Precedents
There really is in fact: The Great Depression-WWII generation. These fine folks lived through almost two decades of nearly the worst times imaginable.
The lesson from that time is clearly that government intervention in the economy was needed and produced positive results. WWII was the ultimate stimulus, and America emerged from it a superpower. Imagine if all that spending and investment had been channeled into infrastructure, education, science, engineering, healthcare, etc etc etc instead of guns, bombs, tanks, planes, ships?
The stimulus was a good idea without any doubt. It may have been too small if anything. Serious investment in our long term growth will produce decades of prosperity for our children and grandchildren.