Tag Archives: FDR

05/20/11

We want FDR?

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The political cartoons, illustrates how people  wanted to re-elect president FDR. due to what positive changes he brought to the United States from his new deal. Such things were his famous “First Hundred Days” of his presidency. FDR pushed through legislation that reformed the banking and financial sectors which later cured the American agriculture, and attempting it to resuscitate the American industry. FDR also provided direct cash relief for all the poor and job programs. This help the  crisis of starvation and the dire needs of the nation’s unemployed.

03/21/11

“Federal Aid Weakens the Sturdiness of Our National Character”

I know that someone already used this cartoon, and that I also spoke about it during class, but i think that it helps to make a point that I happen to feel quite strongly about….
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Much the same as what people have become increasingly afraid might today if the Federal Government becomes too involved in economic affairs by ‘over-regulating’ big business and the economy as a whole, this cartoon implies that some of the steps taken by FDR in the New Deal may have come dangerously close to a socialist state. Most notably, the National Recovery Administration (NRA) that was created to promote cooperation between big business and the government by implicating codes to regulate output, prices, and work conditions. Through the NRA, Roosevelt “Had repudiated the older idea of liberty based on the idea that the best way to encourage economic activity and ensure a fair distribution of wealth was to allow market competition to operate unrestrained by the government.”  – pretty much a survival of the fittest type of situation.
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I think that President Grover Cleveland’s the idea that “The government should not support the people” and that, “Federal aid… weakens the sturdiness of our national character” speaks volumes about what true capitalism, for better or for worse, is really about. Actually, I believe quite strongly that many of the policies enacted by the New Deal are, today more than ever, serving as a crutch for the weak and lazy (for lack of a better term).
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Don’t get me wrong, I do understand that we might not all have what it takes to become billionaires, and that much of it can sometimes be out of our hands, but things like social security, and welfare – which were created to help a devastated population during the Great Depression – seem to actually be hurting more than they’re helping by “weakening the sturdiness of not only our national cgaracter, but more importantly our character as individuals… And that’s why I decided to expound on the point that I made during class earlier today.

-C. Salama

03/21/11

FDR to the rescue.

The country was facing an economic depression and they needed to be saved from the failed national policies attempted during the Hoover administration. As if things could not get worse, three weeks into taking office, the country was hit with a banking crisis. People raced to the banks to withdraw money and slowly banks were running out of money! A national bank holiday was declared and all banks were closed to be examined. Only the financially sound banks were given money by the government to reopen.

In order to aid citizens in this time of distress, FDR implemented the New Deal. This created jobs for people building city/state infrastructure. Soon the country would get back on its two feet. In addition, a new program called Social Security helped people in old age. This program yielded benefits after retirement. Last but not least, who can forget the discomfort many Americans experienced under prohibition. Soon after taking office FDR made a beer with a low concentration of alcohol accessible and legal.

03/21/11

360 Degrees of Power


(Carlisle in the Atlanta Constitution)

The Artist was saying by the next voting session all of congress would be ran by the democrats. The artist wanted to illuminate that because of Republicans standing in the way of the New Deal they will all be voted out by the public.  The artist depicted this by showing the “Republican Obstruction” being kicked out the way my by the public in order to make way for “Roosevelt Reorganizational Power” as the Democratic Congress ushers the bulldozer along the way. The Bulldozer is on a path to pave the government cost rearing out of control.  This cartoon was drawn at the time of a huge expansion of the role of the Government.

03/21/11

Don’t worry Uncle Sam, Santa will help!

Washington Post, 1933 by Clifford K. Berryman

The artist was trying to convey the message that FDR wanted to get many different things done in a short period of time.  He also leans toward the idea that it isn’t possible to get such a massive amount of relief and legislation passed that quickly. In order for it to be done you would need “magic” or some other worldly force.  This is shown by the iconic image of a child putting out a stocking over the fireplace at Christmas in the hopes for some treat to be delivered by Santa overnight.  On the stockings themselves, are many different agencies that FDR created to provide jobs, such as the: CCC, TVA, FCA, TWA etc.  It can be interpreted that these programs were the primary ideas to get America back on its feet.  The “gifts” that would be received would hopefully make everything return to normal, and get America back to its former glory. FDR is the child and he seems to be reassuring “Uncle Sam” that everything will be okay in the end because his New Deal will work.

