How Far do you agree that the New Deal brought about a significant improvement in the lives of racial
minorities and women?
Intro: 1932, Roosevelt campaigned under ‘New Deal’
- More impact on racial minorities than women (men came first in New Deal policies), however neither
was ‘significant’ (Some measures actually harmed minorities, some excluded, etc.)
P1: Racial Minorities:
- Agree
o Employment opportunities
1mil jobs created for AA, NRA set minimum wage for black + white at same rate
Many AA became independent farmers – Agricultural Adjustment Act helped
o Social aid
1/3 of low-income housing built had black tenants
The Resettlement Administration (New Deal agency) set up by Executive Order 7027
– resettled low-income families, loaned money to 3,400 black farmers
o Created long-term trend of gov responsibility for welfare
Kennedy ‘New Frontier’, Johnson ‘Great Society’ - foundation future improvements
o Native Americans benefitted
1934 Indian Reorganization Act (‘Indian New Deal’) returned 20m acres to Native
American tribes – shifted from ‘assimilation’
- Disagree
o Economic measures didn’t help in practice
domestic + farm workers excluded from social security (90% were black)
Minimum wage priced AA out of market
1936, NAACP report raid 6mil AA farmers got no gov. help
AAA increased prices, southern landlords pushed 100,000 black tenants off land +
didn’t pass on federal compensation cheques
over 1/2mil blacks fired to make room for whites
Resettlement Administration scheme helped 3,400 of 200,000 black farmers
o black people forced to organise own relief efforts (e.g. through church groups) shows New
Deal policies failed to support them
o 1939, 2m requested federal aid to move to Africa
o Native Americans – assimilation continued after (New Deal not long term change), no BIA
reform, no discussion on sacred sites
o Future improvements can’t solely be attributed to New Deal
P2: Women
- Agree
o 1933 Elanor Roosevelt Camp Tera 1936, 36 camps taking 5,000 women a year
Although can argue not technically New Deal measure, inspired by Civilian
Conservation Corps (1933-42) therefore can be attributed to New Deal
o Indirectly benefitted
Aid for Families with Dependent Children (helped married women)
1931, Temporary Emergency Relief Administration, $234m aid to starving families
Fair Labor Relations Act led to 800,000 women joining unions by end of 1930s
- Disagree
o Men came first in New Deal policies
o Women may have benefitted indirectly, but not ‘significantly’
o Women paid significantly less ($ white man = 61c white woman = 23c black woman)
o 25% NRA wage codes minimum wages for women at rate lower than men for same work
