Today in History: Social Security

On this day (August 14) in 1935 Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act. This legislation is the foundation document of the modern welfare system in the United States. It provided direct financial assistance to the elderly, the unemployed, and some children. The act was challenged before the Supreme Court both as an unconstitutional payment and an unconstitutional tax but the Supreme Court upheld the act in 5-4 and 7-2 decisions.