How far do you agree that the New Deal brought about a significant improvement in the
lives of racial minorities and women? - 2017 1
Agree 1: Institutional Recognition and Employment Opportunities for Women
New Deal provided unprecedented institutional support and job opportunities for women,
marking a turning point in federal recognition of gender-based unemployment
A special women’s division was created within FERA (Federal Emergency Relief
Administration) led by Ellen Woodward, with a full-time representative in each state
focusing on female unemployment
WPA (Works Progress Administration) employed 460,000 women in 1936, offering jobs in
sewing rooms, school lunch programs, and education
Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) set minimum wages and maximum hours, encouraging
unionisation
by the late 1930s, over 800,000 women had joined unions, reflecting increased
labour organisation and agency
Eleanor Roosevelt actively championed women’s involvement in politics and reform and her
support legitimised women’s roles in public life
Frances Perkins was the first female cabinet member
While the quality and pay of jobs offered to women often lagged behind those offered to
men, the symbolic and structural inclusion of women in New Deal programs was a notable
step forward.
Agree 2: Efforts to Improve the Lives of Racial Minorities, Especially African and Native
Americans
some New Deal agencies and policies explicitly tackled racial inequality and helped uplift
Black and Native American communities, particularly in education cultural autonomy
WPA education programs taught over 250,000 African Americans to read and write,
addressing chronic educational inequalities
Mary McLeod Bethune appointed Director of Negro Affairs in the NYA (National Youth
Administration)
powerful symbol of Black representation; she ensured that Black youth benefitted
from training and education programs.
‘Black Cabinet’, an informal network of African American advisers, lobbied FDR for equitable
policies
John Collier’s Indian New Deal: restored tribal self-government, ended forced assimilation
policies, and returned tribal lands; federal spending on Native American schools and
healthcare quadrupled during the 1930s
employment in federal programs: Black Americans made up around 15% of WPA workers,
slightly above their proportion in the general population
While racial segregation still persisted within many New Deal programs (e.g., separate CCC
camps), the federal government’s outreach and targeted policies marked a shift from
previous decades of exclusion
lives of racial minorities and women? - 2017 1
Agree 1: Institutional Recognition and Employment Opportunities for Women
New Deal provided unprecedented institutional support and job opportunities for women,
marking a turning point in federal recognition of gender-based unemployment
A special women’s division was created within FERA (Federal Emergency Relief
Administration) led by Ellen Woodward, with a full-time representative in each state
focusing on female unemployment
WPA (Works Progress Administration) employed 460,000 women in 1936, offering jobs in
sewing rooms, school lunch programs, and education
Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) set minimum wages and maximum hours, encouraging
unionisation
by the late 1930s, over 800,000 women had joined unions, reflecting increased
labour organisation and agency
Eleanor Roosevelt actively championed women’s involvement in politics and reform and her
support legitimised women’s roles in public life
Frances Perkins was the first female cabinet member
While the quality and pay of jobs offered to women often lagged behind those offered to
men, the symbolic and structural inclusion of women in New Deal programs was a notable
step forward.
Agree 2: Efforts to Improve the Lives of Racial Minorities, Especially African and Native
Americans
some New Deal agencies and policies explicitly tackled racial inequality and helped uplift
Black and Native American communities, particularly in education cultural autonomy
WPA education programs taught over 250,000 African Americans to read and write,
addressing chronic educational inequalities
Mary McLeod Bethune appointed Director of Negro Affairs in the NYA (National Youth
Administration)
powerful symbol of Black representation; she ensured that Black youth benefitted
from training and education programs.
‘Black Cabinet’, an informal network of African American advisers, lobbied FDR for equitable
policies
John Collier’s Indian New Deal: restored tribal self-government, ended forced assimilation
policies, and returned tribal lands; federal spending on Native American schools and
healthcare quadrupled during the 1930s
employment in federal programs: Black Americans made up around 15% of WPA workers,
slightly above their proportion in the general population
While racial segregation still persisted within many New Deal programs (e.g., separate CCC
camps), the federal government’s outreach and targeted policies marked a shift from
previous decades of exclusion
