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When President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933, one in four Americans was out of work nationally, but in some cities and some industries unemployment was well over 50 percent. Equally troubling were the bank panics. Between 1929 and 1931, 4,000 banks closed for good; by 1933 the number rose to more than 9,000, with $2.5 billion in lost deposits. Banks never have as much in their vaults as people have deposited, and if all depositors claim their money at once, the bank is ruined. Millions of Americans lost their money because they arrived at the bank too late to withdraw their savings. The panics raised troubling questions about credit, value, and the nature of capitalism itself. An…
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A work relief address that turns public spending into a disciplined test of democratic government.
The address frames work relief as a connected act of government, using the building of a seagoing ship to show how public spending becomes work, materials, wages, and visible national purpose.
An urgent recovery address turns unemployment relief into a test of national endurance and responsibility.
An urgent national address on economic and social recovery frames unemployment and human suffering as problems that cannot be left to drift. The speaker ties the moment to Holy Week and Easter, reaching for peace of mind before moving into practical measures around relief needs,…
Ten songs, deep shelves, loud opinions.
Forgotten history with a crooked smile.
Old newspapers, strange weeks, sharp hindsight.
A promotional audio newsletter advertising discounted collections of vintage TV shows, movies, serials, and radio shows for collectors.
In “4/28/35 On Works Relief Program,” Franklin D.
FDR addresses the United States’ seven-month economic setback and argues that falling consumer purchasing power is driving unemployment and factory closures.
In the June 24, 1938 FDR Fireside Chat, the president reports on the 75th Congress and explains how voters should evaluate candidates in upcoming party primaries.
This episode features a Fireside Chat where FDR addresses the nation about economic setbacks and the need for recovery during the Great Depression.