Listen to the first Fireside Chat
On March 12, 1933, thousands of banks were failing, and millions of Americans feared losing their savings. Faced with a crisis in public confidence, President...
Poland, 1939
In the early morning of September 1, 1939, German tanks crossed the German-Polish border—sparking World War II. Five hours later, at 3:05 A.M. local time, President...
President Franklin Roosevelt's funeral cortege
President Franklin Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Georgia, on April 12, 1945. Here, members of the United States military escort the caisson bearing the body of...
Providing a safety net
Published during the Franklin Roosevelt administration, this poster promoted the relatively new Social Security program, created to provide support for America's...
Roosevelt’s tree army
In 1933, Congress created the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. More than 600,000 men served during the agency’s...
Social Security Act of 1935
Before 1935, only retired veterans received any financial support from the Federal Government. But caught in the tribulations of the Great Depression, Americans began...
Social Security Card
Social Security cards—designed by Fred Happel of Albany, N.Y.—were first issued in November 1936. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act on...