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Impact Of Eleanor Roosevelt's Civil Disobedience

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Eleanor Roosevelt's Civil Disobedience
The Great Depression (1929-1939) is arguably one of the darkest, most hopeless times in American history. After the stock market crash on October 29, 1929, nearly the entire nation was in economic turmoil. Banks and businesses were closing, families were left penniless, and children were starving. The United States was in dire need of change if it hoped to recover from such a disaster. With the newly elected first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, that change was coming. Over the course of the next decade, Roosevelt used the New Deal to combat the crisis. The New Deal is the collective term for government acts, programs, and projects enforced to assist those suffering during the Great Depression. Using her influence as first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt effectively displayed civil disobedience by taking action on behalf of youth, women, African Americans, and the unemployed through the New Deal.
During the New Deal's conception, America's adolescents and their hardships were largely ignored by the government. To counter this issue, Roosevelt supported legislation that would benefit youth and give them a voice in Washington. She firmly believed that young people needed a well-rounded education and exposure to politics starting at a young age. American historian Justus D. Doenecke describes one of Roosevelt's most highly acclaimed administrations, expressing, "[The National Youth Administration of 1935] employed thousands of high schoolers and university students, thereby enabling them to continue their studies" (Doenecke 462). Roosevelt pushed for this proposal's enforcement so students could continue their education regardless of financial status. Therefore, more young adults were able to obtain jobs later in life. In addition to establishing new programs, Roosevelt also reformed agencies already in existence so that they may work parallel to the government rather than against it. The authors of the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project credit the first lady with coalescing the American Youth Congress, a youth issues group that was critical of the New Deal's lack of relief for young people, with the Roosevelt Administration, expounding, "This remarkable transformation [of the American

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