HIST-H 106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: American Liberty League, Second New Deal, New Deal
Roosevelt’s Support for Unions
● The obvious support for labor unions drove an expansion in violent labor protest in 1934-
- along with unemployment
● Three massive strikes shut down cities-- Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Toledo and
raise fear of a radical/ communist-led political movement
● Communist organizers effective in many of these mass strikes in 30s
San Francisco General Strike 1934
● Longshoremen walk out, close docks-- other unions in city join
● Police and National Guard attack, use tear gas in photos to try and break strike
● Police fired on union hall where wounded strikers were taken
Huey Long Wanted More Direct Relief than FDR
● Long, Senator from Louisiana had long advocated more help for common people
● Supported FDR for President but then broke from him because he felt he did not help
struggling people directly or enough
● His plan: Share Our Wealth-- give every family household $5,000 and a minimum annual
income of $2-3,000, plus free college education or vocational training and old age
pensions
● Further to the left than FDR
Charles Coughlin
● A catholic priest with a popular radio show from Detroit/ one of most popular in the
decade
● Also wanted government to guarantee an annual income and take more control of banks
● Later turned against Roosevelt, felt he had not done enough or as he said had not driven
“money changers from the temple”
American Liberty League
● Formed 1934 from prominent business and political leaders/ Conservative attack on
New Deal
● Critical of FDR’s farm program, calls it “fascist control”
● Feels NRA and its encouragement of labor unions in “excess” of government regulation
The Second New Deal
● By 1936, First New Deal still not solving economic crisis
● Unemployment still over 20%
● Employers still resisted unions and minimum wages
● Supreme court invalidated AAA and NRA
● With more pressure from rising labor unions, Roosevelt pushes for a Second New Deal
● Roosevelt government moves more aggressively toward DIRECT RELIEF/ JOBS-
DOLLARS TO PEOPLE
● 1. WPA- creating government jobs not just trying to stimulate economic sectors (direct
relief not to needy)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The obvious support for labor unions drove an expansion in violent labor protest in 1934- Three massive strikes shut down cities-- minneapolis, san francisco, and toledo and raise fear of a radical/ communist-led political movement. Communist organizers effective in many of these mass strikes in 30s. Longshoremen walk out, close docks-- other unions in city join. Police and national guard attack, use tear gas in photos to try and break strike. Police fired on union hall where wounded strikers were taken. Huey long wanted more direct relief than fdr. Long, senator from louisiana had long advocated more help for common people. Supported fdr for president but then broke from him because he felt he did not help struggling people directly or enough. His plan: share our wealth-- give every family household ,000 and a minimum annual income of -3,000, plus free college education or vocational training and old age pensions.
