Was Social Security revolutionary or a program designed to appease Americans who wanted more profound change? In this lesson, students address this question as they analyze historical documents and evaluate competing interpretations by two historians. Topics discussed include the role of government in social welfare services, taxes, business interests, and race.
[Original Documents file updated 10/30/2018.]
Image: Photo of President Roosevelt Signing the 1935 Social Security Act. From the Wikimedia Commons.