FDR's Social Security Act and the Birth of Old-Age Insurance

FDR's Federal Writers' Project: Documenting America

In this episode of Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal Explained, Lucas and Luna explore the Federal Writers' Project, a New Deal program that put thousands of unemployed writers, journalists, and scholars to work documenting America's stories. They follow the creation of the American Guide Series — detailed guidebooks covering every state — and the project's efforts to capture oral histories, folklore, and the voices of everyday people, including formerly enslaved individuals through the Slave Narratives collection. The conversation touches on the project's director, Henry Alsberg, the controversial state guide to Florida, and the political battles over funding and content. They also discuss the legacy of the project for American letters, including its role in launching the careers of writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright. Along the way, they reflect on the tensions between art and propaganda, and how the FWP navigated accusations of leftist bias during the height of the New Deal. #FederalWritersProject #AmericanGuideSeries #HenryAlsberg #ZoraNealeHurston #RichardWright #SlaveNarratives #WPA #NewDeal #FDR #GreatDepression #OralHistory #Folklore #AmericanLiterature #StateGuides #FloridaGuide #WorksProgressAdministration #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

FDR and the Soil Conservation Service: Saving Dust Bowl America

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore FDR's response to the Dust Bowl through the Soil Conservation Service and the Shelterbelt Project. They delve into the story of Hugh Hammond Bennett, the father of soil conservation, and his crusade against the 'national menace' of erosion. The conversation covers the creation of the Soil Erosion Service in 1933, the 1935 Soil Conservation Act, the controversial Prairie States Forestry Project planting 220 million trees from Texas to Canada, and the political battles with the Agriculture Department. They also discuss the tragic 1935 'Black Sunday' dust storm, Bennett's dramatic testimony to Congress, and the enduring legacy of conservation practices like contour plowing and terracing. Specific names include Hugh Hammond Bennett, Rexford Tugwell, Franklin Roosevelt, and Morris Cooke. #FDR #NewDeal #DustBowl #SoilConservation #HughHammondBennett #ShelterbeltProject #BlackSunday #PrairieStatesForestryProject #SoilErosionService #1935SoilConservationAct #RooseveltAdministration #ContourPlowing #GreatDepression #AmericanHistory #NorthAmerica #History #FexingoHistory #Conservation Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

FDR's Rural Electrification Administration: Power to the Countryside

In 1935, nine out of ten American farms had no electricity. The Rural Electrification Administration changed that, bringing power to the countryside through a cooperative model that bypassed private utilities. This episode explores the REA's creation, the resistance from power companies who called it socialism, and the transformative impact on rural life—from radio and refrigeration to electric pumps and washing machines. We discuss key figures like Morris Cooke, the first REA administrator, and John Carmody, who expanded the program. We also look at the legal battles, including the Tennessee Electric Power Company's fight against the TVA, and how the REA became one of the New Deal's most enduring successes, laying the groundwork for modern rural infrastructure. #RuralElectrificationAdministration #MorrisCooke #JohnCarmody #NewDeal #FDR #TennesseeElectricPowerCompany #CooperativeElectricity #TennesseeValleyAuthority #REA #RuralAmerica #Electrification #1930s #GreatDepression #PublicPower #FexingoHistory #History #NorthAmerica #Infrastructure Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

FDR's Social Security Act and the Birth of Old-Age Insurance

In June 1934, FDR created the Committee on Economic Security, tasking Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins with designing a social insurance system for the United States. This episode traces the fierce battles behind the Social Security Act of 1935: the Townsend Plan's radical call for $200 monthly pensions, the opposition from the American Medical Association and business groups, the exclusion of agricultural and domestic workers (a concession to Southern Democrats that excluded most African Americans), and the key role of Edwin Witte and Arthur Altmeyer in drafting the legislation. We also explore the Supreme Court cases that tested the Act's constitutionality, including Helvering v. Davis and Steward Machine Company v. Davis, and how the final law created old-age benefits, unemployment insurance, and Aid to Dependent Children — a foundation that still shapes American life today. #NewDeal #SocialSecurity #FrancesPerkins #TownsendPlan #EdwinWitte #ArthurAltmeyer #HelveringVDavis #StewardMachineCo #AidToDependentChildren #CommitteeOnEconomicSecurity #1935SocialSecurityAct #FDR #GreatDepression #OldAgeInsurance #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAmerica #AmericanHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

FDR's Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, the massive spending bill that created the Works Progress Administration and reshaped the New Deal. They discuss how FDR pushed for a permanent jobs program after the 1934 midterm elections, the political battles with Congress over funding, and the act's unprecedented $4.8 billion budget. The conversation covers Harry Hopkins' role in designing the WPA, the debate over relief versus work, and the act's impact on unemployment. They also touch on the controversy over the 'prevailing wage' requirement and the act's legacy in establishing federal responsibility for employment. #EmergencyReliefAppropriationAct #WorksProgressAdministration #HarryHopkins #NewDeal #FDR #GreatDepression #1935 #Relief #Unemployment #PublicWorks #FederalSpending #Congress #PWA #CWA #PrevailingWage #NorthAmerica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]