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CHAPTER 25
The New Deal, 1933–1939
This chapter covers FDR’s First Hundred Days, opposition to the New Deal from the left and the Supreme
Court, the Second Hundred Days, labor and the New Deal, the slump of 1937, economic policy and the
New Deal, and the legacy of the New Deal. Eleanor Roosevelt’s efforts to help the poor, minorities, and
refugees are also discussed, as are the limits of New Deal programs in relation to racial discrimination.
The chapter looks at the effects criticisms of the New Deal—such as those of Father Charles Coughlin,
Senator Huey Long, and Dr. Francis Townshend—had on policy. The Second New Deal sought to expand
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. Roosevelt’s New Deal
A. Roosevelt’s Rise
B. Trial by Fire
C. The 1933 Inauguration
D. The First Hundred Days
vi. A New Role for Government
vii. Dust Bowl Migrants
viii. The Tennessee Valley Authority
ix. Eleanor Roosevelt
II. The New Deal under Fire
ii. The Townsend Plan
iii. Father Coughlin
D. Opposition from the Court
III. The Second New Deal
A. The WPA
E. A New Direction for Unions
F. Roosevelt’s Second Term
LECTURE IDEAS
1. In a lecture, give an overview comparing and contrasting all four terms of FDR’s presidency. See
2. For a lecture on Roosevelt’s court-packing scheme, see William E. Leuchtenburg’s essay on that topic
3. A lecture on the political challenges to FDR would also be helpful to the students. You could focus on
4. In light of the fact that every president’s First Hundred Days since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s has to be
compared to his, a lecture on the priorities and motivation for President Roosevelt’s agenda for the
5. In a lecture on how labor fared under the New Deal, include what measures President Roosevelt
pushed to address the issues of labor and discuss his personal relationships with the leaders of labor.
6. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) serve as
examples of two important temporary New Deal programs with strong legacies. Describe what the
(2008).
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. Divide the class into groups and have each discuss a different piece of New Deal legislation that
2. Divide the class into two groups; have one group explain why Franklin D. Roosevelt drew criticism
3. Assign groups the task of determining what major cultural changes occurred in the 1930s. Ask the
students to consider a broad perspective that includes family life and gender roles, the retrenchment
4. The materials produced by New Deal programs give us a special window into the period. Check out
the collections at the Library of Congress website and have your students explore several of these
sources. What can we learn about America’s reaction to the Great Depression and its hardships? For
5. The Great Depression was not just an American phenomenon, but also an international one. Divide
the class into groups and assign each a different country, such as Britain, France, Germany, and the
Soviet Union. Ask the groups to outline the impact of the Depression on their respective countries and
share their findings with the class. Then, as a class, draft a point outline or chart comparing the
different experiences worldwide. What similarities and differences were there in each country’s
6. The New Deal is typically divided into three broad categories: relief, recovery, and reform. Divide the
students into three groups, and assign each group one of these categories. As part of their homework,
ask the students to research New Deal legislation and select laws that fit within their category. You
might provide them with a list of questions to help them prepare for the next class such as:
• When and why was the legislation passed?
• Was the legislation successful in achieving its intended purpose?
• How, specifically, does this piece of legislation fit under relief, recovery, or reform?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
2. Compare and contrast the impact of the New Deal for minorities in the United States.
3. One of the reasons for Roosevelt’s unprecedented popularity was his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. What
was her role as an adviser to FDR and what were her own contributions to the recovery efforts during
the Depression?
5. Discuss the legacy of the New Deal and how effective it was in altering the nation’s social and political
landscape.
6. How did Franklin D. Roosevelt respond to the plight of African Americans during the Depression? In
what ways did African Americans during this period take their futures into their own hands?
PRACTICING CITIZENSHIP
We hear a great amount of discussion in American politics—throughout the nation’s history—about the
evils of “socialism” and “socialistic government.” The authors in this chapter claim that although FDR
“asserted no love for socialism,” he skirted between laissez-faire capitalism and socialism, falling short of
the latter even though his critics charged him with being socialistic. As a class, define socialism. What is
