Legacy of the New Deal

Roosevelt's positive attitude of "can-do" linked with his new ideas, sparking his popularity greatly. He was confident that he was able to improve the nation with what he called the "New Deal." In his inaugural address he stated that "happiness lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort effort." Roosevelt envisioned the nation as a better place and would do so by focusing on the relief of the common man and worker, recovering the economy, and reforming the nation financially. He proposed to redistribute the people and land, reduce foreclosures, supervise all public utilities and transportation. Banking, credits, and investments would also be supervised to improve the economy. Relief activities would be established and unified. Roosevelt was dedicated, but needed the dedication of citizens; Americans needed to realize that interdependence and focus was needed to make change. It was Roosevelt's duty help the nation and would do anything necessary to improve it. During his first one hundred days with the new Deal, fifteen pieces of legislation were signed. He also created a fireside chat to inform the nation of the current problems he was fixing. Roosevelt was now regulating banks and finance, assisting in rural areas, working on projects, promoting fair practice of industries, and providing food, clothing, and shelter. He was focusing on helping the common man and women. He protected laborers from their employers and helped women voice their opinion by giving them government positions.

The slide show demonstrated all the projects Roosevelt created. He built major tunnels, bridges, and roads, as well as schools, museums, and hospitals. With these new projects, more jobs were offered, helping the common man. The Lincoln tunnel was built and is now one of the busiest vehicular tunnels in the world. The French market has been renovated, acting as a tourist site. The Virginia skyline drive also created tourism and acted as a tourist site. The San Antonio river walk initiated successful commercial development and prevented floods. The Triborough bridge was created that linked Manhattan and Queens. These are only a few of the many projects Roosevelt initiated to help the nation prosper. This was a very big important step to helping the nation. The nation had suffered economically and was ready for change. Roosevelt's New Deal offered relief towards people and helped the nation united and grow.
To see more projects go to: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/newdeal/index.html?type=flash