Here are some books that you may find useful during your studies. Search the Bennies catalogue Accessit for more, or browse the Non-fiction collection NFS.
Primary source collections exploring topics in history, literature, and culture.
The 1929 stock market crash triggered a massive economic downturn that would plague not only the United States but also other nations for many years. The prosperity of the 1920s had not been widely shared, with half of all American families living at or below the poverty line even before the market crash.
Emergency Relief and Construction Act (1932): Hoover signed this act, providing funds for public works programs and direct relief to the unemployed, aiming to stimulate economic activity.
Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC): Established in 1932, the RFC provided financial aid to banks, industries, and local governments, attempting to stabilise them during the economic downturn.
Hawley-Smoot Tariff (1930): While controversial, the tariff aimed to protect American industries by imposing high import duties. However, critics argue it worsened the global economic situation by triggering retaliatory measures from other nations.
FDR's Contributions to Economic Recovery:
New Deal Programs: FDR implemented a series of programs under the New Deal, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Public Works Administration (PWA), and Works Progress Administration (WPA). These aimed to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and provide relief to those suffering.
Banking Reforms: FDR initiated the Emergency Banking Act in 1933, which aimed to restore confidence in the banking system by declaring a bank holiday, conducting inspections, and reopening stable banks. The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 further separated commercial and investment banking to prevent risky practices.
Social Security Act (1935): FDR signed this act into law, establishing the Social Security system to provide financial support for retirees and those with disabilities, contributing to long-term economic stability.
Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934: These acts aimed to regulate the stock market and protect investors, providing a foundation for a more transparent and stable financial system.
Brain Trust, in U.S. history, group of advisers to Franklin D. Roosevelt during his first campaign for the presidency (1932). The term was coined by journalist John F. Kieran and gained national currency at once.
Challenges to Lasting Change:
Limited Structural Reforms: Critics argue that while the New Deal provided immediate relief, it did not institute substantial structural changes in the economy. The underlying issues that led to the Great Depression, such as income inequality and financial speculation, were not fully addressed.
Mixed Success of Programs: Some New Deal programs faced criticism for inefficiency or were deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), for example, was struck down in 1935, questioning the viability and effectiveness of certain policies.
World War II as Catalyst for Recovery: The lasting economic recovery in the United States is often attributed to the economic stimulus of World War II, rather than the New Deal. War production and the mobilisation of the economy during the conflict had a profound impact on lifting the country out of the Depression.
Return to Economic Challenges: After an initial improvement, the U.S. experienced a recession in 1937, raising questions about the New Deal's ability to ensure sustained economic recovery.
Economist’s view that FDR was a political opportunist
Historian’s view that Fireside chats were essential to FDR’s success
Historian’s view that FDR extended his power too far (by Historian Willian Leutenburg)
Historian’s view that New Deal harmed the poor
Socialist view that New Deal didn’t go far enough
Historian’s View that New Deal prolonged the GD (by Historian Jim Powell)
Roosevelt and The New Deal
In which John Green teaches you about the New Deal, which was president Franklin D. Roosevelt's plan to pull the United States out of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Did it work? Maybe. John will teach you about some of the most effective and some of the best-known programs of the New Deal. They weren't always the same thing. John will tell you who supported the New Deal, and who opposed it. He'll also get into how the New Deal changed the relationship between the government and citizens, and will even reveal just how the Depression ended.
FDR relied on his masterful communication skills and the help of the nation's best and brightest to steer the country through the two worst crises in American history.
The Great Depression began in August 1929, when the economic expansion of the Roaring Twenties came to an end. A series of financial crises punctuated the contraction. These crises included a stock market crash in 1929, a series of regional banking panics in 1930 and 1931, and a series of national and international financial crises from 1931 through 1933. The downturn hit bottom in March 1933, when the commercial banking system collapsed and President Roosevelt declared a national banking holiday.
The "Great Depression " was a severe, world -wide economic disintegration symbolized in the United States by the stock market crash on "Black Thursday", October 24, 1929 . The causes of the Great Depression were many and varied, but the impact was visible across the country. By the time that FDR was inaugurated president on March 4, 1933, the banking system had collapsed, nearly 25% of the labor force was unemployed, and prices and productivity had fallen to 1/3 of their 1929 levels.
During his second term in office, President Franklin D. Roosevelt surveyed the vast quantities of papers and other materials he and his staff had accumulated. In the past, many Presidential papers and records had been lost, destroyed, sold for profit, or ruined by poor storage conditions. President Roosevelt sought a better alternative. On the advice of noted historians and scholars, he established a public repository to preserve the evidence of the Presidency for future generations.