FDR’s Tennessee Valley Authority

President Franklin Roosevelt set the Tennessee Valley Authority was into action on May 18, 1933. This was part of a set of programs known as the New Deal that attempted to lift the country out of a devastating Depression. It sought to provide much needed jobs to individuals all over the country and electricity and irrigation to the Tennessee Valley.

The Tennessee Valley area is the area sorrounding the Tennessee River. The authorities therefore utilized the natural energy of the river to provide hydel power to the area. This provided a much needed relief to the residents of the area by bringing power to their homes and businesses during the time of severe depression.

The Tennessee Valley’s people were very poor and were called the "Forgotten Americans". There was a shortage of funds and it was rather logical for the area to be short of electricity. President's Tennessee Valley Authority rejuvenated the area by coming to the aid of these deprived individuals. Their average income started to grow and the area finally arrived on the economic scene.

Apart from bringing electricity to the area by utilizing the natural energy of the river, the TVA also succeeded in controlling the floods which used to ravage the area sorrounding the river. This saved the people of the area from the damage that was caused to their crops and houses because of the flood. The TVA achieved this by building dams to control the flow of the river.

The dams provided a source of irrigation. During the years of the Depression, crops failed due to lack of water and farmers were often plunged deeper and deeper into debt. With electricity and irrigation facilities available the residents quickly changed to modern agricultural techniques of irrigation and gave up the old methods used by their forefathers.

It was very difficult to traverse the river by boats before the TVA built these new dams. Once these dams were built, it became much more easy to navigate through the river. This brought in increased traffic to the area, thereby bringing much needed funds.

There were other substantial natural benefits from the TVA. The TVA helped in controlling forest fires. Another benefit was the replanting of trees which lead to the regeneration of the depleted forest reserves. The regeneration of the forest acted as a glue for the wild life and they returned to the forests in drove. Similarly the construction of dams also brought in more fish to inhabit the river.

Tennessee Valley Authority was a pioneering effort at a very crucial juncture in the country's history. It not only provided jobs for a number of unemployed Americans but also helped in improving the overall economic status of the residents of the valley. Its innumerable contribution therefore should not be underestimated.

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