Background:
The Great Depression hit with the stock market crash in 1929. From that point onwards, millions of Americans lost their jobs, as factories and companies closed down. This was furthered by the problem that the government under Hoover's adminstration seemed to lack power to control the situation. In the big cities, bread and soup lines extended for miles, and people tore down the street for wooden blocks that could be used as fuel. In the countryside, the farmers, who have suffered for a long period of time, started dumping their supplies in hope that they could increase the price, while people in the cities starved. The slums and shacks where the mass unemployed lived became known as "Hoovervilles", mocking Hoover for his indifference. Hoover, on the other hand, believed in the business cycle and the boom and bust economy.
The New Deal
By 1933, 40% of industrial workers were unemployed. So when Franklin D Roosevelt ran for the presidency, he won a landslide victory, becoming the first democratic President in 12 years. Americans saw hope in his campaign message, known as the New Deal. He was also the first president to use radio and the media to spread his message.
As soon as he came into office, Roosevelt made new agencies and new administration. In the 100 days in office, he passed 16 major acts aimed to provide relief for the suffering unemployed and poor. One of these acts intending to help farmers was the AAA(Agricultural Adjustment Act). Under this act, the government paid farmers for their products, such as cows, which were taken to canning factories, and then returned to the farmers. This provided immeidate relief for the farmers, as it helped them get rid of their supplies and gave them cash and food. Another relief action was the WPA(Works Progress Administration), which created projects that would benefit the country and relief unemployment. This included roads and public buildings. Workers were also sent to remote areas to do conservation work.
Sources:
Video in class
The New Deal Alphabet
Great summary! This does a great job at explaining the Great Depression when the stock market crashed. We can clearly see that the actions of one affected many others for example, the farmers that you mentioned. Because farmers raised their prices, people in the city could not afford food because they had no job which led to starvation. Not only do you mention the negative effects but you mentioned reforms such as the AAA and WPA and did a great job at explaining how those reforms and helped relief people in the Great Depression.
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