15.3 The New Deal affects many groups

1. How did the New Deal affect Women?

• Frances Perkins: first female cabinet member: Sec of Labor
• FDR appointed 2 female diplomats & 2 female federal judges
• 82% Americans still did not want wives to work
• NRA codes set lower for women than for men
• CCC hired only men
• Number of working women grew slightly

2. How did the New Deal affect African Americans?

• Activism grew
• A. Philip Randolph organized first all black trade union: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car porters
• FDR appointed 100+ African Americans to kep positions
• Mary McLeod Bethune, educator, headed division of negro affairs of NYA
• Bethune also organized black cabinet advisors on racial issues
• Bethune helped organize many cultural events
• inc. Marian Anderson performance at Lincoln Memorial
• FDR failed to support civil rights bill to end poll tax & lynching
• afraid to alienate southern white dem vote
• NRA, CCC & TVA discriminated against blacks
• Blacks support FDR as best hope
• 1936 begins swing to Dem party

3. How did the New Deal affect Mexican Americans?

• many had come to the US in the 20s for farm labor
• unprotected job paid as little as 9 cents per hr
• rec'd little help from New Deal but generally supported FDR
• despite discrimination & violence

4.  How did the New Deal affect Native Americans?

• Full citizenship came in 1924
• John Collier apptd to head Indian Affairs 1933
• Created Indian Reorg. Act
• Moved away from assimilation (Dawes Act)
• restored some res. lands
• reduced # of forced boarding schools; reopened schools on res. lands
• tribes gained rt to elect tribal councils to self govern res.

5.  What was the New Deal Coalition?

• alignment of diverse groups who supported Dem party
• Southern whites, urban groups, minorities, unionized workers
• worked together to control politics in 30s & 40s

6.  How did labor unions fare under New Deal?

• considered a friend of labor due to Wagner Act
• union membership grew
• key labor leaders, unable to break into the AFL which was restricted to craft unions
• formed Congress of Idustrial Orgs (CIO)
• allowed all industrial workers: miners, factory, etc

7.  What happened with labor disputes during this time?

• New bargaining tactic: Sit Down Strike
• workers stay in plants, at machines, not working
• prevents strike breakers taking posts
• some violent clashes
• 1937 Republic  Steel in Chi;
  
• workers beaten by police
• 10 killed; 84 wounded
• Memorial Day Massacre
•  National Lobor Relations Board stepped in & forced Republic Steel to negotiate with union

8. How did the New Deal affect the turnout of the 1936 election?

• support for FDR grew in northern cities
• support for FDR strong among Catholics, Jews, Italians, Irish, Polish, Slavs, African Americans
• mostly due to labor laws and work relief programs