n Conservation Corps-Step 1

Question

The Civilian Conservation Corps

(paragraphs 1-2)


The Great Depression was a period in the United States following a stock market crash. One of the results of the crash was widespread unemployment. At the same time, the people in many states were also suffering from the effects of drought and dust storms. The passage below explains a program that began after these events.

Origin of the Corps
1 Franklin D. Roosevelt became President of the United States in 1933 in the middle of the Great Depression. The economic "crash" on October 24, 1929, had led to an 89 percent decline in the stock market. To make matters worse, many in the country had lived through the Dust Bowl and its severe drought. The country's jobless rate had reached over 25 percent, and nearly 50 percent of the children in the country lacked adequate food, shelter, and medical care. President Roosevelt promised to get people back to work. He also had a long-standing interest in conserving the country's national resources. In a 1931 speech, Roosevelt expressed this interest by stating, "The green slopes of our forested hills lured our first settlers here and furnished them the materials of a happy life. They and their descendants were a little careless with that asset."

2 Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was designed to help resolve the nation's problems. The CCC was Roosevelt's brainchild, and it was often known as his "pet." The program provided unskilled, manual labor jobs for young men who could not find work during the Great Depression. These jobs focused on conservation and development of natural resources.

What did President Roosevelt promise the people? (paragraph 1)

Answer 1

President Roosevelt promised to get people back to work in order to address the widespread unemployment caused by the Great Depression.