One Third of a Nation Summary and Analysis

Employment takes its psychological toll on those who are unemployed. This was no different during the Great Depression. The unemployed eventually lose their confidence at their ability to find a job; some just give up looking. The New Deal programs resulted in the formation of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), which was headed by Harry Hopkins. When he was appointed, he knew that he had to do something quickly to help alleviate the conditions in the country. The president gave him the authority to establish the Civil Works Administration (CWA).

The CWA was an emergency program. The people who staffed the program were unemployed workers. They built schools, roads, playgrounds, airports, and other buildings. The CWA helped a lot of people, but it was very costly so Roosevelt ended it very quickly...