This program takes up well into Franklin Roosevelt's presidency. Many of his social programs either didn't succeed or the Supreme Court declared them unconstitutional...and FDR considered trying to pack the court to get around this. Social programs championed by Roosevelt during this time included creating Social Security and the Works Progress Administration.
Much of the latter part of the show had to do with the rise of Nazis and the show INCORRECTLY said that Americans were horrified by them (actually, during the 1930s many Americans thought he was AWESOME and loved him). FDR was afraid of the Nazi menace and pushed for the US to take action to prepare for war, though Congress and the American people couldn't have cared less. At the conclusion, FDR is considering running for an unprecedented third term.
All in all, aside from saying the Americans were horrified by Hitler and the Nazis, a good episode of the Burns series. Well done and worth seeing.
Much of the latter part of the show had to do with the rise of Nazis and the show INCORRECTLY said that Americans were horrified by them (actually, during the 1930s many Americans thought he was AWESOME and loved him). FDR was afraid of the Nazi menace and pushed for the US to take action to prepare for war, though Congress and the American people couldn't have cared less. At the conclusion, FDR is considering running for an unprecedented third term.
All in all, aside from saying the Americans were horrified by Hitler and the Nazis, a good episode of the Burns series. Well done and worth seeing.
