A new WPA could help repair what the Right intentionally broke: a belief that government, and public workers, are essential parts of building a decent society. In 1939 the Works Progress Administration altered its name to Work Projects Administration. An adult education program of the Works Progress Administration, c. 1930s. The alphabet agencies (also New Deal agencies) were the U.S. federal government agencies created as part of the New Deal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.The earliest agencies were created to combat the Great Depression in the United States and were established during Roosevelt's first 100 days in office in 1933. Federal housing policies reinforced segregation. We have, for example, upward of fifty thousand bridges nationwide that are in a dangerous state of disrepair. registered in England (Company No 02017289) with its registered office at 26 Red Lion But where the Left saw a new birth of freedom, the Right saw the dark shadow of centralized tyranny. It took thirty years of steady work by the right wing to undermine the belief that government could do good. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. George Biddle (1885-1973) – Artist. We need a new WPA for the 21st century. The first WPA was mainly about new construction. Labor found its voice and muscle. Square A discussion concerning why American museums flourished in the 1930s, from the documentary. …Project as part of the WPA; thousands of artists, architects, and educators found work in American museums, which flourished during the Great Depression.…. Although critics called the WPA an extension of the dole or a device for creating a huge patronage army loyal to the Democratic Party, the stated purpose of the program was to provide useful work for millions of victims of the Great Depression and thus to preserve their skills and self-respect. The first WPA received justifiable criticism from some unions for paying wages below prevailing wages in some regions. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression. Regarding “New York City and the World of Radio”, you mentioned that David-Sarnoff was not able to get into the military because he was Jewish. A hundred post offices. Opponents of the New Deal in Congress gradually pared back WPA appropriations in the years leading up to World War II.By 1940, the economy was roaring back to … In the midst of the Great Depression, the federal government launched a series of building projects on a scale never seen before, touching virtually every city and town across the country. © Well-done! This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Works-Progress-Administration, The Social Welfare History Project - The Works Progress Administration, Ohio History Central - Works Progress Administration, African American Registry - The Works Progress Administration, A Beginning for Many, Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture - Works Progress Administration, Texas State Historical Association - Handbook of Texas - Work Projects Administration, America's Story from America's Library - The Works Progress Administration.