Farm Security Administration – A New Deal
The Farm Security Administration (FSA) emerged in 1937 as a crucial component of the Department of Agriculture, inheriting the mission of its predecessor, the Resettlement Administration (RA), established in 1935. Both entities were born from the urgent need to address the devastating effects of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression on the nation’s agricultural communities. These programs, integral to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ambitious New Deal initiative, aimed to provide relief and support to impoverished farmers grappling with unprecedented hardship.
The genesis of the Farm Security Administration – A New Deal can be traced back to the early days of Roosevelt’s presidency. On March 9, 1933, just days after taking office, President Roosevelt convened a special session of Congress. He declared that the pervasive unemployment crisis demanded immediate and direct intervention from the government. He proposed a series of legislative measures designed to alleviate the suffering of the unemployed. Over the subsequent three months, Congress responded by enacting a series of significant bills, collectively known as Roosevelt’s New Deal, that sought to address the widespread economic distress.
One of the earliest initiatives was the Resettlement Administration (RA), created in 1935. The RA was conceived as a bold experiment in social engineering, aiming to relocate struggling urban and rural families to newly established, federally planned communities. The vision was to provide these families with a fresh start, offering them opportunities for sustainable livelihoods and improved living conditions. However, this ambitious objective faced considerable resistance.
The concept of federally planned communities proved unpopular among many members of Congress. Some viewed it as a socialistic endeavor, an unwelcome intrusion of government into the lives of individuals and communities. Others worried that it would undermine the existing social order, potentially depriving influential farm owners of their readily available tenant workforce. As a result, the RA’s focus shifted away from large-scale resettlement projects.
Instead, the RA redirected its efforts toward building relief camps in California, primarily for migratory workers. These workers, often refugees from the drought-stricken Dust Bowl regions of middle America and the parched landscapes of the Southwest, were in desperate need of assistance. Despite significant opposition from many Californians who were reluctant to accept the influx of destitute migrants, the RA managed to construct 95 camps. These camps offered a semblance of stability and sanitation, providing migrants with clean quarters, running water, and other basic amenities.
While the relief camps provided much-needed assistance to approximately 75,000 people, this number represented only a small fraction of those in need. Moreover, the camps were intended as temporary havens, offering only short-term relief rather than long-term solutions. The limitations of the RA’s approach underscored the need for a more comprehensive and sustainable strategy to address the challenges facing rural America.
Following persistent criticism regarding its management and effectiveness, the Resettlement Administration was reorganized and transferred to the Department of Agriculture in September 1937, becoming the Farm Security Administration. The Farm Security Administration – A New Deal was entrusted with a broad mandate that encompassed support for small farmers, land rehabilitation, and community development in areas ravaged by the Depression.
The FSA’s primary focus was on improving the living conditions and economic prospects of sharecroppers, tenant farmers, and poor landowning farmers. It also implemented a program to purchase sub-marginal land, considered unsuitable for productive agriculture, and resettle farmers on government-owned group farms. This initiative, while intended to provide farmers with access to better land and resources, faced considerable opposition, particularly from the powerful Farm Bureau, which viewed the FSA as an experiment in collectivizing agriculture, a concept antithetical to the principles of private land ownership and individual enterprise.
Ultimately, the program of government-owned group farms failed to achieve its intended goals. The farmers, deeply rooted in the tradition of individual land ownership, yearned for the opportunity to own their own land and control their own destinies. The onset of World War II in 1941 further undermined the FSA’s efforts, as millions of jobs became available in urban centers, drawing rural populations away from agriculture and into the industrial workforce.
By 1943, with the nation’s attention and resources focused on the war effort, Congress significantly curtailed the FSA’s activities, transferring its remaining responsibilities to the Office of War Information (OWI). The following year, the FSA was effectively dismantled, its functions absorbed by other government agencies.
Despite its relatively short lifespan, the Farm Security Administration left an indelible mark on American history, particularly through its ambitious and influential photography program. This program, managed by Roy Stryker, who had previously headed the photograph division of the Resettlement Administration, aimed to document the realities of rural poverty and introduce America to itself.
Under Stryker’s leadership, the Information Division of the FSA adopted a mission of "introducing America to Americans" through the power of photography and written narratives. The program initially focused on capturing the lives of sharecroppers in the South and migratory agricultural workers in the Midwest and western states. These images provided a stark and often unsettling glimpse into the hardships faced by those living on the margins of American society.
Over time, the scope of the FSA’s photography project expanded to encompass a broader range of subjects. The agency’s photographers turned their lenses to recording rural and urban conditions throughout the United States, as well as the mobilization efforts for World War II. The resulting collection of photographs constitutes a remarkable visual record of American life during a period of profound social and economic upheaval.
To carry out these tasks, Roy Stryker assembled a talented team of photographers, including some of the most celebrated names in American documentary photography. Among them were Jack Delano, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee, Gordon Parks, Marion Post-Wolcott, Arthur Rothstein, Ben Shahn, and John Vachon. These photographers, each with their unique style and perspective, captured the essence of the era, creating images that continue to resonate with audiences today.
The Farm Security Administration (FSA) and Office of War Information (OWI) photographs were transferred to the Library of Congress beginning in 1944, ensuring their preservation for future generations.
These photographs form an extensive pictorial record of American life between 1935 and 1944. The RA-FSA took more than 250,000 images of rural poverty. About half of these images survive, providing a valuable resource for historians, researchers, and anyone interested in understanding the complexities of the Great Depression and the New Deal. The legacy of the Farm Security Administration – A New Deal is preserved through these powerful images, reminding us of the challenges faced by a nation in crisis and the efforts made to overcome them.