Research what buildings, art projects, theatre productions or other WPA project impacted your community. From 1922 to 1929 six million families42 percent of the families in the United Statesmade less than $1,000 a year. Historians generally think of the New Deal as having two parts: the first part dedicated to bringing broad strokes of immediate relief to the devastating issues plaguing America; the second part putting strategies in place for the reshaping of public policy in America. But it wasn't. It was built by the PWA, the Public Works Administration. The WPA was designed to provide relief for the unemployed by providing jobs and income for millions of Americans. The controversy surrounding the FTP's productions and the WPA in general resulted in questions of Communist influence. Living Newspapers provided a strong example of the controversy found in the expression of ideas in theatrethose very ideas that ultimately led to the demise of the FTP. The architecture of many U.S. buildings constructed as part of Great Depression relief projects is often referred to as PWA Moderne (for Public Works Administration, another New Deal program) or Depression Moderne. The style blended neoclassical and Art Deco elements. Impressed by Williams' dedication to New Deal work relief programs, Hopkins named Williams deputy director of the new Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1933 and then also executive director of the National Youth Administration (NYA). One of the lasting contributions of the Works Progress Administration was that of the Federal Writers' Project. Draden, Rena. Soon after the inauguration of Franklin Roosevelt as president in March 1933, Harry Hopkins recruited Williams to be his assistant at the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. Through his guidance the FAP employed 4,300 artists in 40 states. Many of the projects completed under Federal One documented some aspect of American culture such as its folklore or its music. It gave voice to the variety of views at the time. The WPA gave some 8.5 million people jobs. Perhaps best known for its public works projects, the WPA also sponsored projects in the artsthe agency employed tens of thousands of actors, musicians, writers and other artists. Hopkins was charged by President Roosevelt with a program designed to move as many people as possible from the relief rolls to WPA jobs, and then on to private employment as quickly possible. With this amount it would be possible to employ 2,200,000 on Works Progress Administration projects in February; 2,150,000 in March; 2,000,000 in April; 1,800,000 in May; and 1,600,000 in June. Here, to Mount Hood, will come thousands and thousands of visitors in the coming years . Many worked long hours in terrible surroundings, where poor equipment, increased production requirements, and poor safety measures meant frequent injury and death. Aside from his contributions to archiving and documenting America, Evans worked in opposition to censorship and made significant contribution to the world of libraries and librarianship. Brinkley, Alan. Like the others the WPA was created to provide work relief for the unemployed. During its eight-year existence, the WPA put some 8.5 million people to work (over 11 million were unemployed in 1934) at a cost to the federal government of approximately $11 billion. The Great Depression had been steadily worsening for over three years by Roosevelt's inauguration. Liberals felt that the low wages were unacceptable. Much of the art, especially the many murals from the Federal Art Project, are still adorning public buildings around the United States. Coyle, David C. "The WPALoafers or Workers?" The Woodrum Committee also dictated that the Federal Theatre Project was to be discontinued immediately. Cultural events should not be artificially divided between "high" culture for the wealthy and sophisticated and "low" culture for the masses. These challenges were compounded by the fact that the male-dominated WPA administrators could not quite figure out what jobs women could do. Williams served as head of the NYA until 1943 when it stopped operation. Almost one-third of those funds were invested in a new relief agency, the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Everyone one of us in this room is being paid for by the nation, they pay us, we work for all the people. Some radical critics, including The New Republic's Jonathan Mitchell, saw more devious causes behind the low wages. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. The FERA was created on May 12, 1933, by the Federal Emergency Relief Act of 1933, and President Roosevelt chose Harry Hopkins to be the administrator [1]. They created more than 40,000 paintings and 1,100 murals. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1963. As the administrators studied the situation of Depression-era youth, however, they determined that many had dropped out of school, often before completing the eighth grade. Roosevelt wanted to do away with such forms of relief. The conservatives saw the appropriate role of the government as being limited and carefully defined. Which of the following was a criticism of the Works Progress Administration (WPA)? The Public Works Administration (PWA) was created as a portion of the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 . The most striking thing about them is how very American they are , He represents the millions whose lives have been upset by the long depression but who are neither too sick nor too old to scramble for a toe-hold. U.S. Congressional Representatives Martin Dies and J. Parnell Thomas led the House Subcommittee on Un-American Activities in 1938. The FWP writers prepared a complete set of The concepts of work and welfare and the varying views of the appropriate (and inappropriate) role of the federal government were largely established during this time. Historic Events for Students: The Great Depression. Businesses and banks had closed, production and sales of goods and services had been severely reduced. But Federal One comprised a small part of WPA expenditures: Roughly $27 million of the nearly $5 billion that had been earmarked for WPA work programs went to