--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the New Deal programs were passed in…" description: "\"When the New Deal programs were passed in the mid 1930s, millions of workers were joining unions, striking, and occupying factories to fight for a bett..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/kshama-sawant-19963_1930s_when-the-new-deal-programs-were-passed-i_941337.jpg" --- # When the New Deal programs were passed in the mid 1930s… ![“When the New Deal programs were passed in the mid 1930s, millions of workers were joining unions, striking, and occupying factories to fight for a better life. It was this radical labor movement that forced the establishment to make concessions.” quote by Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/kshama-sawant-19963_1930s_when-the-new-deal-programs-were-passed-i_941337.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/kshama-sawant-19963_1930s_when-the-new-deal-programs-were-passed-i_941337.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/kshama-sawant-19963_1930s_when-the-new-deal-programs-were-passed-i_941337.jpg) > “When the New Deal programs were passed in the mid 1930s, millions of workers were joining unions, striking, and occupying factories to fight for a better life. It was this radical labor movement that forced the establishment to make concessions.” [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mid‑1930s New Deal policies sparked massive labor activism, forcing powerful interests to concede to workers’ demands for better conditions. **In simple terms:** Labor movements pressured leaders to improve workers’ lives. Key Takeaway Support collective action for change. Themes labor politics history Mood determined inspired Type historical educational When to use this quote - activism - policy reform - education - media coverage Key Concepts unionization economic policy Questions to Reflect On - How do labor actions reshape society? - What can modern movements learn from past successes? A Different Perspective Some view these movements as disruptive rather than progressive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Establishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/establishment/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Labor movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor-movement/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [New deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-deal/) [Radical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [Labor has been severely undermined, but that's happened before. In the 1920s, the labor movement was virtually crushed, in large part by Wilson's Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/labor-has-been-severely-undermined-but-that-s-happened-before-in-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The labor movement had been pretty much killed in the 1920s, almost destroyed. It revived in the 1930s and made a huge difference. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-labor-movement-had-been-pretty-much-killed-in-the-1920s-almost/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Whether we're talking about the New Deal or the Great Society: they didn't come about because they wanted to buy people off with "hush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/whether-we-re-talking-about-the-new-deal-or-the-great-society-they/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [The point about Roosevelt's New Deal was that it was visionary - for the 1930s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/the-point-about-roosevelt-s-new-deal-was-that-it-was-visionary-for/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [There is a myth that the New Deal programs on their own pulled the US out of the Great Depression and created the conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/there-is-a-myth-that-the-new-deal-programs-on-their-own-pulled-the-us/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [The programs that came to be known as the New Deal were not simply handed down by the benevolence of FDR and the Democrats.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/the-programs-that-came-to-be-known-as-the-new-deal-were-not-simply/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [History is a great teacher. Now everyone knows that the labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation but enlarged it. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/history-is-a-great-teacher-now-everyone-knows-that-the-labor-movement/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Trump's principal policies make clear what's going to happen. This gives an opportunity. Right now it's going to take hard work, but it's possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/trump-s-principal-policies-make-clear-what-s-going-to-happen-this/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I would say the issue for the labor movement in the United States is not structural... there is no correlation between the success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stern/i-would-say-the-issue-for-the-labor-movement-in-the-united-states-is/) [Andy Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stern/) > [Legislators who are of even average intelligence stand out among their colleagues. . . . A cultured college president has become as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bergen-evans/legislators-who-are-of-even-average-intelligence-stand-out-among/) [Bergen Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bergen-evans/) > [People think that we're engaged with identity politics. The truth is that we're doing what the labor movement has always done - organizing people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-garza/people-think-that-we-re-engaged-with-identity-politics-the-truth-is/) [Alicia Garza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-garza/) > [My parents had been involved in the labor movement; if we'd grown up in the city, we would have been red-diaper babies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/my-parents-had-been-involved-in-the-labor-movement-if-we-d-grown-up/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [With all of the talk about polling and demographics, I think too many people have lost touch with the human and moral crisis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlene-holt-baker/with-all-of-the-talk-about-polling-and-demographics-i-think-too-many/) Arlene Holt Baker > [“The farm labor movement saw him as a racist. He seemed to delight in the most outrageous snubs. Farm labor organizer Cesar Chavez was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jana-bommersbach/the-farm-labor-movement-saw-him-as-a-racist-he-seemed-to-delight-in/) Jana Bommersbach > [The labor movement must be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/the-labor-movement-must-be-destroyed/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/) ## More by Kshama Sawant > [While we still live in a capitalist society, we of course will fight for whatever reforms help make life better for working people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/while-we-still-live-in-a-capitalist-society-we-of-course-will-fight/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [Socialism is a society where the resources are used democratically to provide a better life for all, based on ending the dictatorship of big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/socialism-is-a-society-where-the-resources-are-used-democratically-to/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [On the basis of capitalism, victories like raising the minimum wage are only temporary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/on-the-basis-of-capitalism-victories-like-raising-the-minimum-wage/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [Socialism is a fundamentally different social system where the world's resources are not controlled by a greedy, undemocratic oligarchy. This is not the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/socialism-is-a-fundamentally-different-social-system-where-the-world/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [The