The Great Depression and the New Deal (2024)

Picturing the Century

  • Introduction
  • A New Century
  • The Great War and the New Era
  • The Great Depression and the New Deal
  • A World in Flames
  • Post-War America
  • Century's End

As the Great Depression ended the prosperity of the 1920s, the Pacific Northwest suffered economic catastrophe like the rest of the country. Businesses and banks failed and by 1933 only about half as many people were working as had been in 1926. The population in the Pacific Northwest continued to grow but more slowly, as many left the Dust Bowl states of the Midwest and Plains.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" aimed at promoting economic recovery and putting Americans back to work through Federal activism. New Federal agencies attempted to control agricultural production, stabilize wages and prices, and create a vast public works program for the unemployed. The West saw the heavy use of Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps workers in National Forests and National Parks, and on Indian reservations for work on natural resource related projects and a legacy of buildings, roads, bridges, and trails remains in the Pacific Northwest as a result of these many projects.

Built in the 1930s and 1940s, Bonneville and Grand Coulee Dams brought electricity to rural areas that were not served by existing utilities. The economy of the Pacific Northwest was strengthened as manufacturing opportunities grew.

Many New Deal-era government agencies sponsored photography projects. Additionally, many agencies were tasked with verbally and photographically documenting projects they undertook. For the most part, these projects used a "documentary" approach that emphasized straightforward scenes of everyday life or the environment. Found attached to the written reports submitted by the various agencies, the images from these projects make for a detailed portrait of America during the 1930s and early 1940s.

The Great Depression and the New Deal (1)

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The USS Lexington tied to Baker Dock in Tacoma, Washington. (December 1929)

The Great Depression and the New Deal (2)

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A close-up of the cables that allowed power to be transferred from the Lexington to the Tacoma city power grid. Commandant’s Office Correspondence Files, 1925-1940; 13th Naval District; Records of Naval Districts and Shore Establishments (RG 181)

An extreme dry spell in the fall of 1929 led depleted reservoirs to produce only 1/10th of the hydroelectric power needed to supply Seattle and Tacoma. Just two weeks after Wall Street’s Black Monday, Tacoma leaders wrote in a telegrammed plea for assistance “supply insufficient STOP We cannot hold out another week without shutting off inductors which will give great loss in employment and consequent suffering to entire community.” The US Navy agreed to allow the steam power plants on the USS Lexington to be used to supply power to the City of Tacoma.

The Great Depression and the New Deal (3)

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Seventh Period Illustrated Reports, 1936, DG 60, Hagerman, ID; CCC Materials; Records of the Bureau of Land Management (RG 49)

Not all Civilian Conservation Corps camps were as luxurious as this one in Idaho. Located in an isolated area 1 ½ miles northeast of Hagerman, CCC Camp DG 60 was nine miles from the nearest railhead in Bliss, Idaho. The camp, however, did have a swimming pool, seen in the foreground. (1936)

The Great Depression and the New Deal (4)

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Range Improvement Case Files, 1938-1947; Burley, Idaho District Office; Records of the Bureau of Land Management (RG 49)

Men assigned to Company 990 from Big Sur, CA report to their foremen at CCC Camp DG-4 located one mile southwest of Springfield, Idaho. The camp was responsible for the eradication of poisonous plants, rodent control, and building minor roads and truck trails, reservoirs, and wells. (1935)

The Great Depression and the New Deal (5)

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Historic Photos, 1914-1960; Region 6, Portland, Oregon; Records of the Forest Service (RG 95)

Built by the Works Progress Administration in 1934, Timberline Lodge nestles at the base of Mt. Hood, Oregon. Out of work artisans were used in the construction, leading to wondrous wood carvings and stone work throughout the lodge.

The Great Depression and the New Deal (6)

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Records Relating to the Civilian Conservation Corps/Emergency Conservation Works Activities, 1933-1939; Mount Rainier National Park; Records of the National Parks (RG 79)

Many Civilian Conservation Corps and Emergency Conservation Work activities in the Pacific Northwest centered around projects involving natural resources administered by the Forest Service, National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Much of the work was done using hand labor. Here men from the Emergency Conservation Works’ Carbon River Camp clear debris from a channel in Mount Rainier National Park. Note the burning slash and the use of hand tools. (ca. 1934-35)

The Great Depression and the New Deal (7)

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Historic Photos, 1914-1960; Region 6, Portland, Oregon; Records of the Forest Service (RG 95)

An example of the type of amenities the Forest Service built to encourage visitors to the region’s forests, the store and lunchroom at Stevens Pass in the Wenatchee National Forest (WA) was designed to be functional yet fit into the forest unobtrusively. It stood until it burned a few years ago. Note the snow still on the ground in June. (1937)

The Great Depression and the New Deal (8)

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Bonneville Office Correspondence and Reports, 1933-1940; Second Portland District Office; Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers (RG 77)

The Great Depression and the New Deal (9)

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Bonneville Office Correspondence and Reports, 1933-1940; Second Portland District Office; Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers (RG 77)

