When Franklin Roosevelt came into office as President, a quarter of America's workforce was unemployed. He saw changing that as one of his first priorities. He established the Public Works Administration and Works Progress Administration, among others to get people back to work and earning steady paychecks.
Whether it was programs like these or entry into the Second World War that finally got the country out of a Great Depression is still a matter of debate for some historians and economists. The positive psychological impact can't be denied however. Although it has been nearly a hundred years since the projects were begun, Americans still depend on them every day.
The Hoover Dam was a project that was considered years earlier than it began. It took Roosevelt to make the construction a reality. Depending of the party in power, the project was either dubbed Boulder or Hoover Dam. It cost about a million and a half dollars to complete over a five year period. Twenty thousand workers were employed at the height of the construction. The Hoover Dam is still considered an global architectural wonder.
The Grand Coulee Dam was a favorite project of Franklin Roosevelt. He loved the idea that the Columbia River could be harnessed and directed to the driest parts of eastern Washington State creating viable farmland. It took sixty-five million dollars and nine years, but his dream became a reality. Today Coulee Dam still stands as one of our planet's largest concrete structures.
National parks were part of Roosevelt's grand design. At the center was the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The WPA workers created a masterpiece that includes nearly nine hundred acres of wilderness. Every year more than ten million visitors tour the North Carolina and Tennessee lands. Its cultural significance has been recognized by UNESCO.
Underwater tunnels were not prevalent the nineteen thirties, and the Lincoln Tunnel may have begun a trend. It took almost twenty years to complete, opening for business in 1937 although it was 1957 before all three tubes were finished. The tunnel runs a mile and a half and connects Manhattan to New Jersey. Nearly half a billion vehicles are driven through each year.
Construction on the Triborough Bridge began on one of the darkest days in American history, Black Friday 1929. The WPA completed it in 1936. There are three long span bridges, a number of shorter ones, approach roads and a viaduct connecting Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. Today it is the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge and two hundred thousand travelers cross over it every single day.
These are just a few examples of structures that resulted from the hard work of thousands of Americans with the help of government funding. It is hard to believe that the same could be accomplished today. Self-interest, special interest groups, and gridlock seem to be the order of the day in Washington now.
Whether it was programs like these or entry into the Second World War that finally got the country out of a Great Depression is still a matter of debate for some historians and economists. The positive psychological impact can't be denied however. Although it has been nearly a hundred years since the projects were begun, Americans still depend on them every day.
The Hoover Dam was a project that was considered years earlier than it began. It took Roosevelt to make the construction a reality. Depending of the party in power, the project was either dubbed Boulder or Hoover Dam. It cost about a million and a half dollars to complete over a five year period. Twenty thousand workers were employed at the height of the construction. The Hoover Dam is still considered an global architectural wonder.
The Grand Coulee Dam was a favorite project of Franklin Roosevelt. He loved the idea that the Columbia River could be harnessed and directed to the driest parts of eastern Washington State creating viable farmland. It took sixty-five million dollars and nine years, but his dream became a reality. Today Coulee Dam still stands as one of our planet's largest concrete structures.
National parks were part of Roosevelt's grand design. At the center was the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The WPA workers created a masterpiece that includes nearly nine hundred acres of wilderness. Every year more than ten million visitors tour the North Carolina and Tennessee lands. Its cultural significance has been recognized by UNESCO.
Underwater tunnels were not prevalent the nineteen thirties, and the Lincoln Tunnel may have begun a trend. It took almost twenty years to complete, opening for business in 1937 although it was 1957 before all three tubes were finished. The tunnel runs a mile and a half and connects Manhattan to New Jersey. Nearly half a billion vehicles are driven through each year.
Construction on the Triborough Bridge began on one of the darkest days in American history, Black Friday 1929. The WPA completed it in 1936. There are three long span bridges, a number of shorter ones, approach roads and a viaduct connecting Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. Today it is the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge and two hundred thousand travelers cross over it every single day.
These are just a few examples of structures that resulted from the hard work of thousands of Americans with the help of government funding. It is hard to believe that the same could be accomplished today. Self-interest, special interest groups, and gridlock seem to be the order of the day in Washington now.
About the Author:
If you are searching for the facts about public works, come to our web pages online today. More details are available at http://www.thelaborcompliancemanagers.com now.
No comments:
Post a Comment