Monday, August 31, 2015

New Deal Postage Stamps: Power


Above: The Grand Coulee Dam was built between 1933 and 1942 with funding from the New Deal's Public Works Administration (PWA). It still operates today, and for three-quarters of a century it has produced electric power for millions of Americans in the Northwest. Note: The dates on the stamp--1902 to 1952--refer to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, a federal agency that still exists today. Image from personal collection


Above: Since its creation by New Deal policymakers in 1933, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has produced electric power for millions of Americans in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Originally opposed by conservatives, as an intrusion on the "free market," it is now protected by conservatives because it has been so successful (see, e.g., "Obama Proposal To Sell TVA Blasted By Republicans," Associated Press, Huffington Post, April 16, 2013).


Above: The New Deal's Rural Electrification Administration (REA) helped bring power to millions of Americans living in rural areas of the nation. In fact, when REA was created in 1935 only about 10% of rural America enjoyed electric service. By 1953, 90% had electric service. The next time someone tells you that the New Deal didn't work, tell them that. Image from personal collection

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