for-profit health insurance industry is the main obstacle to delivering high quality, universal healthcare for all. It should be replaced with a single-payer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/the-for-profit-health-insurance-industry-is-the-main-obstacle-to/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [Bernie Sanders talks about socialism in Scandinavia, and he's correct to point to the huge victories the working class has won there through struggle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/bernie-sanders-talks-about-socialism-in-scandinavia-and-he-s-correct/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [Big business has many tools to make us pay for the crisis of their system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/big-business-has-many-tools-to-make-us-pay-for-the-crisis-of-their/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [We've seen the weakest economic recovery since World War II, and massive levels of inequality and debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/we-ve-seen-the-weakest-economic-recovery-since-world-war-ii-and/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [The programs that came to be known as the New Deal were not simply handed down by the benevolence of FDR and the Democrats.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/the-programs-that-came-to-be-known-as-the-new-deal-were-not-simply/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [Today, we live in a world of incredible wealth and technology, alongside the most horrendous conditions of poverty, war and environmental crisis. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/today-we-live-in-a-world-of-incredible-wealth-and-technology/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [Whether or not you agree with Bernie Sanders' version of socialism, it is enormously significant that, for the first time in US history, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/whether-or-not-you-agree-with-bernie-sanders-version-of-socialism-it/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [What Bernie Sanders is calling for is incredibly important. Things like a $15/hour minimum wage, single-payer healthcare, taxing the rich, and free education. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/what-bernie-sanders-is-calling-for-is-incredibly-important-things/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [The underlying issue is the system of capitalism itself, and under this system the best means for regulating or checking their power is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/the-underlying-issue-is-the-system-of-capitalism-itself-and-under/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [There is a myth that the New Deal programs on their own pulled the US out of the Great Depression and created the conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/there-is-a-myth-that-the-new-deal-programs-on-their-own-pulled-the-us/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [To break the power of the big corporations, we would propose that the biggest 500 corporations that dominate the rigged economy and political system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/to-break-the-power-of-the-big-corporations-we-would-propose-that-the/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) [Explore all 31 Kshama Sawant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) ## More 1930s quotes > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) > [My grandmother was a minister as well, which was not that common in the 1930s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/my-grandmother-was-a-minister-as-well-which-was-not-that-common-in/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [It reminds me in some ways of the debate taking place in this country and around the world in the late 1930s. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/it-reminds-me-in-some-ways-of-the-debate-taking-place-in-this-country/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [As a result of the efforts of Hayek .. and the many others who share his general outlook, the idea of a centrally planned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kristol/as-a-result-of-the-efforts-of-hayek-and-the-many-others-who-share-his/) [Irving Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kristol/) > [When I was in Philadelphia during the Depression in 1930 or '31, I got a very sad job as a night watchman in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-glazer/when-i-was-in-philadelphia-during-the-depression-in-1930-or-31-i-got/) [Tom Glazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-glazer/) > [Working in 3D I didn't experience much of a difference, except that the cameras are very big so they can't be moved around with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/working-in-3d-i-didn-t-experience-much-of-a-difference-except-that/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Whatever the reasons may be, I was very much affected by events of the 1930s - the Spanish Civil War, for example, though I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/whatever-the-reasons-may-be-i-was-very-much-affected-by-events-of-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We're a little bit low in the 1970s, right, post-Vietnam, Watergate era, malaise, all that, but this is more like the 1930s where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/we-re-a-little-bit-low-in-the-1970s-right-post-vietnam-watergate-era/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [In the immediate postwar era, financial crises in advanced countries were rare events, and before 1970 did not happen at all. Since then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-m-taylor/in-the-immediate-postwar-era-financial-crises-in-advanced-countries/) [Alan M. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-m-taylor/) > [I would not say that Harvard possesses any sort of absolute dominance. And I personally do not take the rankings of schools all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/i-would-not-say-that-harvard-possesses-any-sort-of-absolute-dominance/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [In the 1930s one was aware of two great evils - mass unemployment and the threat of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meade/in-the-1930s-one-was-aware-of-two-great-evils-mass-unemployment-and/) [James Meade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meade/) > [When comics came along in the 1930s there was a talent pool waiting. And one reason is so many areas were closed to Jews.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-robinson/when-comics-came-along-in-the-1930s-there-was-a-talent-pool-waiting/) [Jerry Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-robinson/) > [In his 1930 book, Dirac took for granted that measurements could be made, but was very vague about what was actually involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willis-lamb/in-his-1930-book-dirac-took-for-granted-that-measurements-could-be/) [Willis Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willis-lamb/) > [Under the gold standard America had no major financial panics other than in 1873, 1884, 1890, 1893, 1907, 1930, 1931, 1932, and 1933.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/under-the-gold-standard-america-had-no-major-financial-panics-other/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [The crucial role communists played in organizing industrial unions in the 1930s and struggling for social reforms, peace, and civil rights strengthened rather then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/the-crucial-role-communists-played-in-organizing-industrial-unions-in/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) Browse all 255 1930s quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When the New Deal programs were passed in the mid 1930s, millions of workers were joining unions, striking, and occupying factories to fight for a better life. 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