Criticism and Reformulation

Section 11.2

What is ironic about this Margaret Bourke-White photograph?

FDR & the New Deal• Charisma• “We have

nothing to fear but fear itself.”

• Alphabet Soup Legislation

• CCC• NIRA• Truth in

Securities Act

• Glass-Steagall Act

FDR takes oath of office, 3/4/1933

ObjectivesAt the end of this day you should be able

to:• State reasons each of these people and groups

didn’t agree with FDR and the New Deal:

Dr. Townsend

Father Charles E. Coughlin

Huey Long

The American Liberty League

The Supreme Court• Provide more examples of how the New Deal

would lead to new programs like:– the WPA – the Social Security Act of 1935

Dr. Townsend Presentation

Describe Dr. Townsend’s social security plan.• Retired physician• Horrified after he saw elderly

women rummaging in garbage for food

• Proposed retiring people over 60 and giving them a pension of $200 per month

• Had to be spent by end of month

• Result would help elderly and stimulate the economy

• His idea would later influence the Social Security Act of 1935

What is ironic about this cartoon?

Cartoon implies that FDR will drain the pockets of the workers in order to fill the pot of the elderly with the Townsend Plan. FDR was a vehementopponent of the Townsend Plan.

Describe the economic recovery under the New Deal (1933-34):

• A limited recovery• National income rose by 25%,

many farms saved, unemployed got relief (welfare) or an ‘Alphabet Soup’ job

• Workers made 13% less than pre-Crash income level

• Farm prices were 28% lower• Unemployment was still 20%• Discontent started rising over

slow pace of recoveryPeople holding the signs wanted more aggressive policies.

What was the Southern Tenant Farmers Union and how did the New Deal help end

malnutrition?• Interracial union of displaced

farmers who were upset with the Agricultural Adjustment Act

• Landowners were supposed to share the government subsidy with them but evicted them from land instead

• Looked to FDR for help• “Too often he has talked like a

cropper and acted like a planter,” STFU leader said of FDR

Photo by Arthur Rothstein, Aug., 1935:Sharecropper's child suffering from rickets

What effect has poverty had on this Tenant Farmer?This Child?

What impact did the NIRA have on union membership and worker/management relations?

• 1 million workers joined union in 2 years

• Unionization did not bring better relations

• Minnesota police shot 67 union protestors in 1934 who were trying to get businesses to negotiate with truck driver union (Teamsters)

• Hundred thousand attended funeral and business leaders gave in

• 1, 800 strikes in 1934

Below: funeral of Teamsters; bottom: scenes of violence between police and union protestors

Video capture of dockworkers’ strike in SF

Father Charles E. Coughlin

Close-up of Father Coughlin

Why is Father Charles E. Coughlin labeled as a demagogue?

• Demagogue= a leader who gains power by appealing to people’s prejudices and fears rather than reason

• Roman Catholic Priest/Radio Talk Show– Audience of 30 million

• Wanted FDR to nationalize banks

• Blamed ‘Jewish bankers’ for the nation’s troubles

• Wanted to redistribute wealth of the rich

• Silenced by Church leaders in 1942

Above and below: Father Coughlin

Huey Long Presentation

Huey Long in mid-speech

Describe Huey Long’s Share the Wealth program.

• Known as “The Kingfish”• Taxed wealthy for $ to build roads,

bridges, schools, hospitals, for the poor

• ‘Dictator’ of Louisiana– Installed a puppet government when

elected senator in 1930• Controlled all state appointments in

Louisiana• Share the Wealth Program- • Governor/Senator of Louisiana

– Socialist idea to confiscate all income over $5 million and give it to poor

• Assassinated by his wealthy dentist in 1935

Above: Long again; below: “Every Man a King” pin

FDR Critics

Video capture: The White House from Lafayette Park

What was the American Liberty League?• Organization of business leaders and

conservative politicians who hated the New Deal

• GM and the Du Ponts defied FDR’s demand that they improve working conditions

• Instead, they instituted the speedup systems– forced men to work at terrifying speeds

on the assembly lines– Many died of the heat and pressure,

increased by fear of losing their jobs. • Claimed dedication to “upholding the

Constitution”• Real goal was to destroy the New Deal• Used propaganda to smear FDR’s

administration (argument was that to profit, they had to get the workers to do as much work in eight hours as they had previously done in ten or twelve…no way could they afford to hire another shift!)

Irénée du Pont (1876-1963)

Symbol (Liberty Bell) of A.L.L.

How did the Supreme Court weaken the New Deal?

• Used power of judicial review

• Ruled that – NIRA gave executive branch

too much power over small businesses

– that Federal Gov had no right to regulate business within states

– AAA’s method of regulating agricultural production through taxation was unconstitutional

Cartoon implies that FDR wanted a bunch of “yes-men” on the Court

What was the WPA and how did it put people to work?

• Works Progress Administration

• Part of Second New Deal• Built schools, hospitals,

airports, playgrounds• Employed teachers,

writers, actors• Taught people to read,

beautified buildings with murals, wrote guidebooks to historical places, put on live plays

Above: FDR visits WPA; below: WPA symbol

What was the Social Security Act of 1935?

• Govt. relief & retirement pension program

• Enough $ to meet basic needs of citizens

• Gave a pension ($12-$85 per month) to injured workers, elderly, orphaned

Youngish man pictured: must be an injured worker!

Social Security Act

Video clip: background is of original 13-star flag

What does this cartoon

imply?

Cartoon implies FDR blames Court for “holding up” the New Deal; thus, his court-packing plan

Why did FDR want to ‘pack the court’ and was he successful?

• Wanted to put 6 new justices in who would support his ideas

• Claimed that he wanted to ease the workload of the aging justices

• Public viewed FDR as dictator

• Supreme Court started to support some of his legislation and he withdrew the proposal

In this cartoon, FDR is cracking the whip, hitting the horse labeled “judicial”. All three

horses are shown laboring hard and breathing heavily. So what

does the cartoon imply?

Video capture: Greek-revival building that’s home to Supreme Court

Let’s ReviewHoover and the Crash

Video capture: review of the Crash and Hoover’s response