Roosevelt, a native New Yorker, first visited Georgia in 1913 on business for the U.S. Navy in Brunswick. In August 1921 he contracted polio while on a family vacation at Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada. He then sought to heal the damage caused by the disease. In October 1924 he learned of Warm Springs and its beneficial waters. He quickly grew to love Georgia and its people, and they welcomed him as their adopted son.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe water at Warm Springs maintains an average temperature of about eighty-eight degrees and bubbles out of nearby Pine Mountain, one of several quartzite ridges running through west central Georgia. According to legend, sick and injured Creek Indians once came to the springs to recover from their ills, in much the same way that Roosevelt used the healing waters. He generally visited in late March and April and again in the fall, when he traditionally shared Thanksgiving dinner with other patients. He swam, sat in the sun, caught up on correspondence, and went for drives in the countryside, which had been devastated by the boll weevil and plummeting cotton prices.%0D%0A%0D%0APresident Roosevelt likely drew inspiration to create New Deal programs such as the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and the Rural Electrification Administration during these drives—indeed, the president called Warm Springs the birthplace of the Rural Electrification Administration in 1938. Georgia farmers were hit especially hard by the Great Depression, and their recovery was slowed by the high cost of electricity, which was used in 90 percent of urban homes and only 10 percent of rural homes by 1935. Electric companies were simply not willing to string miles of wire to widely dispersed rural families, so those families had to go without economic stimulants like the light bulb, the electric water pump, and the electric iron. Roosevelt himself felt this cost in Warm Springs—his first electric bill at the Little White House was four times greater than that of his New York home.

Question

Roosevelt, a native New Yorker, first visited Georgia in 1913 on business for the U.S. Navy in Brunswick. In August 1921 he contracted polio while on a family vacation at Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada. He then sought to heal the damage caused by the disease. In October 1924 he learned of Warm Springs and its beneficial waters. He quickly grew to love Georgia and its people, and they welcomed him as their adopted son.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe water at Warm Springs maintains an average temperature of about eighty-eight degrees and bubbles out of nearby Pine Mountain, one of several quartzite ridges running through west central Georgia. According to legend, sick and injured Creek Indians once came to the springs to recover from their ills, in much the same way that Roosevelt used the healing waters. He generally visited in late March and April and again in the fall, when he traditionally shared Thanksgiving dinner with other patients. He swam, sat in the sun, caught up on correspondence, and went for drives in the countryside, which had been devastated by the boll weevil and plummeting cotton prices.%0D%0A%0D%0APresident Roosevelt likely drew inspiration to create New Deal programs such as the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and the Rural Electrification Administration during these drives—indeed, the president called Warm Springs the birthplace of the Rural Electrification Administration in 1938. Georgia farmers were hit especially hard by the Great Depression, and their recovery was slowed by the high cost of electricity, which was used in 90 percent of urban homes and only 10 percent of rural homes by 1935. Electric companies were simply not willing to string miles of wire to widely dispersed rural families, so those families had to go without economic stimulants like the light bulb, the electric water pump, and the electric iron. Roosevelt himself felt this cost in Warm Springs—his first electric bill at the Little White House was four times greater than that of his New York home.

Answer 1

Roosevelt's visits to Warm Springs allowed him to witness firsthand the struggles faced by rural communities in Georgia and across the country. The economic hardships caused by the Great Depression highlighted the need for government intervention and assistance. Through his experiences at Warm Springs, Roosevelt saw the potential for government programs to improve the lives of ordinary Americans.

The Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) was established in 1933 as part of Roosevelt's New Deal. Its purpose was to stabilize agricultural prices and provide relief to farmers. By offering subsidies for reducing production, the AAA aimed to increase farm income and combat overproduction. Roosevelt likely drew inspiration for this program from the struggles of the Georgia farmers he encountered during his visits to Warm Springs.

Similarly, the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) was created in 1935 to bring electricity to rural areas. Many rural families, including those in Georgia, did not have access to electricity due to the high cost and lack of infrastructure. Roosevelt saw the impact of this disparity during his time at Warm Springs, where he experienced firsthand the challenges and expenses associated with electricity in rural America.

By establishing the REA, Roosevelt aimed to provide electricity to rural communities, improving their quality of life and stimulating economic growth. The creation of the REA was a direct response to the struggles faced by the rural families he encountered in Georgia.

Overall, Roosevelt's visits to Warm Springs played a significant role in shaping his policies and programs aimed at helping rural communities. The experiences he had and the challenges he witnessed inspired him to create initiatives such as the AAA and the REA, which aimed to provide relief and support to those most affected by the economic hardships of the Great Depression.