Mrs. Ruland's U.S. History Class Project
The Tennessee Valley is an area of land that surrounds the Tennessee River , going through seven states found in Southeastern portion of the country. Back in 1933, the land was treacherous to cross and was in horrible condition compared to how the rest of the country was. There was a small population in the Tennessee Valley, because there was no electricity which made it almost impossible for anyone to live there. Farmers used the land there, but it was hard to make a living off of the overused, dried out land. While this was occurring, the country was in the middle of the Great Depression, due to the First World War that the country had just gone through. Many Americans had lost their jobs, property, and money. American families all across the country were suffering, but the Tennessee Valley was in great need of help. In 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to lead the country once again in hopes of relieving America of all of its economic, social, and political problems. Right away, Roosevelt focused his attention on helping the Tennessee Valley to become a productive part of the nation. On May 18, 1933 , Roosevelt put his plan into action by signing the Tennessee Valley Authority. Congress created the plan to help the Tennessee Valley to once again become prosperous. The newly formed agency had plans to help provide electricity to the businesses and homes, help with flooding problems, restore the natural surroundings, and to make traveling across and through the terrain easy. If all of these goals were able to be accomplished, businesses would be able to prosper again, the land would be healthy, farming would once again become prosperous, and the region would then become production once again. During Roosevelt 's presidency, Roosevelt turned his attention to reforming the nation by creating his reform plan called "The New Deal" in the first 100 days. The Tennessee Valley Authority was one of the most ambitious legislation under Roosevelt's reform plans. The Tennessee Valley Authority incorporated conservation, planning of the region, improving agriculture, making publicly available resources, and making an overall improvement of the dying region. The main enemy of the Tennessee Valley Authority was the private power companies, for business was taken from them because the government was then publicly funding power to all of the homes and businesses of the Tennessee Valley . In contrast, as the TVA became a larger source of electrical power supply it enabled the government to determine the cost of electrical power. Since the government learned the actual cost of power they could now better regulate private power companies and know what a fair price was. The Authority enhanced the democracy of the nation, because it enhanced the life of the citizens who resided in the Tennessee Valley. As a result of this legislation, the Tennessee Valley was able to once again become a prosperous part of the nation.
Tennessee Valley Authority... bringing electricity to all
The above website gives various information about the TVA including a history overall of the TVA and what the TVA as achieved.
Tennessee: A guide to the state
This website gives a brief overview of the TVA and how it relates to the state of Tennessee.
From the New Deal to a New Century
The above website provides information on the TVA through the years from the 1930's to the current day. This website answers the questions that are commonly asked about the TVA.
Tennessee Valley Authority Act
The above link is the actual act that drafted the TVA during the New Deal. It is of great help if you need to do an analysis of whether the TVA was successful or not.
Tennessee Valley Authority Kids
The website contains the history of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The website is written for children making it easy to understand. This website covers the past and present features
The above link provides information such as the people involved in the making of the Tennessee Valley Authority, a map to of the Tennessee Valley , and why private utility companies oppose of the TVA.
The website above gives on overall view of the TVA from the time it was created to the present day. The website includes information such as: the creation of the TVA, the TVA act, what the TVA has completed, and the TVA's goals
The website gives a great deal of information on the TVA and the people involved in the TVA. The website follows the history of the TVA from its creation until the present
Reader's
Companion to American History
Also see: Reader's
Companion 2
Both of the above links give short overview of the Tennessee Valley Authority and describes the areas covered by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the activities that the TVA was involved.
The above link goes into detail on why the TVA must be reformed providing justification and information on the subsidies relating to the TVA in the present times.
By Ashton, Lauren, Lindsay, and Stephanie
Last updated March 28, 2005
© Marcella Ruland 1998-2011, All rights reserved
