President Roosevelt's Administration During The Great Depression

The Great Depression was catalysed by the stock market crash of October 1929. The "Roaring Twenties" was a decade that had seen unparalleled economic success for the United States, and both the citizens and government expected it to remain that way. Risky business practices such as the quick buying and selling of shares and lack of information on the state of the economy all served as contributors to the market's plummet. After the crash on "Black Tuesday" (October 29, 1929) the economic health of the United States continued it's decline into the Great Depression. At the time of the crash, President Herbet Hoover believed that the Federal government should not play an active role in helping the economy, and believed that it was best to stand
This was drastically different from the hands-off approach of the previous Hoover administration. Roosevelt implemented numerous programs, forming an "alphabet soup" of policies and organizations to better the American public, and jump start the economy. Of these programs and policies, the two that are arguably the most important are the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Agriculture Adjustment Act (AAA). The CCC provided work, food, and shelter to young men. The work covered mostly enviornmental areas, such as national parks, giving young men a break from the crowded pollution of the cities. Most of their pay was sent back home to their families, ensuring that many of the impoverished families back in the cities had a source of income. The Agricultural Adjustment Act helped adjust crop prices by limiting production and providing subsidaries to farmers who were in need of funds to escape bankruptcy. These two New Deal programs helped target those who were most in need - the average American who's life had been uprooted as a result of the nation wide economic