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
Although our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, began moreso 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 and to ensure freedom would — at least eventually — apply to everyone. He took that calling and used it to reignite the flame of America, that was founded in an ideal which did not exist during the time it was first kindled. One of his most renown statements came within the Gettysburg Address, “[T]hat government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.“
After he was murdered in 1865, the Republican Party lit their torches in his flame, and tried to carry it on throughout the the Reconstruction Era, The Republican Party had built itself upon that promise. were dedicated to helping lift black people up following the Civil War. During this time, a civil rights hero, Iowa’s own Alexander Clark, made history by setting a legal precedent in Clark v. Board of School Directors, 24 Iowa 266 (1868), a case which made Iowa the first state to desegregate schools.
Unfortunately, however, an era of progress came to a screeching and devastating halt with the infamous Compromise of 1877. Although loosely called a “compromise” by the Democratic Party and Republican Party, it was more of a sellout, with black Americans unfairly suffering the collateral damage.
Then, a new breed of American heroes began to emerge: Ida B. Wells-Barnett, for example, fought and won a court case against the Southwestern Railroad Company
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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/.