During the 1930s, it was common to incorporate Federally-funded public art into public works projects. A panel of designers from the Portland Art Museum, the School of Architecture at the University of Oregon, and also including an Oregon judge and a local engineer proposed that the powerhouses for Bonneville Dam be constructed in the shape of Paul Bunyan and is blue ox Babe. These two images show the artists’ conception of the project, one hand drawn and one sculpted. No money was appropriated for this venture. (1934)

The Great Depression and the New Deal (10)

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Glass Slides, 1941-1960; Portland Regional Office; Records of the Bonneville Power Administration (RG 305)

Bonneville Dam was the first of a series of dams built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along the Columbia River in response to the Corps’ 1932 “308 Report”. Designed to replace a canal and locks that had been in place since 1896, the dam was intended to serve shipping up the river, control flooding, and provide electric power. Construction began in 1933, and the jobs provided helped to lessen the impact of the Great Depression in the area. Although fish ladders were included in the construction plan, it has become clear that, as far a salmon were concerned, this system could not replace the free flowing river. This aerial view was reproduced from a glass slide. (ca. 1941)

The Great Depression and the New Deal (2024)

FAQs

Was the New Deal an effective answer to the Great Depression? ›

In the short term, New Deal programs helped improve the lives of people suffering from the events of the depression. In the long run, New Deal programs set a precedent for the federal government to play a key role in the economic and social affairs of the nation.

What was the Great Depression and the New Deal about? ›

Picturing the Century

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" aimed at promoting economic recovery and putting Americans back to work through Federal activism. New Federal agencies attempted to control agricultural production, stabilize wages and prices, and create a vast public works program for the unemployed.

What was the biggest result of the Great Depression and the New Deal? ›

Through employment and price stabilization and by making the government an active partner with the American people, the New Deal jump-started the economy towards recovery.

What are the essential questions for the Great Depression and the New Deal? ›

Essential questions:

What economic conditions led to the stock market crash of 1929? Why were the policies of the Hoover Administration ineffective in dealing with the problems of the Depression? Why did the New Deal seek to solve the problems of the Depression through public works, rather than the dole?

Did the New Deal actually help? ›

The New Deal was responsible for some powerful and important accomplishments. It put people back to work. It saved capitalism. It restored faith in the American economic system, while at the same time it revived a sense of hope in the American people.

Was the New Deal good or bad? ›

The New Deal era remains historic for its ambition, for its aid to the neediest, and for its lasting policies that helped strengthen the economy and improve the lives of three generations of Americans. While not all perfect, the New Deal kept millions out of poverty.

Who did the New Deal help the least? ›

Answer and Explanation: While the New Deal temporarily alleviated the numerous stresses caused by the Great Depression, not everyone benefitted from the new programs that were created. Primarily, African Americans as well as women experienced little relief despite the many programs created by the New Deal.

What solved the Great Depression? ›

Mobilizing the economy for world war finally cured the depression. Millions of men and women joined the armed forces, and even larger numbers went to work in well-paying defense jobs. World War Two affected the world and the United States profoundly; it continues to influence us even today.

How did the New Deal help the poor? ›

Local and state budgets were sharply reduced because of falling tax revenue, but New Deal relief programs were used not just to hire the unemployed but also to build needed schools, municipal buildings, waterworks, sewers, streets, and parks according to local specifications.

Who got rich during the Great Depression? ›

Not everyone, however, lost money during the worst economic downturn in American history. Business titans such as William Boeing and Walter Chrysler actually grew their fortunes during the Great Depression.

How did the New Deal affect farmers? ›

What were the New Deal programs and what did they do? The Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) brought relief to farmers by paying them to curtail production, reducing surpluses, and raising prices for agricultural products.

What are two continuing benefits of the New Deal? ›

Two continuing benefits of the New Deal are the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation(FDIC).

What were the 3 goals of the New Deal plan to end the Great Depression? ›

These programs became known as the New Deal, a reference taken from a campaign speech in which he promised a "new deal for the American people." The New Deal focused on three general goals: relief for the needy, economic recovery, and financial reform.

How did life change during the Great Depression? ›

As stocks continued to fall during the early 1930s, businesses failed, and unemployment rose dramatically. By 1932, one of every four workers was unemployed. Banks failed and life savings were lost, leaving many Americans destitute. With no job and no savings, thousands of Americans lost their homes.

What were the primary causes of the Great Depression? ›

Among the suggested causes of the Great Depression are: the stock market crash of 1929; the collapse of world trade due to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff; government policies; bank failures and panics; and the collapse of the money supply.

How effective was the New Deal in responding to the problems of the Great Depression quizlet? ›

The New Deal was overall successful in solving the problems that the Great Depression had. The main problem that the Depression had was the unemployment rate and loss of money and banks. The New Deal programs solved those problems.

Did the New Deal end the Great Depression True or false? ›

Roosevelt in the 1930s to combat the effects of the Great Depression. While the New Deal had some significant impacts on the economy and provided relief to many Americans, it did not completely end the Great Depression. The Great Depression was primarily ended by the economic mobilization during World War II.

What were the major criticisms of the New Deal? ›

The biggest challenge to the New Deal was the fear that the expanding federal bureaucracy limited personal economic freedom and autonomy.

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