Works Progress Administration

Works Progress Administration. It was established on May 6, 1935, by presidential order under the authority of the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935. Created as the centerpiece of Franklin D. Roosevelt's Second New Deal, it aimed to provide direct employment to millions of unemployed Americans during the Great Depression. Under the leadership of Administrator Harry Hopkins, it became the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing over 8.5 million people on public works and arts projects before its end.

Background and establishment

The dire economic conditions of the Great Depression, with national unemployment exceeding 20%, overwhelmed earlier relief efforts like the Civil Works Administration and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and key advisors, including Harry Hopkins and Harold Ickes, pushed for a large-scale, direct employment program. This led to the passage of the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, which granted the President broad spending authority. Roosevelt established the agency by Executive Order 7034, consolidating various work relief efforts under Hopkins's pragmatic leadership. Its creation signaled a shift from direct welfare to government-funded jobs, aiming to preserve workers' skills and dignity while stimulating the economy.

Major projects and programs

Its operations were divided into several major divisions, each responsible for vast numbers of projects. The Construction Division built or improved over 650,000 miles of roads, 125,000 public buildings like schools and post offices, and 8,000 parks. The Federal Project Number One was a landmark cultural initiative comprising five major projects: the Federal Art Project, the Federal Music Project, the Federal Theatre Project, the Federal Writers' Project, and the Historical Records Survey. These employed thousands of artists, musicians, actors, and writers, producing public murals, guidebooks for every state, and community performances. Other significant efforts included the National Youth Administration, which provided work and training for young people, and infrastructure projects like the River Walk in San Antonio and LaGuardia Airport in New York City.

Impact and legacy

The agency had a profound and lasting impact on the American landscape and culture. It provided a vital economic lifeline, injecting billions of dollars in wages to workers who then supported local businesses. Physically, it left a legacy of public infrastructure still in use today, from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles to countless bridges and sewer systems. Culturally, it democratized art, supported figures like Jackson Pollock, John Cheever, and Orson Welles, and documented American life through projects like the Slave Narrative Collection. It significantly advanced public works planning and demonstrated the federal government's capacity to execute large-scale employment programs, influencing later initiatives like the Interstate Highway System.

Criticism and controversy

The agency faced significant criticism from multiple political directions. Conservatives, including members of the Republican Party and the American Liberty League, denounced it as a wasteful, politically motivated machine that created a permanent class of government-dependent voters. Some, like Senator Robert A. Taft, argued it distorted the labor market and competed with private enterprise. Its cultural projects, particularly the left-leaning productions of the Federal Theatre Project under Hallie Flanagan, drew accusations of promoting communism and were investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Additionally, wage disparities and discrimination in some Southern states led to protests from groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Dissolution and successor agencies

With the economic mobilization for World War II, unemployment plummeted due to war industries and military conscription, reducing the need for large-scale relief. Congressional opposition grew, and funding was curtailed. It was officially terminated by presidential order on June 30, 1943. Many of its construction and public works functions were transferred to the Federal Works Agency, established in 1939. The cultural projects of Federal Project Number One were largely disbanded, though some efforts, like the Historical Records Survey, continued under the sponsorship of state governments or other federal departments. Its dissolution marked the end of the New Deal's direct job-creation era, as the War Production Board and other wartime agencies took center stage in the economy.

Category:New Deal agencies Category:Defunct agencies of the United States government Category:1935 establishments in the United States Category:1943 disestablishments in the United States