President Roosevelt became president during the Great Depression, the nation’s worst economic crisis. He had promised “New Deal” programs, like the Works Progress Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the Social Security Act (SSA) to help America get out of the Great Depression. He wanted to get Americans back to work. If people had income, they would spend money, and this was what the economy needed to get out of its crisis. So he worked to get these programs to pass through Congress.
On August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law to guarantee income for those who are unemployed or retired. His concern was for “young people [who] have come to wonder what would be their lot when they came to old age” and also for those who had employment without job security. He knew that 100% of the people could never be helped, but he wanted to do what he could to keep senior citizens from being hopelessly poor. Social Security started out as a fight against unemployment, but it now helps retirees and the disabled, and gives death benefits to taxpayer dependents.
