How Did The New Deal Affect Women
On March 4, 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his first inaugural address. "So first of all,” he said, “let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." The new president acted to create his 'New Deal', a set of social liberal programs which attempted to combat the effects of the Great Depression on the American economy and people. The Depression, which had resulted from the Wall Street Crash four years prior, was the worst economic crisis in American history. The Deal aimed to cover three areas: Relief, Recovery and Reform, and to create a new relationship between the federal government and the American people. To gauge the significance of the New Deal for
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While the Civilian Conservation Corps provided wages for over 2.5 million young men in 2,000 forest camps, at most the WPA ran 90 camps in 1936 for 5,000 young women, none of which received wages. However, the New Deal saw some women achieve prominent positions, such as Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet member, who in her position as the Secretary of Labor removed 59 corrupt officials from the Labor Department. Unfortunately, they could be viewed as "only symbolic concessions to the status of women". Overall, the New Deal was only slightly significant for women in the 1930s because the New Deal programs targeted male workers rather than men, thus having restricted implications on the status of American …show more content…
Following his inaugural speech, called "one of the turning points in American history", "half a million grateful letters ... poured into the White House". Roosevelt voice also found a way into the households of America through the radio. In 1930, 12 million American households owned a radio, but by 1939 this had exploded to more than 28 million. Roosevelt's 30 radio broadcasts, which became known as 'fireside chats', were comfort and reassurance for millions of Americans through depression and war. The New Deal was immensely significant for Americans because through his radio broadcasts, throughout the 1930s, Roosevelt urged the American people to face the difficult tasks ahead with patience, understanding, and faith, boosting the public’s
While the Civilian Conservation Corps provided wages for over 2.5 million young men in 2,000 forest camps, at most the WPA ran 90 camps in 1936 for 5,000 young women, none of which received wages. However, the New Deal saw some women achieve prominent positions, such as Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet member, who in her position as the Secretary of Labor removed 59 corrupt officials from the Labor Department. Unfortunately, they could be viewed as "only symbolic concessions to the status of women". Overall, the New Deal was only slightly significant for women in the 1930s because the New Deal programs targeted male workers rather than men, thus having restricted implications on the status of American …show more content…
Following his inaugural speech, called "one of the turning points in American history", "half a million grateful letters ... poured into the White House". Roosevelt voice also found a way into the households of America through the radio. In 1930, 12 million American households owned a radio, but by 1939 this had exploded to more than 28 million. Roosevelt's 30 radio broadcasts, which became known as 'fireside chats', were comfort and reassurance for millions of Americans through depression and war. The New Deal was immensely significant for Americans because through his radio broadcasts, throughout the 1930s, Roosevelt urged the American people to face the difficult tasks ahead with patience, understanding, and faith, boosting the public’s