THE NEW DEAL

FDR AND THE NEW DEAL HISTORY LESSON

Directions:

Print The New Deal reading comprehension passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the story silently, then answer the questions about the story that follow.

Excerpt from passage

The New Deal was a plan created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He created this plan before he became president. The reason he created this plan was that the country was in the middle of the Great Depression. Roosevelt wanted to help the country improve. The New Deal was a series of programs that the government started implementing as soon as Franklin Roosevelt became president in 1932.

The Purpose

Roosevelt saw the country suffering. He came from a very political family. He was also very logical. Roosevelt wanted to find a way to make sure the millions of people that were homeless would have new homes. He also wanted to make sure that children and all Americans would be taken care of. He felt that this was not happening. This prompted him to come up with the New Deal and run for President so he could implement his plan.

The First Hundred Days

Roosevelt took office in March 1933. This was one of the lowest points of the Depression. The majority of banks was closed and up to 15 million people was without jobs. When creating the New Deal he did not focus on one specific area or plan. He realized that in order to heal the country of such a devastating problem that a little experimentation would be necessary.

Continued...

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