Social Security Online: History

This site from the Social Security Administration provides the history of social security in the US. Choose from a simple timeline or brief summary, to a much more indepth explanation of this program. Includes quotes from Presidents as...

The text of a radio speech given by Secretary of Labor Francis Perkins in 1935 in which he explained the Administration's proposals contained in the Economic Security Bill. This bill formed the basis for what later became the Social...

Should Social Security be privatized, or is the government program fine just the way it is? Scholars read pro and con arguments and watch videos to learn more about the debate topic. Pupils also have an opportunity to interact with other...

What does social security reveal about the political and social culture of the 1930s? After beginning with a brief introductory video on the impact of the Great Depression and how various Americans, such as Huey Long and Francis...

Includes facts on Social Security, its history, problems, and possible solutions for the program.

Full text of the debates in the House and the Senate over the Social Security Act of 1935, proposed by President Roosevelt for economic relief and recovery as part of his New Deal. Each of the debates can be downloaded in PDF form.

An in-depth discussion on the constitutionality of the Social Security Act and the 1937 Supreme Court decisions that helped settle it.

A comprehensive site that includes information about Townsend and the Townsend Plan, links to the different sections of the text of the Social Security Plan, links to issues of the newsletter that was published by Townsend, editorial...

The official website of the U.S. Social Security Administration. An interesting site to check out for current information on the subject, along with links to additional information. The FAQ section has information about Social Security...

One page summary of the modern world's first social security program pioneered by Otto Von Bismarck in easy to read language.