Experience the 20th century through the eyes and ears of those who lived through it via original documents, literature and multimedia.




Aside from war, the Great Depression was perhaps the darkest chapter in 20th century American history. It profoundly affected our nation and culture in ways not seen since.




Bread lines, soup kitchens, bank runs and more. Life in the city was hard and there was no easy way out.




Although most farm families had access to a steadier supply of food, they suffered from their own set of circumstances.




Out of a job and evicted from their homes, many people took to the road in an attempt to find greener grass.




Immediately upon his inauguration in 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt set out to establish a great number of new federal agencies. Convinced that the way out of the Depression was through government spending, he called his plan The New Deal.







COMING SOON



TAKING CHARGE

Convinced that government intervention was neccessary to provide relief from the ongoing crisis, incoming president Franklin Delano Roosevelt wasted no time enacting what would become a huge bundle of public spending, policy changes and new government agencies. The day after his inauguration, Roosevelt issued an executive order closing the banks for four days. After passage of the Emergency Banking Act, only those banks who could demonstrate solvency were allowed to reopen.

In the weeks and months that followed, Roosevelt and the Congress created dozens of new bureaus and agencies and vastly increased government spending to provide both direct relief and subsidies. The articles on this page detail the highlights of the New Deal and how it affected the nation.



NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION

The NRA, authorized by the National Industrial Recovery Act, allowed representatives of various industries to implement rules and regulations to set minimum prices, maximum hours and other policies. Technically, membership was voluntary but consumers were encouraged to boycott businesses that didn't join and display the blue eagle emblem. Because the so-called "Codes of Fair Competition" involved illegal price fixing schemes, participating businesses were exempted from anti-trust and anti-monopoly laws.

For a while, the NRA was quite popular with both consumers and businesses alike. Not only did shopkeepers proudly display the NRA posters in their shops, the blue eagle symbol was soon appearing on product packaging, clothing, advertising and other places. However, as time passed, disagreements arose among the industry representatives. Many delegates were accused of promoting only their own best interests. Prices kept at artificially high levels did nothing to help consumers afford needed and desired products. Just before the Act was set to expire, the Supreme Court declared most parts of the NIRC unconstitutional. Some elements of the law, particularly those that favored trade and labor unions, were later folded into new legislation.

NRA PROMOTION VIDEO

This film, which featured popular entertainer Jimmy Durante, was produced to encourage employers to hire more workers.


TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

President Roosevelt signed the Tennessee Valley Authority Act on 19 May 1933. The TVA was created to modernize infrastructure and improve economic opportunities in what was one of the regions hardest hit by the Great Depression. Since the project was owned by the federal government, eminent domain was used to acquire the land necessary for the construction of dams to provide flood control and hydroelectric power. The TVA also developed facilities for the production of fertilizer, which helped to restore soil that had been damaged by poor farming practices. Construction of facilities provided employment for area residents, many of whom were on the brink of starvation. Other workers were hired to restore forests and wildlife habitats. Although many people criticized the TVA as an example of unconstitutional federal overreach and "creeping socialism", the TVA remained largely popular during and after the depression years.

THE VALLEY OF THE TENNESSEE

This short documentary film, produced by the Office of War Information in 1944, employs a narrative structure in explaining the role of the Tennessee Valley Authority in overcoming the prejudices and suspicions of the residents, reclaiming the Valley and "harnessing nature."


WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION

The WPA provided public works jobs for millions of unemployed citizens starting in 1935. The workers, mostly unskilled and semi-skilled men, built roads, public facilities such as swimming pools and stadiums, bridges, parks, and schools. More than eight million people were employed by the WPA from 1935 to 1943. Although the WPA was a federal program, up to thirty percent of its costs were funded through partnerships with local and state governments.

Not all WPA projects involved construction, however. Federal Project Number One employed musicians, artists, writers and actors for the Federal Writers' Project, the Historical Records Survey, the Federal Theater Project, the Federal Music Project and the Federal Art Project. Particularly noteworthy are the State Guides, a set of tourist guides to each of the forty eight states, and the Harlem oral history project, which yields invaluable insight into the lives of those involved with the Harlem Renaissance.

WORK PAYS AMERICA

This short documentary film, produced by the WPA in 1937, highlights some of the many varied projects completed by the agency during the Depression years.


WE WORK AGAIN

This film, produced by the WPA, details some of the ways the agency benefitted Black Americans by providing much needed jobs.


MAN AGAINST THE RIVER

Describes the work of members of the Works Projects Administration in helping refugees of a winter flood of the Ohio River.