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The
Great Depression - Soup Kitchen
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The First Hundred Days FDR:
Hoover's Legacy
The Great Depression had started with the
Wall Street Crash in October 1929.
Republican President Hoover had failed to recognize the
severity of the
Great Depression
and had taken a hard line approach to the crisis. Hoover
had failed to take effective measures to address the
problems, was blamed for the depression and was
perceived as being insensitive.
The First Hundred Days FDR: Effects of the Great
Depression
When FDR came to office he had no great plan or detailed
strategy to combat the devastation of the Great
Depression. But he understood the feelings of
desperation, dejection and despair that were being
experienced by so many of the American people.
● During
1929-1931 over 3000 banks had gone bankrupt - over
10% of the nation's total. The stock market had
plunged 85% from its high in 1929
● 25% of the population were unemployed
● People had
lost their savings and many were in debt
● People were
hungry, and it was a common sight to see breadlines
and Soup
Kitchens in all of the major towns and cities
● By 1932,
between 1 - 2 million Americans were homeless
● The homeless
had seen their homes repossessed and had no option
but to live in overcrowded conditions with their
families.
● The destitute
had no option but to live in tents in communities
that consisted of makeshift shacks in camps they
called 'Hoovervilles'
● The country
had also been hit be a devastating drought followed
in 1932 by Dust Storms and 'Black Blizzards' that
created the Dust Bowl in
which 100 million acres of farming land was
destroyed
Hundred Days FDR: The Mood of the Nation
The American people
were looking for FDR, their new president, to take action. The mood
of the nation had turned sour. Desperate men walked the streets and
roamed the nation looking for work and food. People organized Hunger
Marches.
Hundred Days FDR: The Bonus Army
In the summer of 1932
over 40,000 WWI Veterans had congregated in
Washington. They were called the
Bonus Army and had lobbied
Congress to pass legislation authorizing the early payment of
promised bonuses. They had been refused.
The US Army, under Douglas MacArthur, used violent tactics to
disband
the veterans. This was the desperate situation that
greeted FDR when he assumed the presidency - he had to
take drastic action in his first 100 days of office.
Hundred Days FDR: The Federal Government
There was no federal government financed "safety net"
of welfare or relief programs to keep Americans from falling into
dire poverty. People were dependent on the local state or charitable
organizations to survive. It was clear that the unemployed needed
much more than the state and local communities could afford.
Hundred Days FDR
for kids: The Fearless Approach
FDR adopted to totally fearless approach to making
decisions and trying new ideas. Once again his own words made in an
address at Oglethorpe University on May 22, 1932 conveys the man's
character and ideals.
"It is common sense to take
a method and try it.
If it fails, admit it frankly and try another.
But above all, try something."
FDR was clearly happy to push forward any ideas he thought had
merit. The overriding view of his first Hundred Days was to try
something.
Hundred Days FDR: The
Inaugural
Speech on March 4, 1933
FDR made his views clear to Americans in his inaugural speech on
March 4, 1933 in which he stated:
"This nation asks for action, and action
now. Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. I am
prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that
a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require."
Hundred Days FDR: There was no Hundred Days Strategy...
Despite his brave words
FDR had no clear strategy or concrete ideas and plans for his first
Hundred Days in office. But he needed them. FDR gathered a
diverse group of advisors and experts in agriculture, law, business,
economics and social work to help him and give him advice. A famous
FDR quote reveals his honesty and his views.
" I'm not the smartest
fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues."
Hundred Days FDR
for kids: The Advisors and the 'Brain Trust'
His advisors during the first hundred days fell into
several distinct groups: ● The 'Progressives' favored
new reforms and government intervention in the economy
● The 'New Nationalists'
believed that the government should work closely with
corporations and businesses to manage the economy
● Others totally distrusted
'Big Businesses', blamed them for the recession, and favored a
'trust busting' approach
His close advisors were an
academic team, referred to the 'Brain Trust', that consisted of were
three law professors called Adolf Berle, Raymond Moley and Rexford
Tugwell.
Hundred Days FDR Goals and Objectives: The Three R's - Relief,
Recovery and Reform
The FDR Goals and Objectives of the first hundred days
were established under three simple headings, the
Three R's -
Relief, Recovery and Reform that required either immediate action,
temporary measures or permanent reforms.
● Relief for the unemployed
and poor
● Recovery of the economy by
establishing temporary programs to restart the flow of consumer
demand.
● Reform of the financial
system to ease the economic crisis and the introduction of
permanent programs to avoid another depression and insure
Americans against future economic disasters
The goals and aims of the
Three R's, Relief, Recovery and Reform, focused on emergency relief,
regulating the banks and the stock market, providing debt relief,
managing farms, initiating codes for industrial recovery and
initiating construction projects.
Hundred Days FDR
for kids: The President made the Decisions
During the first hundred days FDR
listened to all of the ideas and opinions of his advisors and made
his own decisions as to the policies and reforms that his government
should pursue. FDR was a strong, confident, decisive and independent
man. His character is reflected in another famous FDR quote that he
made at his First Inaugural Address on March 4, 1933:
"The only thing we have to
fear is fear itself."
Hundred Days FDR
for kids: The Banking Crisis
At the start of the First Hundred Days the one thing
that FDR was sure of was that nothing would work until the banks and
the banking system were sorted out. As the Great Depression had
deepened banks began to fail at alarming rates - literally thousands
of banks had closed. By 1933, depositors had seen $140 billion
simply disappear through bank failures. If a bank collapsed, people
lost all of the money they had in the bank. There were no bank
safeguards or deposit insurance. Many Americans had lost their life
savings. People with savings in the banks that had not yet failed
were desperately worried. They wanted to take their money out, but
knew that if they did those banks would fail too. It is therefore
not surprising that Americans had no confidence in the banks. FDR's
immediate aim of the first hundred days was to stabilize the banking
system.
