Other Sources I Am Using For my Paper Part V

Another major primary source I will be using for my paper is a newsreel that was played before movies as part of the “March of Time” series. The video was made in 1937 in order to help the populace understand the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill and why it came into being. The video offers valuable video clips of major proponents and opponents of the bill. The video also helped to detail the major political interest that many Americans had in the Bill and its potential consequences. In addition to actual footage of speeches n the video, it also featured a segment in which a case was reenacted. Below is a link to the video.

Other Sources I Am Using For my Paper Part IV

One major source I will be using for my paper is the multiple political cartoons that were used to portray the Judicial Reforms Bill of 1937. Below are some of the political cartoons I will be using. I feel that political cartoons offer valuable insight into how people perceived the issue.

A political cartoon showing Roosevelt's difficulties in passing the Bill

A political cartoon showing the old and weary justices of the Supreme Court getting relief from the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937

A political cartoon a showing how FDR was able to get the support of the legislative branch for his New Deal programs, but not the Judicial branch.

A political cartoon showing how FDR is fundamentally changing the makeup of the Supreme Court.

A political cartoon showing FDR forcing the Supreme Court to go along with his New Deal programs.

A political cartoon showing that if the Bill passes FDR will pack the Court with stooges. 

A political cartoon showing how the Bill threatens to send America towards a dictatorship. 

A political cartoon showing how the Legislative Branch is forced to go along with the bill or not receive special projects for their districts or states. 

Who, What, Where, When, and Why

In order to gain a better understanding of what I will be writing about for my paper it is important to ask Who, What, Where, When, and Why.

The “Who” question delves into the historical players involved in the event and their backgrounds. President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration, the Supreme Court, and the American people all played a major part in the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937.

The “What” question delves into what event took place. The event that took place was the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, where FDR tried to diminish the power of the Supreme Court by appointing more Justices to the bench.

The “Where” question delves into where the historical event took place. The historical took place in Washington D.C. since the Supreme Court is located there and the legislation was proposed there.

The “When” question delves into when the event took place. The primary years I will be covering in my paper will be from 1935, when the Supreme Court began making dramatic rulings against New Deal legislation, until 1938, when the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937 was handily defeated.

The “Why” question delves into why the historical event took place in the first place. The Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937 came into being because the Supreme Court was continually striking down New Deal legislation that FDR thought was imperative to saving the country from financial and social ruin. In order to gain the upper hand on the Supreme Court he wanted to appoint Justices more favorable to his point of views. 

Other Sources I Am Using For my Paper Part III

Another major source I will be using for the paper will be the 1937 Supreme Court case of West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish. The court case dealt with a woman challenging her employer over not receiving minimum wage under Washington state law. The Supreme Court case decided that the Washington state law was constitutional, setting a precedent for the legality of minimum wage laws. The court case is important to paper because around the time the decision was given FDR was trying to appoint more justices to the Supreme Court, since they had previously ruled against Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation. The decision in the case represented a dramatic reversal in the Court’s decision making in regards to New Deal laws. The swing vote in the case was Justice Owen J. Roberts, who had previously decided against New Deal legislation in previous cases. Some historians have claimed that the decision in Parrish was made in order to prevent Roosevelt from “packing” the court and threating the integrity of the Supreme Court. Regardless of the reasons behind the decision the case represented a major paradigm shift in the way the Supreme Court handled New Deal legislation from that point on.

Associate Justice Owen Roberts

Other Sources I Am Using For my Paper Part II

The book Back to Back: The Duel Between FDR and the Supreme Court by Leonard Baker is another one of the sources I am using for my paper. The book was written in 1967 and offers some excellent interviews throughout the book. The interviews involve Baker, who would later go on to win a Pulitzer for other work, interviewing some of the major players from the battle over the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937. These interviews offer valuable insight into how some of the historical players looked back at the event in retrospect. Although the author is supportive of the New Deal and FDR, the interviews throughout the book are useful sources in understanding the event. The historical argument of the book was that FDR was able to win over the Supreme Court’s support for New deal legislation by threatening to dilute their power by appointing more justices to the bench. Although the book is fairly old, it is important in understanding how people felt about the event, and the interviews will be an invaluable source throughout my paper.