Rural Georgia 1935-1950
In 1938 REA statistics showed that 86 percent of their members had a radio in the home even thought the average project had only been operating eight months. The bringing of electricity into the homes of rural America families to enact and have activities after the sun went down that weren't under candle or lamplight.
One of those activities was for the family to gather around the radio to listen to FDR's "Fireside Chats" joining them with the larger American family and sealing their allegiance to FDR the "father of REA."
INSERT FIRESIDE CHAT CLIP HERE!
Connecting Rural Areas
The "right" of rural America to electricity and the life style that electricity made available was blocked by the cost of bringing electricity to isolated areas. As FDR observed, power costs varied greatly. Through REA implementation the cost per mile for rural lines dropped from $2000 to $600. The percentage of rural Americans were had electricity .rose from almost 10% (1935) to 50% (1942) to 95% (1952).
Electricity transforms domestic life
The domestic lives of rural women were difficult and thankless. The electrification of rural America allowed rural women to acquire and utilize common labor saving appliances and other "luxury" items previously only available "sophisticated" city folk. This brought rural women into the "mainstream" of American culture and consumer culture.
Electricity transform agriculture
REA transforms the agriculture economy. Farming has always been hard, long hours, and tedious labor. The electrification of rural America allowed great labor saving technology to be applied to the agriculture process. Example include milking machines, refrigeration, feeding machines, light, heating, and cooling of farm buildings, and saw and other electric mills.
Electricity (REA) transform Rural America and more closely unites America
The REA transforms rural America bringing it into the mainstream of America. The electrification of rural America allowed the future relocation of much of industrial America from the northeast and middle west to the south and western sections of the United States. For Georgia it allowed the widespread availability of air conditioning. YES!