03/21/11

FDR’s Favorite Sock Puppet : Supreme Court

February 12, 1937, New York Herald-Tribune, “Qualifying Test For Supreme Court Jobs”

Many people were very critical about the Supreme Court’s willingness to accept the New Deal. This cartoon was drawn at the time when FDR won his second term as president with a landslide victory.The cartoon shows FDR saying a command and the Supreme Court Justices abiding by what he said. The artist of the cartoon depicts the justice scales and the Constitution in the trash can.

According to Foner, “the court’s willingness to accept the New Deal marked a permanent change in judicial policy” and many begin to worry that FDR was becoming more of a dictator and making way for presidents after him to become dictators. Some felt that the court became more supportive of the New Deal because of FDR’s “court packing” proposal that he made to Congress (which was rejected). I think that some of the justices felt that FDR might replace them.

03/20/11

Socialist Plan?

In 1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt was at desk as the 32nd president of the United States, he introduced a series of programs called the New Deal to relieve the economic problems within the nation responded to the Great Depression. FDR’s goal was to achieve the “3Rs” relieve, recovery, and reform. He vowed that Americans would see changes within the first 100 days of his presidency. At this time about two million Americans were homeless, ¼ of the workforce were unemployed and failure of the banking system led America into chaos. America was panicking; the nation was desperately in need of help. Many believed that the New Deal would aid the nation’s current situation. Whereas others felt that they were being dealt a bad hand and that the government was experimenting in Socialism. This political cartoon depicts believe of FDR’s Socialist plan to the U.S.

03/20/11

The New Deal to the Rescue!

Library of Congress (1934)

In this political cartoon, there are three important figures: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Congress, and Uncle Sam. Each of them assumes a role in the cartoon, with FDR as the doctor, Congress as the caretaker, and Uncle Sam as the patient. Uncle Sam represents a sickly America. FDR is the doctor, who has the responsibility to cure or relieve the symptoms of the depression that struck America and its people.  FDR gives Uncle Sam many different kinds of “medicine,” including programs like the National Industry Recovery Act, the Civil Works Administration, and the Agricultural Adjustment Act. In addition, FDR is carrying a bag of New Deal “remedies,” which can provide even more relief for America. FDR reassures Congress that the “remedies” do not necessarily guarantee success and changes can be made.

At the time, FDR approved and passed many legislations, in hopes to fix America. Many people were doubting whether these programs would actually help or even make things worst. This political cartoon supports FDR and his policies and puts the New Deal in a positive light. This is because Uncle Sam is shown to be in good spirits, after trying the New Deal medicines. Additionally, the cartoon depicts FDR as a man, who is understanding because he knows that the programs might not work and has a bag of solutions prepared.

03/18/11

A New Deal means a new hand.

This political cartoon regarding Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal was published in March of 1933. The source does not indicate who the artist is, but his signature is left on the cartoon. This political cartoon is called “hope.” The cartoon shows how nobody really knew what kind of impact FDR’s New Deal would have on the nation – it was like dealing out a deck of cards, you cannot be sure what you’re going to get out of it. Many felt similarly with the programs FDR included in the New Deal. These programs were designed to boost the economy and help its people. However the dire state that the economy was in made people skeptical on whether or not these programs would really work.

03/16/11

New Deal- The Banking Crisis

The cartoon was published in 1933. Reprinted by permission: Tribune Company Syndicate, Inc. As we know over t ten thousand banks had failed during the Great Depression. This cartoon show the person lost all the money he saves in the bank, since the bank had failed. I think the artist was trying to show how bad is economy in the America and federal government has responsibility for the smooth running of the American economy, so people can get their money back. New deal was a major turning point in American history and solution to the Great Depression. Roosevelt closed all the nation’s banks just after his inauguration by declaring a bank holiday. Each bank was permitted to reopen only after the government inspected its records and found it was financially sound.

03/16/11

New Deal: Alphabet Agencies

Political cartoon of FDR and Albert Einstein. Photo courtesy of the Basil O'Connor Collection

During the Great Depression President Roosevelt quickly responded to this economic crisis by establishing many government programs in the New Deal also known as the Alphabet Soup. Many of these programs addressed the country’s industrial, agriculture and employment issues. The cartoon shown above depicts FDR showing Einstein a list of agencies from the New Deal. Due to the poor print I couldn’t see Einstein’s statement. However I am assuming that the artist is trying to make his point about how there’s too many new programs to the New Deal and there’s no guarantee that these programs would solve the economic problem. Among these programs the National Recovery Administration (NRA) is shown in bold. I think the artist is probably trying to emphasize the fact that many people hoped that NRA would help the economy in which businesses were to set rules such as production quotas, prices, wages, and hours. However the NRA program was a complete failure.

