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The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) giving dam jobs since 1933!
Even before the election of Roosevelt, he and Senator George Norris had long talked about implementing a more efficient way to get the electrical power at Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River(The New Deal and The American People). The TVA, which is still running today, did more than just dam jobs, they did restoration of land, taught farmers new techniques on how to better farm and preserve the environment, they planted trees and of course, renovated and built dams across Tennessee. Many of the dam people involved were able to see improvement in their lives through the jobs that they worked and the electrical power that could now be efficiently and affordably transfered to their homes.
Success!
The TVA went above and beyond the expected. In the circumstances of the Great Depression, the TVA flourished bringing relief, showing recovery, and enacting reform. The TVA showed relief by giving people not only dam jobs but bringing affordable power to those that needed it. Previously, 94% of the power in the US was privatley owned and was sold at monstrous prices making it unaffordable. In the wake of the Great Depression, these business got bought out by the government. These businesses got made into public businesses that created new jobs and more revenue for those in Tennessee. As a result of the success, the TVA spread to Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia (Americaslibrary.gov). As electrical power was becoming more sustainable and more affordable, it allowed people to get this power. Also you need more people to work on and keep these dams running and so people and the economy started to recover. The reform came from the transference of the power business from private to public giving the government more control over widespread power across the country.
Why did the TVA succeed?
The TVA succeeded for several reasons. One, it gave fair wage dam jobs to those that needed. Two it provided affordable power to everyone near and around the dam and three, the transfer of the industry of electrical power to the government actually allowed the system to work better because the government was for the people, not for the maximum profit that the private owners wanted. This is why the TVA is still in place today as it remains a specialized and efficient force for dam power.
Roosevelt signs the TVA act
Senator George Norris
The first board of the TVA consisted of Harcourt Morgan, Arthur E. Morgan, and David Lilianthel. (left to right)
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