There cannot be a future without a past. Through all the rises and falls of America, the people have survived. One of the worst economic struggles in the history of the United States was the Great Depression. There were depressions before and after, but none of the same caliber. Tough times produce tougher people. Arguably one of the best men to come out of this time was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and he brought the ambiguous New Deal with him. Although the New Deal had a few conservative dispositions, it was socially, economically, and politically, liberal.
In order to say that the New Deal was liberal, and for it to mean something, it must be proven that the era before was more conservative. Since the Roaring Twenties, a time of drastic change in outward appearances, and the Great Depression preceded the New Deal, it can be difficult to argue that the New Deal caused America to be more liberal socially. From the standpoint of the underdogs, women, and blacks, the New Deal was conservative. This was because most of the programs were aimed to help young men, such as the CCC. Women were stagnant in their jobs as typists and secretaries. However, the nineteenth amendment had been passed a few years prior, allowing them to vote for who they wanted as president, and in a sense for the New Deal to be passed. Sometimes it takes sacrifice to succeed. It was unfair that these two groups suffered the most, but that does contribute to the New Deal being conservative in nature. For the first time in history, the government seriously went after child sweatshops. These factories were beginning to be regulated, and children were being protected more than ever. The New Deal also established Welfare, which gave struggling families some relief. .
The New Deal was economically liberal. While there were a few setbacks, such as the continuation of the phrase, " first fired, last hired," in relation to blacks and women, there was a great deal of economic growth.