Explanation of the importance of the Social Security Act and how it differed from social security initiatives of European countries. Includes a facsimile of the act's official entry in the Enrolled Acts and Regulations of Congress, along...

A good overview of the Social Security Act, what it included, why it was proposed, and those whom it protected. Included are reasons for opposition to the act and mention of those who were left out of coverage. You can also read Franklin...

A description of the Economic Security Act proposed to Congress by Roosevelt in 1935, with a link for downloading a PDF version of the final bill.

Biography of Frances Perkins and her role in passing the Social Security Act. Includes personal quotes and links to other sites with more information on her service to Franklin Roosevelt.

Essay discussing how Frances Perkins was involved in passage of the Social Security Act. Also contains a link to a speech given by Perkins to SSA employees.

The Social Security Administration profiles the political career of author Upton Sinclair and his unsuccessful run as a progressive candidate for governor of California in 1934. He proposed a plan for California similar to what became...

A brief look at the Social Security Act of 1935 which expanded the government's role in providing social welfare to those in need. See whom the Act did not help and read about how the legislation exanded the Americans' view of what...

Examines the legislation enacted under Roosevelt's Second New Deal, and how the New Deal as a whole affected women, African Americans, and Native Americans.

An interesting biography of Alf Landon, who ran for president against Franklin Roosevelt in 1936 even though he agreed with most of Roosevelt's positions and actions to pull the country out of the Great Depression. Read about his...

Discusses Franklin D. Roosevelt's First and Second New Deals and the different programs that got people back to work and put food on their tables. Looks at the successes and failures of these programs and the criticisms leveled at...

Short biographical essay on Robert F. Wagner, author of the Social Security Act and the Wagner Labor Act.

This page by the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University provides an overview of unemployment compensation law. Learn why unemployment law exists and what it guarantees.

Encyclopedia Britannica provides a biography of Frances Perkins. Appointed secretary of labor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she was the first female cabinet member.