as people were suffering from hunger.

What was the WPA, and how did it impact the United States?

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a New Deal agency that created public works jobs, employing over 8 million people in projects like building roads, schools, and hospitals, which helped combat widespread unemployment.

How did the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) help improve the economy of the region?

The TVA aimed to reduce flooding, provide cheap electricity, and promote economic development in the Tennessee Valley by building dams and providing electricity to rural areas. It faced opposition from private companies who were excluded from the project.

Why did some people label Roosevelt's New Deal policies as fascist or socialist?

Critics from various political backgrounds, including socialists, communists, and wealthy elites, criticized Roosevelt's New Deal policies, calling them fascist or socialist, in an attempt to discredit his efforts to address the economic crisis.

What role did the Supreme Court play in opposing Roosevelt's New Deal?

The Supreme Court struck down several New Deal laws as unconstitutional, threatening the survival of Roosevelt's social policies and creating additional political challenges for his administration.

What was the impact of the Dust Bowl on American farmers?

The Dust Bowl, caused by severe droughts and strong winds, devastated farming in central U.S. regions, forcing many farmers to abandon their land and migrate westward in search of work, though conditions in California were not as expected.

How did World War II help resolve the economic problems caused by the Great Depression?

The demand for wartime goods during World War II helped end the Great Depression by reducing unemployment and providing economic recovery, as industries transitioned to support war efforts and jobs were created in the process.