On this date in 1933 Congress begins passing the "New Deal"

On this day - March 9 - in1933 the U.S. Congress was called into a special session by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D), beginning its "100 days" during which it passes 77 new laws. These laws were the start of what Roosevelt would term the "New Deal" and was his answer to the Great Depression.

The start of the New Deal was comparatively so late because back then March was when new administrations were sworn in. A situation that so annoyed President Roosevelt that he changed it to the January date that we now practice.

The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations instituted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States during the 1930s. It was created in response to the Great Depression, the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, which began after the stock market crash of October 1929. The New Deal aimed to provide immediate economic relief, recovery, and reforms to bring about long-term stability.

The New Deal is often categorized into two phases: the First New Deal (1933-1934) and the Second New Deal (1935-1936). These phases collectively sought to address the pressing issues of unemployment, economic disarray, and widespread poverty.

The First New Deal focused on immediate relief and economic recovery. Key initiatives included:

- **The Emergency Banking Act**: This act aimed to stabilize the banking system by providing for the reopening of solvent banks and reorganizing the rest.

- **The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)**: A program that provided jobs for young men in environmental conservation projects, such as reforestation and flood control.

- **The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)**: Aimed to boost agricultural prices by reducing surpluses, paying farmers to cut back on production.

- **The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)**: Sought to revive industry by establishing codes of fair practice and granting workers the right to collective bargaining.

The Second New Deal introduced more aggressive reforms targeting long-term economic and social issues:

- **The Works Progress Administration (WPA)**: Employed millions of job-seekers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads.

- **The Social Security Act**: Instituted pensions for the elderly, unemployment insurance, and aid to families with dependent children and the disabled.

- **The National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act)**: Strengthened labor rights, establishing the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to enforce labor law and guarantee workers' rights to unionize.

- **The Fair Labor Standards Act**: Established minimum wage, maximum hours, and child labor regulations to protect workers.

The New Deal also encompassed a range of financial reforms to prevent future economic depressions. The Glass-Steagall Act, which separated commercial and investment banking, and the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to regulate the stock market were pivotal in restoring public confidence in the financial system.

While the New Deal did not end the Great Depression – that would take World War II - it did the provide critical support to millions of Americans and created a sense of hope that many were lacking after the biggest economic calamity this nation ever experienced. More significantly long term it completely reshaped the role of the federal government in economic and social life. It laid the foundation for modern welfare states and set a precedent for federal intervention in times of economic crisis.

Liberals point to the New Deal as a model for how government should function and trumpet the social safety net that it put in place. Conservatives meanwhile point more to the fact that the federal government became much larger and more powerful – both as an instrument against the states and the individual citizen.

(Brandon Moseley contributed to this report.)