Scholars have examined the workings of the New Deal in most states and large cities, but North Carolina, a leading southern state in population, agriculture, and business, has not received book-length treatment. This book is an effort to meet that need, considering primarily political and administrative history, although with attention to economic, social, and black history.
Not every aspect of North Carolina's experience in the Depression and New Deal could be developed fully, and topics such as relief, blacks, women, and the impact of New Deal programs on cities and counties warrant separate studies. My work concludes with 1940, except for finishing stories of agencies that had begun before that year. The Tennessee Valley Authority had no impact on North Carolina until after 1940 and therefore is not included.
Organizing a book on the New Deal is a challenge because so much happened at once. The focus is on the activities of both New Deal agencies and state government. New Deal strategies of relief, recovery, and reform were addressed at the state level. Throughout the 1930s, three men symbolized the diverse reactions in North Carolina to the New Deal: Senator Josiah W. Bailey, staunch opponent; ambassador and newspaperman Josephus Daniels, avid New Dealer; and governor, lawyer, and lobbyist O. Max Gardner, pragmatic conservative torn between cooperation and resistance.
I am happy to acknowledge my debts to many people and organizations. Bob Jones University granted me a generous leave and financial assistance. The history department of the University of Maryland awarded me a Hearst Fellowship to assist in one summer's research. Participation in George B. Tindall's National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminar and William E. Leuchtenburg's Project '87 seminar aided research on this project. Library staffs in New York, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and South Carolina were gracious and helpful, especially the staff members at the National Archives, who kindly assisted . . .