9. The Civilian Conservation Corps was one of the most popular New Deal programs
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), founded in 1933, grew in the public mind and perception into one of the most – if not the most – successful and popular New Deal programs. Over its nine years of existence, the CCC employed three million young men (initially 18-25 years old, later changed to 17-28), though its maximum size at any one time was 300,000. The CCC first built camps for their own housing with the aid of the US Army, and then built parks, lodges, hiking trails, retaining walls, and campsites, nearly all of which remain in use in the twenty-first century. Over the course of its existence the CCC planted over three billion trees across the United States. The CCC completed erosion control projects which contributed to the reforestation of American woodlands which had been depleted by uncontrolled logging. It was proposed to Congress by FDR in March, 1933, and remained in operation until 1942.
As with the US Army of the day, the CCC was segregated, though the 143 all-black camps received the same pay and benefits as did their white counterparts. Initially camps were integrated, but the all-white southern voting-block in Congress insisted on segregation, and without their support funding was unobtainable. Another division of the CCC operated for the benefit of American Indians, completing projects on tribal lands. Although it remained popular in 1940, conscription began to drain the manpower supply, and by 1942 most healthy young men were entering the military – either by enlistment or the draft. Numerous states maintain similar agencies within their boundaries as of 2018, providing work, training, and pay for those youths who need assistance while benefiting the citizens of the state.