Martin Luther King Jr
Martin Luther King Jr was one of the most influential political figureheads in the history of the United States. He is mainly known for his contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. He advocated for peace and fair treatment of all individuals in the United States. Luther involvement with the movement was closely related to his religious belief. He was a Protestant, and the religion encourages followers to practice peace and resolve to non-violent means of resolving conflict. His non-violent strategy did not mean that he would not have rubbed shoulders with people the wrong way since he was arrested and kept under custody for several times, he was also a victim of personal abuse.
The events that occurred during the civil rights movement period of the 1960s had a long lasting effect on not only the political scene but also the economic and social scene. It was during his leadership that Civil Rights Movement hit its stride in the fight against oppression, segregation, disenfranchisement and violence against the black community (Dierenfield, 2008). It was at the same time that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed that officially banned slavery and gave the African Americans the citizenship status. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed that made it easier for people from the minority communities to participate in the voting process (Dierenfield, 2008). Following the implementation of this Act, the voter registration numbers increased significantly which means more people, especially from the minority communities, had the opportunity to select their leaders who would represent them in the government and take care of their issues and grievances. These constitutional changes promised to institute equal social progression that would translate into positive political and economic advances.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
He is served as the President of the United States from 1933 to 1945. His tenure is considered to be the longest in the American history. During his time as President, he may have done a lot to change American politics and society. During his campaign for the presidency the American people were suffering from the effects of the Great Depression hence they were on the lookout for a leader who would effectively combat the situation (The White House.gov, n.d.). FDR offered American a new deal, and he was elected as president based on the policies and strategies he promised to implement to deal with the adverse economic situation. His policies were able to pull America from the brink of political, social and even economic disaster.
FDR's ‘New Deal' was s series of programs and legislations he intended to implement to help deal with the unemployment, poverty, and other economic issues. He received much support from the Congress who quickly rubber-stamped the proposed policies to help expedite reforms. The very first act he did as president was to draft the Emergency Banking Bill of 1933 that intended to bring back sanity in the banking industry and restore the public faith of the system.
The Civil Conservation Corps was one of his most successful programs that intended to tackle the issue of unemployment. More than 3 million individuals were sent to the forest to work. Another Act that targeted the pressing issue of unemployment was the National Industrial Recovery Act that banned child labor and set limits on wages and the number of hours an employee is allowed to work in a week. Such acts are still in implementation today and have influenced a number of modern economic policies.
References
Dierenfield, B. (2008). The Civil Rights Movement: Revised. London: Routledge.
The White House.gov. (n.d.). Franklin D. Roosevelt. Retrieved 10th July 2016 from https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/franklindroosevelt
