The New Deal's Reforms

After years of job loss, poverty, and fear, president-elect Franklin Roosevelt announced "The New Deal" which proposed that it would help America regain the economy. Americans hated their current president Herbert Hoover, who simply tried to refute the great depression as "an economic pattern". Meanwhile, they were excited to elect a new Roosevelt into office, one that they expected to act on the current economic issues. In Roosevelt's inaugural address, he made a powerful speech about acting on change and proposing a freedom from fear, which meant that Americans wouldn't have to worry about the current economic status.


One of the first things Roosevelt did was end prohibition, legalizing the purchase of Alcohol, making many Americans happy. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, which created jobs for construction projects, like preserving National Forests. Roosevelt also wanted to bring back Industrial Activity by passing the National Recovery Admission, which created rules for industry, such as trade practices, child labor, bargaining, wages, and work hours. Roosevelt also wanted to make sure that the crash wouldn't happen ever again by regulating finance. He established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which made sure that there was government insurance for all bank deposits. Roosevelt also wanted to help out farmers by establishing the Agricultural Adjustment Administration. The government also wanted to help supply poverty-stricken states with electricity and helping stop floods.
















Later, Roosevelt focused on labor and urban groups. The government assisted the formation of labor unions through the Wagner Act. One of the biggest reforms that Roosevelt established was Social Security, providing benefits for citizens ineligible to work, unemployment compensation. He also worked to increase the minimum wage, but it got opposition from the conservative "Four Horsemen" in congress, who believed that government should not intervene with business.


Overall, Roosevelt made a lot of powerful reforms that mostly improved the economic situation and helped out Americans that were struggling in the years before.

Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/event/New-Deal
http://www.history.com/topics/new-deal