FDR and the Soil Conservation Service: Saving Dust Bowl America

Bone Dry: The New Deal's Battle Against Erosion

In the 1930s, the Dust Bowl wasn't just a natural disaster—it was a man-made catastrophe. This episode explores how the New Deal took on soil erosion, from Hugh Hammond Bennett's dramatic 1934 Congressional testimony to the creation of the Soil Conservation Service. Lucas and Luna discuss the clash between New Deal conservationists and the USDA's traditional farm establishment, the innovative techniques of contour plowing and strip cropping, and the political battles that shaped the first national soil conservation law. Hear how the Dust Bowl forced America to rethink its relationship with the land, and how the lessons of the 1930s still echo in environmental policy today. #NewDeal #FDR #DustBowl #SoilConservation #HughHammondBennett #SoilErosion #FDRsFirstNewDeal #Conservation #1930s #GreatDepression #AgriculturalHistory #ContourPlowing #USDA #NewDealAgencies #EnvironmentalHistory #ClimateHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

FDR's Banking Holiday of 1933 The Inside Story

In March 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt faced a collapsing banking system as panicked depositors drained reserves. This episode goes inside the dramatic Bank Holiday of 1933, exploring the Emergency Banking Act, the role of William Woodin and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, and the surprising comeback of gold hoarders. We trace the steps from FDR's first 'fireside chat' to the reopening of sound banks, the creation of the FDIC, and the long-term shift toward federal deposit insurance. Lucas and Luna unpack the euphoric public response, the political maneuvering behind the Glass-Steagall Act, and how the crisis reshaped American trust in banks for decades. A focused look at a pivotal ten days that defined the New Deal's early triumph. #BankHoliday1933 #EmergencyBankingAct #FDR #NewDeal #WilliamWoodin #ReconstructionFinanceCorporation #FDIC #GlassSteagall #GoldStandard #FiresideChat #BankRun #GreatDepression #Hoover #Conservator #DepositInsurance #USHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

FDRs Social Security Tax and the Reserve Controversy

In episode 168, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known but crucial battle over how to fund Social Security in 1935. They unpack the debate between pay-as-you-go and full reserve funding, the role of Secretary Henry Morgenthau Jr., the famous 'Ida May Fuller' first check, and the lasting impact of the decision to build a massive trust fund. Along the way, they touch on the Townsend Plan's alternative, the internal administration fight, and why the reserve controversy still echoes in today's Social Security debates. A focused look at the money behind the New Deal's most enduring program. #SocialSecurity #FDR #NewDeal #HenryMorgenthau #IdaMayFuller #TownsendPlan #TrustFund #PayAsYouGo #FullReserve #1935 #SocialSecurityAct #FiscalPolicy #GreatDepression #FrancesPerkins #WagnerAct #History #FexingoHistory #USHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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]