Gubernatorial Candidate Sondra Wilson offers “A Pretty Big Deal” to Iowans

Before we get started with this important history lesson — and business proposal — let us all take a moment to appreciate the word “gubernatorial”. Isn’t that a funny word?!? As goofy goobers — as all of us are! — I’m sure we all can appreciate that word. 

Now let’s get started…. 

First, there was
The New Deal

In 1933, 32nd President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (“FDR”) launched a series of new federal programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations in response to the Great Depression (1929-1939). The primary goals were to provide relief to the unemployed and poor, achieve economic recovery, and reform the financial system to prevent future depressions (Kennedy 1999).

Leading up to the New Deal: Brief, Crucial History

Although our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, began more so as a devout constitutionalist, as the grueling and bloody Civil War moved forward, he eventually realized his calling was bigger than merely upholding the Constitution: it was about improving the Constitution to ensure freedom would — at least eventually — would apply to everyone. He took that calling and used it to rekindle the flame of America on that original ideal for which we still have not yet accomplished. One of President Lincoln’s most renown statements, God rest his soul, came within the Gettysburg Address, “[T]hat government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Following the war, Lincoln went on to form a bipartisan coalition from a reluctant congress in order to finally get the 13th Amendment passed on January 31, 1865, then ratified on December 6. Thank God the 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. Before we continue — in case you haven’t seen it — I highly recommend  the movie Lincoln. It depicts the passionate effort Lincoln put forth to get this historic Amendment passed:

 

Approximately two months later, on April 14, Abraham Lincoln was murdered by pro-slavery Confederate, John Wilkes Booth.

The early Republican Party, THEN moved by Lincoln’s passion and leadership, lit their torches drawn from his flame. Thus began the Reconstruction Era, wherein the North stationed troops throughout the South in oter to help safely facilitate the integration of millions of formerly enslaved people into American society, legally and socially. With blacks running for office

In June 1868 — about a month before the 14th Amendment was passed — Muscatine’s own Alexander Clark made history by setting a historic legal precedent, Clark v. Board of School Directors, 24 Iowa 266 (1868), making Iowa the first state in the union to desegregate schools. This was 86 years before Brown v. Board of Education is 347 U.S. 483 (1954)!

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Jefferson Davis, the former president of the Confederate States of America. He expressed a

 

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• 14th Amendment:

  Passed on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868, it defines citizenship, ensures equal protection under the law, and addresses due process rights. 

   

 

 

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 the KKK terrorized people of color, and “machine politics” ensured fair elections could not exist. 

The New Deal created numerous agencies, often referred to as “alphabet soup” agencies due to their acronyms. Some notable examples included:

CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) — Employed young men in environmental projects like reforestation and park maintenance… LEARN MORE.

PWA (Public Works Administration) — Funded large-scale construction projects like dams, bridges, and public buildings.  

CWA (Civil Works Administration) — Provided temporary jobs on public works projects.  

FERA (Federal Emergency Relief Administration) — Provided direct relief to the needy through grants to states.  

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) — Insured bank deposits to prevent bank failures.  

AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Administration) — Aimed to stabilize agricultural prices and production.  

HOLC (Home Owners Loan Corporation) — Provided loans to homeowners to prevent foreclosures.  

FHA (Federal Housing Administration) — Insured mortgages to encourage new construction and homeownership.  

WPA (Works Progress Administration) — Employed millions in a wide range of projects, including construction, arts, and research.  

NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) — Protected the rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively.  

Social Security System — Provided a social safety net through retirement and unemployment insurance (Lumen).

Before we move on, here’s a brief Crash Course video which provides historical context, as well as pros and cons of the New Deal:

The New Deal had some successes provided much-needed relief to millions suffering from the Great Depression through programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which put people back to work. Financial Stability:
The New Deal helped restore confidence in the financial system by creating the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and regulating the stock market.  
Long-term Impact:
The New Deal established a precedent for the federal government’s role in social and economic affairs, including Social Security, which remains a cornerstone of the American welfare system.  
Infrastructure Development:
New Deal programs funded significant infrastructure projects like roads, schools, and hospitals, which continue to benefit the nation. 

 

Then, there was
The Square Deal

 

 

And now….
Sondra Wilson presents…
A Pretty Big Deal

 

 

 

Learning from the past to prepare for the future

Prior to the New Deal, the U.S. was in bad shape. A nation founded on ideals of freedom, justice, and liberty, instead was built on the backs of slaves and indentured servants, and on genocide, fraud, and land heists against Native Americans. That said, there has always been a resistance by people who strive for and speak of a better tomorrow… I’ll get back to this topic in a moment.

Reformers, believers, inventers, activists, and freedom fighters… these people, have carried the torch of our thus far endless march. That march is a march that United States Veterans allow us to continue to make, and so long as we never give up until that day comes… we keep petitioning.. we keep voting… we keep researching and compiling, striving and speaking up…. we shall one day carry that torch and finally light the freedom of the world. On that day, no LGBT+ shall ever be stoned to death or ridiculed, no person called a derogatory slur, and no person shall go hungry, for there shall be gardens across the planet instead of food being kept always and only behind lock and key… but we’re not quite there yet: we must somehow carve a path to get from “here” to there…

References

All information cited herein it utilized for legitimate First Amendment purposes in accordance with the U.S. Copyright Office’s Fair Use Policy and the Fair Use Doctrine. 

Kennedy, David M. (1999). Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-503834-7.

Module 9 Assignment: Alphabet Agencies. Authored by: Kaitlyn Connell for Lumen Learning. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-ushistory2/chapter/module-9-assignment-alphabet-agencies/.