Who Built America Summary

Who Built America
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Who Build America
Question 1
"Most of the relief agencies had the tendencies of treating poor people as if their inadequacies were responsible for their problems (406)." The Great Depression was catastrophic to the US's livelihoods regarding loss and insurance policies. Most corporations were forced to shut down the welfare schemes they had implemented in the prosperous economic periods of the 1920s. Employees' wages and hours were reduced together with other performance bonuses such as mortgages, paid vacations, and exemplary attendance records. Other forms of social support such as churches, religious charities, and ethnic societies failed in this capacity. Therefore, the frustration of unemployment and constant humiliation from relief agencies forced people into exploring self-help and forming unions.
"The courts are no good, the system is no good, and everything is no god. I am going to fight like hell! (410)" Most working-class people were forced to turn into barter as a means of payment by trading services and labor for essential products. However, this arrangement is not sustainable; instead, the federal government was needed to implement new laws, new money, and a new direction. Consequently, communists and socialists found ways to mobilize the country's discontent and turn the federal government's attention. The demonstrations happened under the banners of "Work or Wages" and "Fight, Don't Starve!" in 1930 and 1931 CITATION Ros77 \l 1033 (Rosenzweig & Litchtenstein, 1877). Clashes with the police were the norm as landlords tried to evict families from their apartments due to rent areas. Farming families also utilized radical and military strategies to keep away auctioneers. By 1932, extensive farmland was scheduled for auction due to delinquent taxes and mortgage payments. Therefore, the residents resulted in intimidating potential bidders who often returned the land to the original owner.
"American trade unions saw their membership triple concurrently with their economic and political influence in the 1930s (429)." The National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 section 7a encouraged industrial workers to organize and bargain their discontent collectively. This line of thinking provided the workers with the belief that they can be active participants in the national recovery process through patriotic contributions of joining a union. Unions saw this as an opportunity to recruit a ready and willing population to change their outcomes. Therefore, there was a sense of exploitation and influence driving individuals to join a union. For instance, an advertisement by United Mine Workers of America (UMW) had leaflets that declared, "The President Wants You to Join a Union!" This message pandered to the workers' patriotism, which was a huge difference in military and national guard perception a decade ago.
Question 2
"The protests helped the farmers and workers turn attention from themselves and the employees by seeking help from the state (416)." They demanded a "new deal" of life and were determined to use their voices and votes to acquire it. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president-elect four times and served for more than twelve years. He ha...