The stock market crash of 1929 set off a chain of events that drove the United States into the Great Depression. Many went through unemployment which caused numerous of problems in their lives. At this time they were under the control of President Hoover. President Hoover didn’t do much to help contribute or try to improve the situation at the time so people started to lose hope. Once President Roosevelt took office the tables had turned when he implemented his new deal programs. During FDR’s presidency he tried to solve the problems of the Great Depression and even though his New Deal programs didn’t end the Great Depression it was a huge success that helped restore America. FDR’s New Deal consisted of reform, relief and recovery programs.

FDR’s New Deal sought to provide reform programs for Americans. FDR created the Social Security Act of 1935 which gave pension to old age workers over the age of 65 and also gave pension to the disabled and to the unemployed. This was extremely effective in many ways because it provided money to the ones who couldn’t provide for their families or for themselves for certain understanding reasons. Still to this day this program is still standing and as effective as it was during the great depression. Another reform program that was effective was the NLRB. John L. Lewis was the labor union leader and he was for the Wagner act which was signed into law by President Roosevelt in 1935. The Wagner act established the national labor relations board which addresses relations between unions and employers. This was effective towards employers because it gave workers’ rights. FDR’s new deal created many reform programs that helped change the government and get it back on track.

FDR knew people needed reassurance in America again so he created several relief programs. Programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA) were created to help decrease the unemployment percentage. “There must be as many women out of jobs in cities and suffering extreme poverty as there are men”. When FDR started the New Deal programs he thought about all lives, men and women. He created programs that would benefit both men and women. This was effective in a way that it created numerous of job related programs that dealt with unemployment. Many programs associated with creating jobs contributed to lowering the unemployment percentage in America. In 1933 unemployment was at about 38% and by 1935 it had dropped down to about 21%. Just in 2 years FDR managed to reduce unemployment by 17%. This just proves to you how effective FDR’s relief programs were because throughout his presidency he lowered the unemployment. Not until WW2 started, the unemployment went from 38% down to about 4% within the years of 1933 to 1945. This meant that even though FDR’s relief programs didn’t solve unemployment completely it still was effective enough to help Americans get back on their feet.

Some of FDR’s recovery programs weren’t as effective as others. For instance, the AAA paid farmers to destroy crops when they could have used it for a better cause like giving it to the starving homeless. Another ineffective program was the NIRA. The NIRA was declared unconstitutional in May 1935 because it was in violation of having too much government power. The AAA and NIRA were both declared unconstitutional so therefore they were ineffective towards the New Deal.

After all, FDR’s New Deal changed and benefited so many American lives. Not only did the New Deal give great effectiveness towards the Great Depression but it also showed us how our government should take great responsibilities in helping maintain a stable country so that we may never have to go through a situation that devastating again.