Source: Narrated by Zach Lamb
[MUSIC PLAYING] The scale of the New Deal and whether or not its programs helped end the Great Depression remains a matter of historical debate. As Abby tells her mother, the significance of Franklin Roosevelt's activities cannot be disputed. They affected Americans' lives in numerous ways. Americans continue to compare Roosevelt with other presidential administrations in the never-ending debate of who is the most significant president in American history.
Can you imagine the severity and magnitude of the Great Depression? By the time Franklin Roosevelt took office, millions of Americans lost their savings during the great crash or the banking crisis. And to make matters worse, farmers on the Great Plains endured dust storm after dust storm during the Dust Bowl. Many Americans lacked full-time work or were unemployed entirely. From this perspective, clearly, the Great Depression was unlike any crisis that the United States had experienced before. Many Americans wondered whether America's institutions would even survive.
In response to the crisis, Franklin Roosevelt expanded the federal government in unprecedented ways. The first New Deal reformed the banking sector and set industry and agriculture on a path toward recovery. The first New Deal also sponsored public works projects and work relief programs through the Public Works Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. For example, if you visit a National Park or a National Forest, you'll likely drive along roads or hike on trails built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
The second New Deal featured the passage of the Social Security Act, which protected vulnerable, elderly, and unemployed Americans by creating the Social Security program and offering temporary unemployment insurance. These New Deal programs created the modern welfare state and fundamentally reshaped America's relationship with government.
President Roosevelt helped this transformation through strategies like the fireside chats in which he spoke directly to the American people and gave regular radio addresses about the progress of the New Deal. Ever since, Americans have expected presidents to keep them informed on their actions.
By completing this challenge, you could easily participate in your own debate with friends and family members over the legacies of the Great Depression and the New Deal. Such debates persist because of a fundamental question. What is the proper role of government in people's lives? Starting with the New Deal, many Democrats embraced the idea that the federal government should provide for the general welfare. But how do you define the general welfare? And should the protection of the general welfare come at the expense of individual liberties? Like Abby, you can find your own answer to this question by using the skills and knowledge gained in this course.
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