03/16/11

New Deals – Farm

During the Great Depression farmers and farms were having a very difficult time. Many farmers were having trouble making money because of the Great Depression consumers didn’t have enough money to buy food. Many farmers lost their farms and went bankrupt for over producing food and being unable to sell it.

The cartoon is trying to portray how bad farms were doing in the Great Depression and how F.D.R was going to use the New Deal help farmers. The way the New Deal help farmers is by setting up the Agricultural Agreement Act (AAA) The AAA told farmers to produce fewer products and sell it for a higher price in order to get money and bring the farms back to what they once were.

03/16/11

New Deal:Gone With the Wind… Or Not!

Getty Images: Picture shows FDR shifting his focus from the economy to the World War

The Cartoon illustrates FDR shifting his attention from the economical conditions at home to obtaining victory in the World War. I think the artist was trying to portray this shift in focus by illustrating  FDR in a car labeled “Win the War” which moves much faster than the horse the men are on labeled “New Deal”. The New Deal was sought out after The Great Depression to ease the effects of the economic downfall. There were many programs put into way in order to provide relief, recovery and reform. However, during the time the artist is portraying is when World War II came about.

World War II came about in December 1941. During this time efforts to get supplies as soon as possible regardless of price or quality were underway. The idea of the New Deal suddenly hit rock bottom. It was no longer needed because people suddenly needed workers in factories to develop the supplies needed in war. The gap between classes suddenly decreased due to the high employment rates. Overtime that was provided in this time of need was very helpful to many families who suffered before.

03/15/11

This will help … hopefully

The image is from the Library of Congress. (LIC)

The Great Depression was a trying time for all americans nation wide. With failing banks, droughts, unemployment and severe poverty everywhere, more and more americans sought help from the government. President FDR recognized this outcry and introduced the New Deal, a possible solution to the great depression. Although government spending would increase the nation’s deficit, FDR felt it was necessary in order to get the economy running again. By introducing new programs such as the PWA, NRA, TVA, AAA, CCC and SSA, FDR was able to implement more money to produce more jobs, consumer spending, and reforms to the current financial systems.

The cartoon above was produced in 1933 as a respond to FDR’s New Deal. In the cartoon FDR exclaims ” UNCLE I’M SURELY EXPECTING SOMETHING!”. This statement seems to signify a possible change in the economy after a number of welfare programs (stockings) have been created to help americans. Although the programs seem to relieve some desperation during the great depression, it seems like FDR is unsure what the final result will be. However, FDR expects to see a significant change that will eventually pull the nation out of depression and hopefully prevent a future one.

03/15/11

New Deal- The Trojan Horse

Throughout the history of United States, reforms and new policies have always encountered as invasion of rights by certain skeptics. Due to the political culture of America, politicians are very reserved about letting the federal government to become more powerful. This has remain true even during the Great Depression. Although the entire nation was desperate for solutions to their economics disparity, many citizens were still conscious of their political rights and freedom despite of their poverty.

The political cartoon above has demonstrated this idea perfectly. When Franklin Roosevelt proposed his New Deal as the solution to the Great Depression to the Congress, certain politicians have viewed the reform as an invasion to the Congress. The cartoonist believed that the New Deal was making an attempt to obtain more power than it should by taking advantage of the economic disaster. The cartoon is referring to the policies that expands the power of the federal government, such as the establishment of Civilian Conservation Corps (CVC) and Public-Works Projects (PWA). Those two policies have hired many civilians for the constructions of parks, roads, bridges, and other public buildings, and critics complained that these policies are gaining control of the citizens by creating employment opportunities. Certain critics also considered such policies as a step toward socialism and communism. They believed that such economic policies are Trojan horses that would transform our capitalistic nation to socialistic/communistic country.

02/8/11

Franklin Delano Roosevelt


Franklin D. Roosevelt was one of most important presidents in American history. His New Deak saved American people from the great depression in 1940, because of that he became the only one president who had three presidency in American history.