Although the flood waters of poverty, unemployment, and famine known as the Great Depression began to recede under Hoover’s administration, it was Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his administration who saw to the retreat of the destitute ways of life that had enveloped the nation. When FDR took office, he intended to change the government in order to include help for the plight of the “forgotten man”. He had a plan for the change known as the “New Deal”. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs aimed at three R’s - relief, recovery, and reform. Also, through his New Deal programs, one can see all he did during the Depression to relieve suffering and jump start the economy.In the New Deal program, Roosevelt had short and long - range goals. One of his first short-range goals was relief - especially in the first 100 days. At the time of Roosevelt’s inauguration, one out of every four people was unemployed. Since FDR was intent upon ending human suffering first and foremost, he decided to be open about using federal money to aid the unemployed. With the okay from FDR, the Hundred Days Congress passed much legislation in order to help in the first short range goal - to give immediate relief. In 1933, Congress created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which provided employment in fresh - air government camps for about 3 million uniformed young men. Their work included reforestation, fire fighting, flood control, and swamp drainage. Also new in 1933 was the Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA). It was the first major effort of Congress to deal with the unemployed adults, and its chief purpose was immediate relief rather than long-range recovery. Other legislation passed by Congress included the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), and Civil Works Administration (CWA).Roosevelt’s other short - term goal, recovery, was also off to a good st...