Hundred Days FDR
for kids: The National 'Bank Holiday'
FDR announced his intention to immediately address the
banking crisis to William H. Woodin, his Secretary of the Treasury.
On Day 1 of his presidency (March 4,
1933), the first of the hundred days, he told Woodin that he
wanted an emergency banking bill ready for Congress in under 5 days.
The next day FDR declared a National Bank Holiday - and temporarily
closed all the banks. On March 4,
1933 the Emergency Banking Relief Act was passed to check and
regulate the banks. The banks re-opened on March 13, 1933.
Hundred Days FDR
for kids: The 'Fireside Chats'
On Sunday March 12, 1933 FDR conducted the first of
his many radio "Fireside
Chats". He explained to the American
people what he had done in plain, simple terms and told the public
to have "confidence and courage." When the banks reopened the
following day on Monday 13 March, 1933, people demonstrated their
faith in FDR by making more deposits than withdrawals. The Banking
Crisis was over. FDR's key advisors did not exaggerate when they
later boasted, "Capitalism was saved in eight days." The sheer speed
of action in the first hundred days was almost unbelievable...
Hundred Days FDR: Action taken during
the First Hundred Days for kids
In less than 2 weeks of the first hundred days, the mood of
the country changed from total despondency to an infectious
atmosphere of optimism. From March 9,1933 and June 16, 1933 important acts were passed in an attempt to relieve the
devastating effects of the
Great Depression. FDR was as good as his
word - he was certainly trying something. A list of the acts are
detailed in the following table.
Action taken during the First Hundred
Days in 1933 for kids
Date
- Action taken during the First Hundred
Days
March 9, 1933
- March 9, 1933 marks the first of the
"Hundred Days"
March 9, 1933
- Emergency Banking Relief
Act - To regulate the Banking system
March 9, 1933
- FDR conducted the first of his
radio "fireside chats"
March 31, 1933
- Reforestation Relief Act -
Established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and
work for 250,000 men
April 19, 1933
- FDR takes the nation off of the gold
standard.
May 12, 1933
- Federal Emergency Relief Act - The
FERA established grants for relief projects
May 12, 1933
- Agricultural Adjustment Act - The AAA
provided relief to farmers
May 18, 1933
- Tennessee Valley Authority - The TVA
provided aid for the economic development in the Tennessee
Valley
May 27, 1933
- Federal Securities Act established
the SEC to regulate trading on Wall Street
June 6, 1933
- National Employment System Act was
passed
June 13, 1933
- Home Owners Refinancing Act providing
loans for some 1 million mortgages.
June 16, 1933
- The Banking Act of 1933 (aka the
Glass–Steagall Act) established banking reforms and the
FDIC
June 16, 1933
- The Farm Credit Act of 1933
established the Farm Credit System (FCS)
June 16, 1933
- National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)
established the PWA and the NRA
June 16, 1933
- The Public Works Administration (PWA) to supervise the
construction of public works
June 16, 1933
- The National Recovery Administration (NRA) to stimulate
competition and establish fair trade
June 16, 1933
- June 16 marked the final day of the
"Hundred Days"
Action taken during the First Hundred
Days in 1933 for kids
Hundred
Days FDR for kids: Alphabet Soup
Agencies
The measures initiated
during the first hundred days also
generated what refer to today as
"Alphabet Soup Agencies" that consisted
of a series of acts and agencies for the
depression that created a huge federal
bureaucracy. These "Alphabet Soup
Agencies" were referred to by their
acronyms. FDR's 'Alphabet Soup' became a
feature of the New Deal and the opposite
chart details the acronyms and what they
stand for.
Hundred
Days FDR: Restructuring American Finance
In addition to all of the above measures
President Roosevelt took the nation off
the gold standard which allowed
Americans and foreign countries to
exchange paper money for gold , devalued
the dollar, and ordered the Federal
Reserve System to ease credit.
Hundred
Days FDR for kids: The New Deal
The above facts and
information details the events of the
first Hundred Days of President Franklin
D. Roosevelt and the serious problems
that were facing the nation at the start
of his presidential term in office. The
measures that he implemented based on
the Three R's of Relief, Recovery and
Reform brought new hope and optimism to
America. FDR's first Hundred Days later
became part of the First New Deal
(1933–1934) the Second New Deal
(1935–1938) brought additional
initiatives. FDR's first Hundred Days,
the First New Deal and the Second New
Deal became collectively known as FDR's
New Deal.
Facts
about
Hundred Days FDR for
kids: The Great Depression
For visitors interested in the
history of the Great Depression
refer to the following articles:
Hundred Days FDR for
kids - President Franklin Roosevelt Video
The article on the
Hundred Days FDR provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important
timespans during his presidential term in office. The following
Franklin Roosevelt video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 32nd American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945.
Hundred Days FDR
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Interesting Facts about Hundred Days FDR for kids and schools
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Summary of the Hundred Days FDR in US history
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Hundred Days FDR of important, key
events
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Franklin Roosevelt
Presidency from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945
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Fast, fun facts about the Hundred Days FDR
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Foreign & Domestic
policies of President Franklin Roosevelt
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Franklin Roosevelt Presidency and
Hundred Days FDR for schools,
homework, kids and children
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