The Great Depression affected the entire United States, but the condition of the Tennessee Valley was particularly poor.  In 1933, a third of the Tennessee Valley population was suffering from malaria, average income was less than $650, farm land was in poor condition and timber was in short supply.  In order to counter this long list of problems, President Roosevelt stepped in to save the Tennessee Valley economy.

On this day, May 18th, in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The TVA was designed as regional economic development agency and set out to modernize the Tennessee Valley. The TVA helped agriculture in the area by developing fertilizers, replanting forests, controlling forest fires and improving wildlife.  Although the improvements to agriculture were notable, electricity was the most important improvement to the Tennessee Valley.  Affordable electricity allowed for the introduction of lights and modern appliances that made the lives of valley residents much easier.  In order to combat the unemployment problem in the region, residents were employed in conservation, economic development and social programs.

The TVA continues to exist as an electricity provider for the Tennessee, as well as parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky.