Final answer:
The 'Hundred Days' refers to the initial phase of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency from March 9 to June 16, 1933, in which he enacted a significant volume of legislation as part of the New Deal program to alleviate the effects of the Great Depression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term 'Hundred Days' refers to the period at the beginning of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first term, from March 9 to June 16, 1933, during which an unprecedented volume of legislation was enacted to combat the Great Depression. This period marked the launch of the New Deal, a series of programs and policies aiming to provide relief, recovery, and reform to an ailing United States. Although initially, there was significant legislative success, Roosevelt's later efforts to expand the New Deal faced challenges, including Supreme Court decisions that invalidated key statutes. Despite this, the New Deal fundamentally changed the role of the federal government in the economy and its relationship with the American public.
Significant legislation during the First Hundred Days aimed to address the immediate crisis, while legislation in the Second Hundred Days, started in 1935, focused on broader financial relief, particularly targeting farmers and workers. In Roosevelt's second term, he also sought to regulate businesses more stringently, but faced resistance when trying to expand executive power, such as with his attempt to pack the Supreme Court.
Overall, the Hundred Days laid the groundwork for the expansion of government and social safety nets that characterized the New Deal era. This period was crucial in reshaping the government's role in citizens' lives and the economy during a time of extreme hardship.