New Deal, The: A 75th Anniversary Celebration

2008 marks the 75th anniversary of the New Deal, the series of programs initiated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to help Americans recover during the Great Depression. Programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Civil Works Administration, and the Works Progress Administration gave hope, support, and encouragement to millions of Americans. Several New Deal programs, including Social Security, continue to help Americans today. Did you know? The Federal Music Program created or nurtured over 30 symphonic orchestras, including those in San Francisco, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The Federal Writers Project offered support and encouragement to such writers as John Steinbeck, Ralph Ellison, Studs Terkel, John Cheever, and Eudora Welty. Under the Civilian Conservation Corps, American workers planted 3 billion trees, constructed over 46,000 bridges, and restored 360 Civil War battlefields Kathy Flynn is executive director of the National New Deal Preservation Association. She lives in Santa Fe.