The New Deal

In the 1929, the United States of America was hit by the biggest depression in history. The Great Depression not only affected Americans, but the nations who relied on our exports and traded with the United States. The stock market crash of October 1929, or “Black Tuesday,” was considered the beginning of the Great Depression. However, the stock market crash was not the only cause of the depression. Many other events led to the Great Depression: European countries inability to pay off their war debts led to the United States lessened their foreign trade. Speculation in real estate and stock s caused prices to rise out of control. The overproduction of materials and unemployment were another cause that was a result from machines replacing them. Banks also gave too much credit to people that were not able to pay off their loans (Kellogg, 1977, 292-293).

After hearing and seeing American citizens cry for help, President Roosevelt and his “Brain Trust” started to plan out ways to relieve citizens of their pain.

He called for an emergency meeting with Congress. This was called the Hundred Days Congress. The result of this “emergency meeting” was what we know today as the New Deal. President Roosevelt’s “New Deal” fostered programs made to combat the problems brought on by the Great Depression. These programs revolved around President Roosevelt’s “three R’s”- relief, recover, and reform. The New Deal, or “Alphabet-Soup,” programs helped revive agriculture, solve the unemployment issue, and most importantly, recover the banks that had failed. This is one of the most important measures taken during a depression by a president. Without these programs, the United States would have been in a situation that surpasses the economic turmoil of the Great Depression (Kellogg, 1977, 292-293).

Helping the Workers WorkDuring the New Deal, President Roosevelt...