Transcribed
FDR's Works Progress Administration: Putting 8 Million to Work — Fexingo History
May 7, 2026 ·
6m 16s
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FDR's Works Progress Administration: Putting 8 Million to Work — Fexingo History
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Description
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the Works Progress Administration, the largest New Deal agency that employed millions during the Great Depression. They explore its creation under Harry...
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In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the Works Progress Administration, the largest New Deal agency that employed millions during the Great Depression. They explore its creation under Harry Hopkins in 1935, the staggering variety of projects—from building LaGuardia Airport and the San Antonio River Walk to sewing clothes and painting murals. The conversation covers the WPA's Federal Project Number One, which put artists, writers, and musicians to work, including figures like Jackson Pollock and Zora Neale Hurston. They also discuss the controversy over 'boondoggling' and the criticism from conservatives. The episode highlights the WPA's impact on infrastructure, culture, and the American landscape, touching on lesser-known facts like the Index of American Design and the Living Newspaper theater. Lucas and Luna examine how the WPA not only provided jobs but preserved skills and created lasting legacies, from the Blue Ridge Parkway to countless schools and hospitals. They reflect on the program's end in 1943 and its complex legacy in American memory.
#WPA #WorksProgressAdministration #HarryHopkins #NewDeal #GreatDepression #FDR #FederalProjectNumberOne #JacksonPollock #ZoraNealeHurston #LaGuardiaAirport #SanAntonioRiverWalk #IndexofAmericanDesign #LivingNewspaper #BlueRidgeParkway #Boondoggling #Infrastructure #AmericanHistory #FexingoHistory #FranklinRoosevelt #SocialSecurity
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/franklin-roosevelt-and-the-new-deal-explained-fexingo-history--6985379/support.
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#WPA #WorksProgressAdministration #HarryHopkins #NewDeal #GreatDepression #FDR #FederalProjectNumberOne #JacksonPollock #ZoraNealeHurston #LaGuardiaAirport #SanAntonioRiverWalk #IndexofAmericanDesign #LivingNewspaper #BlueRidgeParkway #Boondoggling #Infrastructure #AmericanHistory #FexingoHistory #FranklinRoosevelt #SocialSecurity
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/franklin-roosevelt-and-the-new-deal-explained-fexingo-history--6985379/support.
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