Eleanor Roosevelt and the Rise of Social Reform in the 1930s
Today we will describe the role Eleanor Roosevelt carved out for herself as a social reformer and analyze and discuss the views that Eleanor Roosevelt held as an advocate for social justice.
Each group will examine a particular aspect of social reform and prepare a brief presentation to explain and give examples of Roosevelt's reform ideas. Presentations will also present a proposal for a changed social policy on their topic (see handout for more specific information).
Use the launchpad to locate documents appropriate for your topic. Remember to use #3 and #4 for each topic--ignore the information found in #1 and #2.
Each group will examine a particular aspect of social reform and prepare a brief presentation to explain and give examples of Roosevelt's reform ideas. Presentations will also present a proposal for a changed social policy on their topic (see handout for more specific information).
Use the launchpad to locate documents appropriate for your topic. Remember to use #3 and #4 for each topic--ignore the information found in #1 and #2.
African-Americans & the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps

Complete Activities 1-3 on the Launchpad.
Discussion Questions: The Debate on African-Americans in the CCC
- Complete Activity 1 as directed.
- For Activity 2, select 2 of the documents listed as "for homework." Read both documents and answer the questions for both documents. Do not answer the discussion questions.
- Read the document for Activity 3 and briefly answer the discussion questions.
Discussion Questions: The Debate on African-Americans in the CCC
- To what extent can the federal government as a whole be held responsible for the behavior and attitudes of locally hired government officials?
- How should a federal policy be implemented when federal officials differ in their understanding of that policy?
- Do you think that some blacks employed by the CCC preferred to work in segregated units?
- What was positive and negative about this man's experience in the CCC?
- What, if anything, does this description of the black CCC experience tell you about the attitude of the federal government towards black CCC workers and racial discrimination?
- How typical do you think this man's experience was and why?
- How reliable a source of information is this account? What is the basis for your judgment?
Chapter 33: The Great Depression and the New Deal
Here is the presentation from today's lecture and the answers to the questions at the end of the chapter.
Remember to complete the following IDs:
Remember to complete the following IDs:
- Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act
- CCC
- NRA
- AAA
- Dust Bowl
- TVA
- court-packing plan
- Keynesianism