President Roosevelt signed The Tennessee Valley Authority Act in 1933, creating a New Deal agency, “…with the power of government, but possessing the flexibility and initiative of a private enterprise.” TVA power dams along the Tennessee River and its tributaries provided the electricity needed to fuel economic growth, and power industries critical to America’s war effort. The agency eventually constructed thirty dams and hydropower plants, and three dozen other generating stations powered by coal, natural gas, nuclear or solar. Construction employment at TVA projects was a lifeline for thousands during the Great Depression, reaching a peak of more than 28,000 workers at the time of this photo in 1942.

Innovative TVA programs controlled seasonal flooding, taught farmers to increase crop yields, and improved habitats for fish and wildlife. But the most extraordinary improvement in Valley life came from affordable, TVA-generated electricity—a legacy of the New Deal that still endures, 90 years after the TVA was envisioned.