Today in History: Works Progress Administration

WPA paintings by children under Federal Art Project, New York
Today in History–April 8–the Library of Congress features the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which was funded by the the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, approved on this day in 1935. This national works program, created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, employed more than 8.5 million people on 1.4 million public projects before it was disbanded in 1943. Learn more about the Library’s treasure trove of WPA materials by visiting the Today in History section and clicking the links below.

Primary source collections

Teaching resources

Related resources