The historiography of the New Deal | FDR & The New Deal – Lesson 6 of 8

This is part of a series of 7 lessons (and 3 Guided Reading Activities) about the New Deal. It is aimed at A Level/IB students and focusses on the New Deal’s policies, their impact, the opposition to them and the historiography of them since. All the lessons contain all the resources within them required for the students to successfully research and answer the questions. Where external sources have been used for evidence, they have been cited.

The other lessons in the series are as follows:

1. What was it? > A deep dive look at the key alphabet agencies and their impact.
2. Impact of the New Deal > A look at 4 cross sections of US society/economy and the impact the alphabet agencies had, for better or worse.
3. The Second New Deal > An investigation into the reasons why a Second New Deal was required and how they laid the foundation for the modern welfare state.
4. Opposition to the New Deal > A research exercise (with materials to research) of the key opposition figures to the New Deal and their philosophies.
5. The impact of the Second World War > How the Second World War ‘saved’ FDR from the ‘Roosevelt Recession’ and how it changed the political landscape. Included in this lesson is the Guided Reading activity for the War’s impact (resource 8)
6. The historiography of the New Deal > A look at two opposing interpretations (resources 9 and 10) and then an activity looking at six different historical interpretations of the New Deal followed by a class debate.
7. An essay question focussing on the impact of the New Deal – was it mostly economic or political in nature? Students are guided through the process of preparing, structuring and then writing the essay.
8. An extended reading activity on the Second World War’s impact on the New Deal
9. An extended ready activity looking at criticism of the New Deal
10. An extended reading activity looking at support for the New Deal, especially the WPA.

We hope these resources help you teach this vital and interesting topic.

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