When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in March 1933, the country was in horrible economic condition, banks were collapsing, businesses were failing and the stock market continued to plummet. Promising the "New Deal" in his candidacy, he took bold action as leader of the country against hunger, unemployment, and the other problems of the great depression. In Roosevelt's inaugural address he spoke, "First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." People saw him as a new president ready to try anything to pick the country out of the hole they had been stuck in. The first years of the 1930's the standard of living dropped dramatically, millions, more than one-fourth, of people were put out of work, banks were closed, international trade was stagnant, homeless families roamed streets, farms were foreclosed; all faith in capitalism had diminished.
             The new deal provided helping programs such as the Social securities act, WPA, and the federal emergency relief act (FERA) to lower the unemployment and help those who couldn't work. Checks could be received to those who were poor because of the Soc. Securities act. In addition, the New Deal program founded the Works Projects Administration in 1939. It was the most important New Deal work-relief agency. The WPA developed relief programs to preserve people's skills and self-respect by providing useful work during a period of massive unemployment. From 1935 to 1943 the WPA provided approximately 8 million jobs at a cost of more than $11 billion. This funded the construction of thousands of public buildings and facilities. In addition, the WPA sponsored the Federal Theater Project, Federal Art Project, and Federal Writers' Project providing work for people in the arts. One of the most well known, The Social Security Act, created a system of old-age pensions and unemployment insurance, which is still around today
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