The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Tennessee Valley Authority had positive impacts on work and the environment during the great depression. The bill proposing the Civilian Conservation Corps was voted on and passed on March 31, 1933 under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In addition, the Tennessee Valley Authority was formed May 18 of this same year to work on easing environmental strains in the Tennessee Valley. Roosevelt’s goal when he became president was to improve the economy and environment, and to help raise America from the depression. When he had been governor of New York he had created a public works program similar to the TVA on a smaller scale and it had been met with success. As a result he was encouraged to expand

The article The New Deal, by Thomas Kessner, outlines Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s pre presidency, but more importantly, the policy he used in an attempt to bring America back to its pre Great Depression economic greatness. In order to do so, Roosevelt expanded federal authority over American citizens. He implemented a progressive income tax as well as created numerous federal work projects, aimed at increasing employment, as well as use federal money to help the economy. One example the author uses to prove this point of the large amount of projects is the Tennessee Valley Authority initiative, which spanned across seven states. The projects worked towards economic development and conservation. This projects protected endangered forests, built dams, and brought electricity and running water to the people.

It aided to the problem America had when people lost their life’s savings because of an irresponsible choice their bank had made. The F.D.I.C insured savings accounts in banks approved by government. If one of those banks fails, the government would promise depositors that they would receive their money. Many other solutions similar to the F.D.I.C were created which was shown in document 6. But, some of the ones that solved the issue of unemployment were Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A), Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C), Works Progress Administration (W.P.A), Rural Electrification Administration (R.E.A), and the Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A). They all had different tactics at going towards the solution of the unemployment epidemic. For example, the Works Progress Administration would put the jobless to work by doing many things like building airports, playgrounds, parks, schools, and hospitals and also becoming photographers, artists, actors, writers, and composers. Another solution to one of the problems was “kitchens” being opened up by various individuals or groups. Many starving families would send out a member to bring the free food home from these kitchens. They would wait outside of the building in very long lines just to get a simple small meal, which was shown, in document 4. Although the problems weren’t completely gone, there were certainly numerous attempts at solving or reducing

Other programs during the New Deal were the civil Works Administration, which created jobs for the unemployed, and the Public Works Administration, which was created to provide economic stimulus and jobs. A very important program passed during the New Deal was the Tennessee Valley Authority, a program established to develop the economy in the Tennessee Valley region, and it was the largest public provider of electricity in the United States.

Once President Franklin Roosevelt was elected during the Great Depression, his first 100 days enacted what he called the New Deal. This “deal” was a series of reforms that were meant to increase available jobs, better the working conditions, and put money back into the economy. Jobs offered during this time, as well as the relief, recovery, and reform efforts gave a kick start to the American economy, helping to pull us out of the Great Depression. Some examples of these efforts can be seen in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the National Recovery Administration (NRA), and the Social Security Act (SSA).

Tennessee has fertile soils, an enormous supply of water. Some of the state’s most fertile soils are found in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region and also in the Nashville Basin. The Appalachian

The nature of industrialisation changed in the 1930s. In the 1920s industrialisation had occurred because of free enterprise and big business. But with the onset of the Depression, industrial output fell dramatically. (statistics needed). To combat this, the federal government adopted a role of directly stimulating industrial growth. The Public Works Administration (PWA) instituted in began many large industrial projects with the aim of spurring the economy and providing many jobs. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was a federal project to energise the economy through a massive industrial scheme sponsored by the federal government. Twenty five dams were built to reshape the land and generate hydro-electricity, which could further contribute to industrial growth. Another example of government leadership of industry was the National Recovery Administration (NRA), which attempted to foster industrial growth through the creation of ‘codes’ for each industry. These federal programs fundamentally changed the nature of industrialisation. In the 1930s, the government’s approach to industrialisation was more akin to socialist-state-style industrialisation than it was to the American capitalism-style industrialisation of the 1920s. Further, the federal government’s

The New Deal program was providing jobs and helping natural resources from another plan: the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Established by congress a little over a week after the Fireside Chat was given, the TVA was to cover the environmental, economic and technological issues in the lower Appalachian area. The authority was also to start the delivery of low-cost electricity to most of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, western North Carolina, and southwest Virginia. FDR stated, “It should be charged with the broadest duty of planning for the proper use, conservation and development of the natural resources of the Tennessee River drainage basin and its adjoining territory for the

Franklin Roosevelt had also battled private companies when he established the Tennessee Valley Authority which had determined how fair the rates being charged by private companies for electricity were. The New Deal legislation had led to an increased union membership and the winning of better wages and rights for the labor force.

