Roosevelt made his inaugural speech in 1933 he knew he had the eyes of the American people pinned on to him. America was still facing the aftermath of the Great Depression. The unemployment rate was at almost 25% and in February of 1933 thousands of banks failed. However, Roosevelt told the country that he had a plan to help bring America back to its former glory and he fulfilled his promise. .
In 1933, the day after his inauguration, Roosevelt announced a four-day banking layoff. This blocked Americans from withdrawing their money from unstable banks. Roosevelt used the mass use of the radio to gain support from his fellow Americans. This was the beginning of the series of "Fireside Chats." This being Roosevelt's "chats" to Americans talking about all that was being done in office. Soon after, the Emergency Banking Act was passed by Congress. This encouraged Americans to put their savings back into banks instead of taking it out. It strengthened the faith of citizens in their local banking system and promised that their deposits were safe with the newly enacted Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In less than a month's time, 3/4s of the once failing banks reopened their doors. This was Roosevelt's first step, next was Congress.
One of the most memorable and recognized time for the president is known as the "First Hundred Days." During this time Roosevelt passed dozens of bills, laws and policies. One of the first policies put into place was the Securities Act. This demanded that stockbrokers and corporations issue exact information about all stocks to investors. Next was the Works Progress Administration, which employed thousands of unemployed unskilled laborers to perform public works projects, such as the construction of railroads and buildings. Following that was the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration. Both of these employed workers and helped protect the environment.
