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Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal For Americans In The 1930s

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Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal For Americans In The 1930s
The significance of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal for Americans in the 1930s is one of the most debated topics in modern history as although it provided financial security, it arguably did not end the Depression. After the Wall Street Crash in 1929 and subsequent Depression, Roosevelt had the challenge of rectifying the devastating issues created by the Depression. The New Deal aimed to restore public confidence and improve the lifestyle of Americans through immediate relief, economic recovery and reform to ensure the lasting prosperity of the population. Throughout the essay, the term significance refers to the effect an event or decision has on a person or group of people. This impact can be assessed by the change in lifestyle, however …show more content…
A number of Alphabet Agencies were created such as the Agricultural Adjustment Agency (AAA) and the Farm Credit Association (FCA) which were designed to give relief to those struggling from the Depression. Farmers had been in a terrible position before the New Deal due to overproduction. As 21% of the entire workforce was employed in agriculture, the measures had deep implications that affected society. Farm owners benefited from the New Deal tremendously, some evidence for this is farmers income doubled under the FCA from 1933 to 1939 and the AAA paid farmers to produce less so prices raised. Conversely, money given by the AAA was invested into machinery which resulted to thousands of sharecroppers and tenants being evicted. Although it was an unintentional effect, this measure forced thousands into unemployment. Additionally 6 million piglets and 10 million acres of cotton were ploughed up to reduce overproduction however alternative methods should have been used as these valuable materials and food were needlessly wasted. Ultimately everyone involved in agriculture was significantly affected by the New Deal. For some farm owners, Roosevelt’s agencies had re-establish confidence by implementing measures which restored wages and raised prices. Mechanisation increased efficiency but at the expense of sharecropper jobs and 20% of farm owners received AAA loans to avoid bankruptcy. The reason why the New Deal was so significant is because after the Depression, agricultural overproduction and the effects of the Dust Bowl left many farmers with unworkable land or faced bankruptcy from debt and hence everyone involved in the industry suffered greatly. As a result, the New Deal amended the majority these problems and most farmers experienced a large
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