Here is a speech given by Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor in the administration of Franklin Roosevelt, praising the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935. See how this groundbreaking legislation would help the elderly, disabled,...

A very interesting discussion of the potential problems that plagued the implementation of the Social Security Act. Read about the cases brought before the Supreme Court which gave Congress the constitutional ability to tax and spend for...

An exhaustive look at the arts projects funded by the WPA Federal Arts program in Minnesota. These included music, writing, and pictorial projects throughout the state. This PDF file includes pictures and extensive footnotes.

This lesson plan from the Internal Revenue Service gives the history of the progressive income tax which helped fund the social programs implemented during the Great Depression, and the war effort after the country joined the Allies in...

As part of the Works Progress Administration, the Federal Art Project's goal was to provide employment to artists who would be educators and creators of public art. Read about the legacy of the Federal Art Project in Oklahoma during the...

As part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal was the expansion of electric lines across rural America. This article explains why it was important to Kansas farmers and how they could afford to hook up to the grid.

Discover interesting facts and information about the Works Progress Administration established in April 1935 to provide light construction jobs for millions of unskilled workers.