Knowledge Organiser: FDR and the New Deal
Part of The New Deal · GCSE GCSE History revision
This topic summary covers Knowledge Organiser: FDR and the New Deal within The New Deal for GCSE History. Revise The New Deal in America 1920-1973 for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 5 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 13 of 13 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 13 of 13
Practice
10 questions
Recall
5 flashcards
Knowledge Organiser: FDR and the New Deal
Key Terms
- New Deal: FDR's relief, recovery, reform programme
- Fireside chats: FDR's radio broadcasts to public
- Brain Trust: Academic advisers designing policy
- Social Security Act: US welfare state foundation (1935)
- Wagner Act: Union rights guaranteed (1935)
Key Dates
- 1932: FDR elected, promises New Deal
- 1933: First New Deal — 100 Days (CCC, PWA, TVA, NRA, AAA)
- 1935: Second New Deal (WPA, Social Security Act, Wagner Act)
- 1935-36: Supreme Court strikes down NRA and AAA
- 1940: Unemployment still 14%
- 1941: US enters WW2 — Depression ends
Key People
- FDR: President 1933–45; architect of New Deal
- Huey Long: Louisiana senator; "Share Our Wealth" radical left critic
- Father Coughlin: Radio priest; right-wing New Deal critic
- Harry Hopkins: Head of FERA and WPA
Must-Know Facts
- CCC: 3 million young men in conservation work (1933)
- WPA: 8.5 million jobs across 250,000 projects (1935)
- Social Security Act 1935 excluded domestic workers and farm labourers
- Unemployment: 25% (1933) → 14% (1940) → near zero (1943, wartime)
- Supreme Court struck down NRA (1935) and AAA (1936)
Common Mistakes
- Saying the New Deal ended the Depression: Unemployment was still 14% in 1940 — it was WW2 that finally ended mass unemployment
- Mixing up First and Second New Deal agencies: CCC, PWA, TVA, AAA, NRA = 1933; WPA, Social Security Act, Wagner Act = 1935
- Ignoring limits and opposition: A strong answer must include the Supreme Court rulings, Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the exclusion of Black Americans
- Not defining success: Always state what standard you are using — preventing collapse (yes), ending unemployment (no), helping all Americans (definitely not)
Revise this topic interactively on PrepWise — self-test mode, tap-to-reveal definitions, and Common Mistakes from examiners.
Try the interactive Knowledge Organiser — free →Keep building this topic
Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in The New Deal. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.
Practice Questions for The New Deal
How many young men were employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)?
Which New Deal agency was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1935?
Quick Recall Flashcards
10 questions on The New Deal — practise free
Instant marking, adaptive difficulty, and 5 spaced repetition flashcards. Free until your GCSEs.
Try PrepWise Free