"An evaluation of the new deal"

Franklin D. Roosevelt brought the new deal in to Americans life in the early thirties. Its purpose was to deal with the depression. Following the depression there were many programs and acts to help the nation recover from the depression. The "forgotten Americans" were the ones who needed the new deal to benefit them. These people were the blacks, women, immigrants, and the many people who suffered from poverty.

Unemployment was one of the biggest issues to strike the "forgotten Americans."

The new deal provided helping programs such as the Social securities act, WPA, and the federal emergency relief act to lower the unemployment and help those who couldn't work. Checks could be received to those who were poor because of the Soc. Securities act. The WPA, which was led by Harry Hopkins, was built to help the artists and musicians obtain a steady job that would help lift the nations spirit. The federal Emergency relief act provided relief money for a limited time to those workers who had been laid off. For the black workers, the NAACP was created; it was one of the most important groups trying to show Americans the rights of blacks. Blacks were still unchanged in the labors. Even under the new deal, blacks were treated unfair. Women were also treated very poorly when it came to the labor situation. They were given the so-called women's jobs, such as teachers, clerks, typists, nurses, and textile workers. Unions for blacks and women were rare until John Lewis formed the CIO, a union anyone could join, no matter what race they were. The CIO one of the top unions in the nation. The new deal had again prettied much failed with the creation of the AF of L. The AF of L was a division of many craft unions.

Government jobs and political rights were a goal for the new deal to let more Americans have access to the pleasures that any white man could have. The Shocking "grand father" laws were passed and forced Americans to take tests for the eligibility to vote. For the black man the tests would be made especially hard and a black person would almost never pass these tests. FDR spoke out against blacks being segregated from government jobs. "Black cabinets" or "black brain trust" became advisors of the president. William Hastie and Mary Leod Bethune were of the top names in this group of African Americans. They helped thousands to stay in school and learn new traits. With the help of Eleanor Roosevelt, many women took jobs at the White House. In 1936 the democratic convention declared that every platform should have an alternate of the opposite sex. The WPA hosted top jobs for women who worked in government. The most important of the women was Francis Perkins who became the first female cabinet member in the position of secretary of labor and Florence Allen who was a judge of the circuit court of appeals.

Farmers were down to nothing after the depression. The AAA helped keeping the farmers balanced by "plowing under" crops. The Farm credit act allowed farmers to refinance mortgages at lower rates. Things started to get better for the Farmers until the Dust bowl destroyed much of what the mid west farmers had. They needed desperate help, quickly. No law could give farmers what they needed. In 1933 the Gov. stepped in and created the soil erosion services, farmers were also taught ways of farming that would deal with the drought. The soil conservation act aimed to promote and reduce surplus soil conservation.

The new deal had actually helped many of the problems the nation was suffering following the depression. The most dedicated person to make it help the "Forgotten people" was none other than Eleanor Roosevelt. Even while FDR was injured she traveled preaching the opportunities that were made by the new deal. When Farmers needed a hand overcoming the great drought known as the dust bowl the new deal once again came to the rescue.

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