The Social Security Act Of 1935: The Great Depression In America

On “Black Thursday” October 24th, 1929- the Wall Street Stock Market crashed sending the American economy in a decade long Depression that left millions of men and women starving, unemployed, and willing to do anything for work. “The worldwide, decade-long depression struck the United States like a Biblical Plague, shuttering factories, closing banks, foreclosing on farms and putting as many as one out of three workers on the street.” (WBA, 391). The federal government 's “hands off” approach to the economy in the early stages of the Depression proved to be inadequate and the American people’s need for assistance became too great to ignore. Forced to adapt, American citizens and politicians had to come up with new ways to deal with the lack

The Second New Deal saw a big boost in government spending on relief programs designed to get Americans working and to get money flowing in the economy. Agencies were created and given billions to provide employment to millions and from that the WPA was formed which built thousands of hospitals, schools, airports, and playgrounds across the country and when Americans saw those things being built they saw it as progress and it served as a sign of hope that things were getting better. The Social Security Act of 1935 was one of the most important things created from the Second New Deal and it was designed to provide social protection to citizens for things like unemployment and aid for poor families. This made the federal government a more prominent role in the lives of everyday Americans but it was something that was good for the social well being of the country. Apart from forming different agencies and organizations, the federal government also got involved in revamping American culture. “The federal government employed writers, photographers, actors, and artists on a massive scale” (WBA, 473). The artists included painters, sculptors and muralists and they made works of art for mass culture. “By 1937, the U.S economy was producing as many goods and services as it had in 1929” (WBA, 480), and that goes to proves the Second New Deal was very effective in solving the problems of the Great Depression. Hopelessness was one of the biggest problems Americans faced during the Depression, and the Second New Deal restored hope in the majority of Americans and it helped the country get out of economic turmoil by bringing jobs back and money into people’s