Franklin D. Roosevelt and His 100 Days

Franklin Delano Roosevelt shocked the American public during his first one hundred days of office as he wielded his political power as no other president had before him. Americans became accustomed to President Hoover's unaffectedness and viewed Roosevelt as a savior. Roosevelt knew that he needed to act quickly to fight against the depression and to maintain the American morale and trust in the government.

In his first one hundred days, Roosevelt launched his New Deal, an effort to quickly counteract the effects of the depression. He established the Utilities Act and the Social Security Act to protect workers in large industries and providing retirement insurance. He declared a "bank holiday" on his first day of office, closing down all banks to provide them with money and regain control of the situation. The Emergency Banking Bill was passed so as to help banks reorganize and be able to reopen. A number of other bills were passed that caused the creation of new organizations, including the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Additional power was given to the Federal Trade Commission and Congress abated many mortgages of farmers and homeowners. Other useful organizations that were put into effect were the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, organizations to help farming prices and provide jobs for young men.

Roosevelt's strategy in facing the Great Depression was to bring relief to those who needed it most. Sometimes this did mean "taking from the rich to give to the poor," but this was the strategy that would succeed. His second strategy was to reform the economy so as to prevent a future catastrophe. He did this through reorganization and the creation of new agencies. He was sure not to increase the debt even more by giving to others only when it could be taken from another part of the country.

The New Deal was not finished after the end of Roosevelt's first one hundred days. He had a second one hundred days in 1935, famous for the creation of the Works Progress Administration. This new program provided jobs for numerous people, putting them to work building roads, planting trees, and constructing paths for tourists. These jobs may seem insignificant, but it put many unemployed men to work, providing them with at least a small amount of money which they desperately needed.

The actions that Roosevelt took in his first one hundred days of office have proven to still affect Americans today. Some of the organizations that he established are still thriving and providing relief and support to the public. For example, Social Security is still used nation-wide in America today. Roosevelt restored the public's trust in banks and the government. He was said to have saved capitalism and the way of the American people through his actions. Although many historians now see that Roosevelt was slightly illegal in his actions, they still support his actions and recognize that it was the only way to compensate for the depression.

I believe that at least one bad consequence of his actions was that he taught the American people to rely almost completely on the government when they cannot support themselves. I think that it is a good idea that American citizens can trust their government, but they should not become lazy and then believe that the government should take care of them. Many Americans now have the sense that it is their "right" to be taken care of and supported without any work on their part. Despite this, I do believe that Roosevelt took the right course of action. As he took office after Hoover, he had to demonstrate that the president of the United States could be trusted. He showed that he understood the problems that Americans faced and that he was working his hardest to resolve them.