the arts. Many people believe the Triborough Bridge in New York was built by the WPA, the Works Progress Administration. Even many among the more financially well off believed that both morality and practicality required a more equal approach to wealth and the benefits it accorded. The WPA made significant contributions to the preservation of Black culture and history with the Federal Writers Project. He characterized federal relief as addictive and a destroyer of the human spirit. Related Articles: Navigating the National . At a time when millions of Americans were without jobs because of the Great Depression, the WPA provided jobs and the wages that come with jobs. Projects were not carefully chosen or properly supervised. It also took an innovative approach to including cultural expression into its employment program. The Works Progress Administration in 1935 was a prime example of this effort. answer choices It created unnecessary projects just to employ people Too much public funding went to a few companies Too few people found employment due to residency requirements It failed to create any lasting public benefits Question 8 30 seconds Q. The Works Progress Administration. Bustard, Bruce I. FERA provided direct financial aid to the unemployed. In addition they created surveys of portraits and manuscript collections in public buildings and church archives. The Woodrum Committee ended up stripping $125 million from the WPA budget. Some felt that much of the work was make-work. The WPA avoided cost-saving technologies and machinery in order to hire more workers. Headed by Harry Hopkins, the WPA provided jobs and income to the unemployed during the Great Depression in the United States. Swain, Marsha H. Ellen S. Woodward: New Deal Advocate for Women. As she was quoting Marlowe, one of the congressmen interrupted her to ask who Marlowe was and whether he was a Communist. Parrish, Michael E. Anxious Decades: America in Prosperity and Depression 19201941. Studies showed that beyond the meager income the WPA provided, many workers reaped significant psychological benefits from working compared to accepting relief. While inequities existed under the programs, many women, African Americans and other marginalized groups found employment with the WPA. Businesses including banks closed. Houseman and Welles were determined that the show would go on, and searched for an alternative venue. On the one hand the U.S. public needs them to deliver the mail and process the passports. . But the WPA was also something more than a work relief program, and that was also part of the design. It takes up some of the slack between private jobs and supplies workers, through the U.S. Employment Service, whenever they can be employed in industry or agriculture . Boston, MA: Little, Brown & co., 1993. Flanagan, the director of Vassar College's Experimental Theatre, was recruited by Harry Hopkins to lead the Federal Theatre Project. Such agencies as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) were established to dispense emergency and short-term governmental aid and to provide temporary jobs, employment on construction projects, and youth work in the national forests. The Works Progress Administration helped many Americans to develop and cement their views about work relief. Which of the following was a criticism of the Works Progress Administration (WPA)? Wpa Pros And Cons. New York City: Cambridge University Press, 1994. The Work Projects Administration was originally named the Works Progress Administration when it was established as a national agency on May 6, 1935, by an executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The WPAwhich in 1939 was renamed the Work Projects Administrationemployed mostly unskilled men to carry out public works infrastructure projects. More than five thousand cases of alleged job refusals (of both WPA and private assignments), reported since 1935, have been investigated by agents of the federal government. The HRS was extraordinarily prolific, preparing bibliographies of American history and literature, an atlas of congressional roll-call votes, an index to unnumbered executive orders, and a list of the collection of presidential papers. The conservatives believed that not only was this unfair, but by taxing the people we were depending on to expand their business though investment, new economic growth was being deterred. Regardless of these administrative problems, the WPA workers were highly productive. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 1998. New York City: Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Inc., 1986. Their writing from the FWP is still available and provides insightful portraits of life in the 1930s. The act significantly reduced funding for the WPA and put considerable constraints on remaining programs. Bold, Christine. They'd better be, for it takes a long time to get America straightened out. Low wages were one way that the WPA jobs were made less attractive. The Federal Arts Project, Federal Writers Project, and Federal Theater Projectall under WPA aegisemployed thousands of artists, writers, and actors in such cultural programs as the creation of art work for public buildings, the documentation of local life, and the organization of community theatres; thousands of artists, architects, construction workers, and educators found work in American museums, which flourished during the Great Depression. people whom you have known all your life, fine hardworking, upstanding men and women who have gone overboard and been caught up in this. They are carpenters, bricklayers, artisans, architects, engineers, clerks, stenographers, doctors, dentists, farmers, ministers.". In New York he gained an education from Columbia University and the New School for Social Research. Under the NYA, high school students could work part-time for no more than $6 a month, and college students could make up to $20 a month. In order to pay for the WPA, the U.S. Government had to levy taxes. school. The Federal Writers' Project and the Federal Theatre Project were of particular interest. The youth would clean, cook, and study and work. The Federal Theatre Project's Living Newspaper criticized the issues of the day. The NYA provided part-time employment to people ages 18 to 25. It was for these carpenters, bricklayers, and artisans that the WPA was developed, but one unique aspect of it went beyond traditional workers. He worked as a mural assistant and later an easel painter between 1938 and 1942. