The Works Progress Administration

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a program created by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1935 as a part of the New Deal. It was intended to help the 11 million unemployed people during the Great Depression. The program provided or created jobs for the many people who had been hurt by the Depression, which would then stimulate the economy once the newly employed workers began spending their money. FDR also protected private companies from competition with the WPA jobs by placing wage and price controls and products that were federally funded. The WPA put to work 8.5 million people, or over 77% of the people seeking jobs at a cost of around $11 billion to the U.S. government. This was achieved by constructing buildings, roads, parks, airports, bridges, and other large structures, which provided jobs for manual laborers. For writers and artists, there were various projects like the Federal Arts Project, the Federal Writers’ Project, and the Federal Theater Project that employed them. Projects like creating artwork for public buildings, organizing community theaters, and documenting life during the time were created and given out to artists. Interestingly, museums did well during the Depression, and many educators, artists, and other workers found jobs there. In addition to providing jobs for adults, the WPA also maintained the National Youth Administration, dedicated to finding part-time jobs for younger children. There were some faults with the WPA, one of them being its low percentage of employed women. Part of that was because there were fewer working women than men even before the Depression. However, the WPA had, at its peak in 1938, only 13.5 percent women, which was disproportionate to the number of women seeking work. While women and men were officially to be paid the same amounts, women were usually assigned to lower-paying jobs like sewing, bookbinding, and school lunch programs. Ellen Woodward, director of women’s programs in the WPA, was instrumental in gaining women’s inclusion in other, higher-paying projects, especially those in art, music, and theater. Another shortcoming was its low wages and inability to employ everyone; 5 million people had to rely on relief programs alone, earning only $10 a week. However, even with its limited jobs and imperfections, it boosted confidence and morale among American workers. By 1940, the economy was steadily recovering, and America had hope of approaching its pre-depression levels. The WPA was stopped when America entered WW2, as the wartime economy provided people with many new jobs. However, it made a huge positive impact on American life during the Depression and gave the hope of success to millions of people who previously had none.

sources: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Works-Progress-Administration https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/new-deal/essays/wpa-antidote-great-depression http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/dustbowl-wpa/