When F. D. Roosevelt took office in 1933, his main priority was to stabilize the economy and provide jobs, relief and even hope to those that were suffering. The New Deal was a series of programs of programs and projects instituted during the Great Depression to meet such priorities.
It lasted eight years, encompassing a series of experimental projects such as the CCC, the WPA, the TVA, the SEC and others which ultimately and permanently changed the federal government's relationship to U.S. citizens.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC ) was arguably the most successful of the New Deal programs as it gave gave millions of young men employment on environmental projects during the Great Depression, amongst its achievements it can be noted that more than three billion trees were planted and it was constructed trails and shelters in more than 800 parks nationwide throughout nine years, generating benefits that can still be felt today.
Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service and the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture there were plenty of work and projects to engage the citizens, amongst some of the most common activities, it could be listed: Tackling forest fires, clearance and maintenance of access roads, tree plantation, re-seeding of grazing lands, implementation of soil-erosion controls, building of wildlife refuges, fish-rearing facilities, water storage basins and animal shelters.
it was an essential project for it provided earnings, purpose and occupation to the youth, which avoided a potential growth of crime and violence that could be caused by poverty and alienation of youngsters who felt there was no future for them. It also helped as a cultural integration factor as most of the unemployed men were in Eastern cities while much of the conservation work was in the West. With the help of the Army the transportation was made possible, which to this day can be considered the most rapid peacetime mobilization in American history.
Another strong point about the program is that it provided the citizens with leisure alternatives, encouraging them to go out, interact and enjoy America’s natural resources, since Roosevelt requested the CCC to build bridges and campground facilities.
The CCC also helped in integrating minorities, nearly 88,000 Native Americans living on Indian reservations were drafted to support the projects, also there were a large number of young African American enrollees.
In terms of employment was an absolute success, It’s estimated that about three million men – which was roughly five percent of the total United States male population – took part in the CCC throughout the agency’s nine-year history.
The main criticism about CCC came from trade unions. Amongst their main grievances are their opposition to the training of unskilled workers when so many union members were out of work and their concern for the Army involvement in the CCC on the grounds that it could lead to increasing state control and regimentation of labour.