The TVA passed on May 18, 1933, played an important role during the Great Depression. This program played a vital role in relieving some of the economic hardships that farmers in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia were experiencing. The TVA taught farmers of this area better farming techniques, such as replanting trees, rotating crops, and soil conservation. Dams were built to help with flooding and to provide hydroelectric power. The development of the TVA also created many jobs opportunities for the unemployed. (“Tennessee Valley Authority”

In his inaugural address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the tone for the upcoming half century when he confidently said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. In response to the economic collapse of the Great Depression, a bold and highly experimental fleet of government bureaus and agencies known as Roosevelt’s Alphabet Soup were created to service the programs of the New Deal and to provide recovery to the American people. The New Deal was one of the most ambitious programs in American history, with implications and government programs that can still be seen to this day. Through its enactment of social reform and conservation programs, the New Deal mounted radical policies that gave the federal government unprecedented power in the nation’s economy and society, however, the New Deal did not bring America out of the Great Depression and could be considered conservative in the context of the era, ultimately saving capitalism from collapsing in America.

In Roosevelt’s inaugural address he declared war on the Depression and asks for an expansion on his powers. When Roosevelt took over the office he summoned Congress to work out his recovery plan. This is a period called the First Hundred Days and contained a program called the First new Deal. Roosevelt started by putting poorly managed banks under control of the Treasury Department and set standards required for someone to start up a bank. This helped people to trust the banking system and caused people to put money into the banking system. Roosevelt also created the FDIC, which guaranteed bank deposits. Roosevelt later started many agencies known as the “alphabet agencies”. Some of which are the AAA, NIRA, PWA, CCC, TVA, SEC. All of the agencies were created to provide government jobs or help out the situation of the low prices of farm product. Roosevelt believed in the idea of experimentation. He thought that the government should always be doing something, and if an idea doesn’t work than it should be replaced with something else. Roosevelt was able to get the American people on his side by informing them what

-O’ Brother, Where Art Thou quote: movie was centered around flooding of the valley by TVA dam (Coen & Coen, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, 2000) -Created by the TVA Act in 1933 election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). -New Deal which was a series of programs, ‘alphabet soup,’ established during the Great Depression, restoring dignity back to the American people. (History.com Staff, 2009)-Energy, environment, jobs, economy (Our History, n.d.) It did this through power production, flood control, and reforestation and staying with its mission of “making lives better for the people of the Tennessee Valley region.” (How TVA Changed Lives, n.d.) -Effects are still felt today in the citizens of the southeastern United States. (The Editors

The National Recovery Administration was created by Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of the New Deal policies. The National Recovery Administration increased the prices of manufactured goods. It hurt the farmers that needed to buy tools and equipment. As they did not have the money to buy the taxed equipment, they could not do their job. It was a detriment both the consumers and the companies. “New Deal spending was supposed to stimulate the economy, but New Deal taxing depressed the economy.”

It was the year of 1934. America was fighting to come out from the worst economic crisis that the world would ever witness. It was also the year of high crime rate, low Gross Domestic Product and the lowest unemployment rate America had experienced. The Depression had paralyzed American labor forces, but there was a hope still alive in every American including J.D. Rockefeller when he said, “These are days when many are discouraged. In the 93 years of my life, depressions have come and gone. Prosperity has always returned and will again” (Rockefeller). At that time, the next president named Franklin D. Roosevelt, famous as FDR, brought Americans back to work through his confident efforts and new series of programs called ‘the New Deal’.