A Guide to New Deal Records at the State
Archives of Florida
Introduction
The purpose of this guide is to identify and describe those public
records pertaining to Florida’s New Deal era (1933-1942) housed
at the State Archives of Florida. We hope this guide will assist current
and promote future historical research into this time period.
Florida and the New Deal
 In early 1926, few people could have guessed that Florida would soon
be in the midst of a Depression. On the surface, Florida was booming.
Tourism was high, land sales were reaching astronomical heights, and
new residents were coming in every day. Florida was the nation’s
playground. But behind the image, there already existed widespread poverty,
especially in the rural regions. Then in September 1926, a devastating
hurricane hit South Florida and ended Florida’s land and tourism
boom. Then three years later, the 1929 stock market crash pushed the
rest of the nation into what became known as the Great Depression.
Florida was in dire need of relief. Its tax rolls were exhausted, there
was no government apparatus for relief work, and its state constitution forbid
both direct relief and deficit spending. Then in 1932, two men from New York
were elected to office. Former New York Governor, Franklin D. Roosevelt was
inaugurated as U.S. president, and promised “a new deal for the American
people.” His administration quickly established several new relief programs,
began offering Federal aid to the states, and changed forever the role of the
federal government in people’s lives. Soon known as the New Deal, these
changes included workman’s compensation, social security, and unemployment
insurance. There were also the slew of “alphabet” relief programs,
such as the CCC, WPA, FERA, NYA, PWA, NRA, and CWA.
 Meanwhile,
in Florida, another New Yorker was elected governor—Dave Sholtz.
An acquaintance of Roosevelt, Sholtz moved to establish links between Florida
and the New Deal, including establishing a State Welfare Board, a State Planning
Board and a Florida Emergency Relief Administration to accept federal aid.
Soon Florida had CCC, WPA, NYA and PWA projects throughout the state. The
New Deal was discontinued at the outbreak of WWII, as the draft and emerging
defense industries and spending finally lifted the nation out of the Depression.
But still today, there are remnants of this period left in Florida, including
many state buildings, state forests, roads, and the Florida Park Service.
About the State Archives of Florida
 The
State Archives of Florida is the official repository for the public records
of the State of Florida. The
Archives is mandated by law to collect, preserve,
and make available for research the historically significant records of the
State, as well as private manuscripts, local government records, photographs,
and other materials that complement the official State records.
Before 1967,
there was no official State Archives for Florida. Following the United
States acquisition of Florida the Legislative Council of the Territory
created the
office of Keeper of the Public Archives--but that position was abolished in
1848. Starting in 1925, the Florida State Library assumed archival functions
within the state. Dr. Dorothy Dodd served as the first State Archivist and
helped to preserve many early Florida records from destruction. Then in 1967,
the Archives and History Act officially established the Florida State Archives.
Located first in the Old Leon County Jail, it moved to its current location
in 1976—the R.A. Gray building. Today, the State Archives program is
operated within the Division of Libraries and Information Services, under the
Department of State.
Access to Records
 Records
at the State Archives are available to patrons in accordance with the
laws of Florida and the operating rules of the
Archives. All public records
are open for use except for those specifically restricted by law or
rule. You may obtain copies of the laws and rules regulating the Archives
and
access to the records of Florida government from the reference desk.
Some personal papers or manuscript materials donated to the Archives
may be subject to special conditions or restrictions
imposed by the
donor(s).
How to Use this Guide
The following guide is divided into three sections. The
first part is a listing of all the archival collections by record group.
A record group is the entire
collection of a particular creating body, usually grouped at the division
or departmental level, e.g. Governor’s office, or Division of Historical
Resources. Sometimes, however, the record group is simply the custodian of
the records at the time of their transmittal to the State Archives. (For
instance, the Florida Park Service records are found within three separate
Record Groups.)
Listed below the record group are the various series and their descriptions.
A series is one collection of records created by an agency for a particular
function or purpose. This is the level at which collections are pulled. Therefore,
the series number (denoted with either S or a M, followed by the number,
e.g. “S
1876”, “M97-6”) also serves as the call number. If you
need more detailed information than that offered here, check the State Archives
of Florida online
catalog.
Search by the series number.
 The next section is a listing and description of the various New Deal
programs. Following each description is a listing of all the series that
pertain to
that particular program. Only those programs for which we have collections
are listed.
The final section lists other sources for Florida-New Deal research.
Two online photo exhibits feature images from the New Deal Era - Migrant Workers During the Great Depression in Florida and Conch Town: A Photographic Exhibit from the Florida Art Project, WPA.
If
you have any questions, you can contact the
State Archives of Florida by email, or call at (850) 245-6700. Reference
staff is
also available onsite to answer
any questions or concerns in person. For researchers, it is a good idea
to contact the archives ahead of time to ensure the best possible experience.
Also, check the Archives'
Web site for
a listing of rules and regulations.
Acknowledgements:
The Archives wishes to thank Heather Shuke-Nelson
for the guide’s initial layout and for her creation of the Florida
New Deal photographic collage.
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