FDRs Federal Writers Project Stories of America

FDR's Federal Theatre Project

In this episode of FDR and the New Deal Explained, Lucas and Luna dive into the Federal Theatre Project, one of the most innovative and controversial programs of the Works Progress Administration. They explore how Hallie Flanagan, a theater professor from Vassar, was tapped to lead a nationwide effort to put unemployed theater professionals back to work. The conversation covers the project's groundbreaking productions, including the Living Newspaper series that dramatized current events, and the racially integrated productions that challenged segregation. Lucas details the political backlash that led to the project's demise, including the House Un-American Activities Committee's investigation and accusations of communist propaganda. Listeners will learn about specific plays like 'The Cradle Will Rock' and 'Triple-A Plowed Under,' the project's impact on American theater, and its role in the broader culture wars of the 1930s. The episode ends with a reflection on the tension between government-funded art and free expression, a debate that continues today. #FederalTheatreProject #HallieFlanagan #NewDealArts #LivingNewspaper #TheCradleWillRock #WPA #OrsonWelles #JohnHouseman #NegroTheatreProject #HUAC #WorksProgressAdministration #GreatDepression #1930sTheater #CulturalPolicy #FexingoHistory #History #NorthAmerica #USHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

FDRs Federal Writers Project Stories of America

In the depths of the Great Depression, the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration put thousands of unemployed writers, editors, and researchers to work documenting America's stories. This episode follows the project from its launch in 1935 under Henry Alsberg to its controversial communist-hunting end in 1943. We explore the American Guide Series—detailed guidebooks to every state—and the life stories collected from former slaves in the 1930s, now a vital resource for historians. We discuss how writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright found work and voice through the project, and how it sparked fierce debates about propaganda during the Dies Committee hearings. The episode also touches on the project's unique legacy: creating the first federal cultural program that treated ordinary Americans as historical sources. #FederalWritersProject #WPA #GreatDepression #NewDeal #AmericanGuideSeries #ZoraNealeHurston #RichardWright #HenryAlsberg #SlaveNarratives #DiesCommittee #FDR #WorksProgressAdministration #OralHistory #1930sAmerica #CulturalPrograms #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAmerica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

FDR's Tennessee Valley Authority: Power, Poverty, and Progress

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), one of the most ambitious and controversial projects of the New Deal. They discuss how the TVA brought electricity and flood control to one of the poorest regions in America, the political battles it sparked, and the environmental and social costs—including the displacement of thousands of families. The conversation covers Senator George Norris's long fight for public power, Arthur Morgan's utopian vision, the construction of Norris Dam, and the enduring tension between development and conservation. Lucas explains how the TVA became a model for rural electrification worldwide, yet also a symbol of federal overreach for critics. Luna asks about the lost towns and the human stories behind the dams. The episode includes a brief, organic mention of listener support for the show. Keywords cover TVA, rural electrification, public power, Arthur Morgan, Norris Dam, Muscle Shoals, New Deal, Tennessee Valley, flood control, and more. #TVA #TennesseeValleyAuthority #NewDeal #FDR #RuralElectrification #PublicPower #ArthurMorgan #NorrisDam #MuscleShoals #FloodControl #GreatDepression #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAmerica #20thCentury #EnvironmentalHistory #Infrastructure #Progressivism Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

FDR's War on Gold: The Gold Reserve Act of 1934

In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt took the United States off the gold standard and criminalized private gold ownership—a radical move that reshaped the American economy and sparked a constitutional crisis. This episode follows the story of the Gold Reserve Act of 1934, from the banking panic of 1933 to the Supreme Court's gold clause cases. Learn how FDR, with the help of economist George Warren and Senator Elmer Thomas, engineered a devaluation of the dollar to combat deflation. We explore the fight over gold clauses in contracts, the role of the Gold Clause Joint Resolution, and the landmark cases Norman v. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and Perry v. United States. Discover how the government's gold seizure funded the Exchange Stabilization Fund and why the gold standard became a symbol of lost financial stability. We also touch on the legacy of this policy, including the lingering resentment among conservative gold bugs. A deep dive into one of the New Deal's most audacious monetary experiments. #NewDeal #FDR #GoldReserveAct #GoldStandard #MonetaryPolicy #GreatDepression #SupremeCourt #GoldClauseCases #GeorgeWarren #ElmerThomas #ExchangeStabilizationFund #NormanvBaltimore #PerryvUS #Devaluation #EconomicHistory #FexingoHistory #NorthAmerica #1930s Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

FDR's Social Security Act: The Battle for Old-Age Insurance

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the origins of Social Security, the most enduring legacy of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. They trace the fight from the Townsend Plan's radical pension proposal to the creation of the Social Security Act of 1935. Lucas explains how FDR navigated opposition from both left and right, the role of the Committee on Economic Security chaired by Frances Perkins, and the compromise that excluded farm and domestic workers—a decision with lasting racial implications. The conversation covers the regressive payroll tax structure, the winning of Supreme Court approval in Helvering v. Davis, and the first beneficiary Ida May Fuller. They also discuss the political maneuverings of the American Association for Old Age Security and the influence of economist Abraham Epstein. A concise look at how the American welfare state was born, and what its architects fought over. #SocialSecurity #NewDeal #FDR #FrancesPerkins #TownsendPlan #AbrahamEpstein #HelveringvDavis #IdaMayFuller #OldAgeInsurance #PayrollTax #CommitteeOnEconomicSecurity #AmericanAssociationForOldAgeSecurity #WelfareState #1935 #GreatDepression #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAmerica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]