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. On this basis, private employment will have to increase to the extent of 500,000 to 650,000 more than seasonal expectations if Works Progress Administration employment is to be reduced to 1,600,000 in June. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. The Works Progress Administration was a unique program designed to get the unemployed off of the reliefwelfarerolls by providing work at minimal pay until they could find work for a private business. The WPA was a large and comprehensive organization. In this time of massive unemployment, conservatives felt that taxes fell disproportionately upon the wealthy, including the owners of business. Many of the discussions about government-sponsored art are still held today, as controversial artists receive government grants, or have government grants repealed. It remained under WPA jurisdiction until 1939, then the Federal Security Agency became its home until September 1943, when it dissolved. Dangerous Theatre: The Federal Theatre Project as a Forum For New Plays. The FWP sent thousands of writers out to talk with American Indians, frontier women, Appalachian miners, and other individuals from various cultural groups around the United States. Sculptors created monuments, and actors and musicians were paid to perform. The artists it employed included some who were not on the relief rolls. The WPA Guides: Mapping America. largely to take over some responsibilities of the FERA, the PWA, and the CWA. The Works Progress Administration (WPA), which employed millions of Americans in public works projects, from constructing bridges and roads to painting murals and writing plays. On the face of it and considering what has happened to some millions of helpless people, one would expect that the losses of morale would be stupendous. The Hungry Years: A Narrative History of the Great Depression in America. Advancement in such a system is based on performance, as measured through examination or . After several years of education and service, Bethune was appointed by a series of U.S. presidents to serve in various capacities. Hopkins, Flanagan, and Cahill in particular wanted to bring the "Arts to the Millions." The New Deal, including the WPA, resonated throughout U.S. society ever since the Great Depression. While the FTP had regional groups and tour groups that played widely, the center for theater was New York, and it was in New York that the FTP was most innovative. The guidebooks and the oral histories remained as their New Deal legacy. The WPA put women to work in clerical jobs, gardening, canning and as librarians and seamstresses. The idea of unionizing American workers was gaining acceptance in some areas. The Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration is a practical relief project which also emphasizes the best tradition of the democratic spirit. Under Nikolai Sokoloff, the FMP employed 15,000 out-of-work musicians. She was a staunch defender of the programs in the face of strong criticisms. Track course progress. . The dole method of relief for unemployment is not only repugnant to all sound principles of social economics, but is contrary to every principle of American citizenship and of sound government. Ellen Woodward, who headed the Women's Division of the FERA and the CWA and later the Women's Division of the WPA, proposed 250 job categories appropriate for women. Early in the program, some complained that WPA workers would dig a hole and other WPA workers would fill it in. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt lobbied FDR to sign the executive order establishing Federal One. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. They built 6,000 athletic fields and playgrounds, 770 new pools, 1,700 new parks, fairgrounds and rodeo grounds, 5,584 new school buildings, repaired 80 million library books, and served 900 million school lunches. the government plays a very active role in shaping the economy Bethune led the NYA Division of Negro Affairs. The cast, crew, and the audience (and the piano in a truck) began a parade to the new theater. New York City: De Capo Press, 1974. Much of the "Art for the Millions" was designed to show normal people in normal activities. In addition all WPA workers on the payroll for more than 18 months were to be dismissed and all future WPA workers had to sign a loyalty oath asserting support of the U.S. government. The investigations of complaints turn up a surprisingly small number of actual cases of laziness or even of unwillingness to leave the WPA for the risks of private employment. In 1931 New York Governor Roosevelt appointed the former social worker as the executive director of the New York State Temporary Emergency Relief Administration. Folsom, Franklin. In addition many Southerners objected to employment programs that would compete with domestic services for black American women. In response to this criticism of the FAP art, President Roosevelt responded that though some were good and others were not, it all reflected Americans' perceptions of their nation and the people in it. They installed 23,000 miles of storm and sanitary sewers and constructed 880 sewage disposal plants. In 1936 Woodward became WPA director for writers, musicians, artists, and actors. The specific characteristics of the WPA, however, particularly its specific inclusion of artists and actors, grew out of the 1920s. They placed special emphasis on the Federal Writers' Project and the Federal Theatre Project. Once inside, the piano was placed on stage, and Marc Blitzstein prepared to perform. She was fully dedicated to building a truly national theater. Aubrey Williams (18901965). These programs employed 250,000 workers. It was the first real federal program in work relief and a precursor to 1935's Works Progress Administration. 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