Farm Security Administration
Quick Summary
The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was a United States government agency established in 1937 during the Great Depression. Its primary mission was to combat rural poverty by providing assistance to struggling farmers and sharecroppers. The FSA is particularly known for its extensive photographic project, which documented the harsh realities of American rural life. Photographers like Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans captured iconic images that aimed to raise public awareness and garner support for government relief programs.12
The FSA's work was part of the broader New Deal initiatives aimed at economic recovery and social reform. While the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) focused on raising crop prices by reducing production, the FSA concentrated on the human element, providing aid and documenting the plight of those most affected by the economic downturn. The agency's efforts helped to shape public perception and policy regarding agricultural and rural issues in the United States.342
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Walker EvansThe Farm Security Administration” During the early 1930s Evans had worked only occasionally (and skeptically) as a professional photographer, preferring to live precariously from occasional assignments, often from friends. The idea that he should be asked to make a photograph conceived by someone else was offensive…
Read More” During the early 1930s Evans had worked only occasionally (and skeptically) as a professional photographer, preferring to live precariously from occasional assignments, often from friends. The idea that he should be asked to make a photograph conceived by someone else was offensive…
Read More
Dorothea LangePhotos of the Great Depression…Resettlement Administration (later called the Farm Security Administration [FSA]). The latter agency, established by the U.S. Agriculture Department, hoped that Lange’s powerful images would bring the conditions of the rural poor to the public’s attention. Her photographs of migrant workers, with whom she lived for some time, were often presented…
Read More…Resettlement Administration (later called the Farm Security Administration [FSA]). The latter agency, established by the U.S. Agriculture Department, hoped that Lange’s powerful images would bring the conditions of the rural poor to the public’s attention. Her photographs of migrant workers, with whom she lived for some time, were often presented…
Read More
Gordon ParksPhotography…to begin work with the Farm Security Administration (FSA).
Read More…to begin work with the Farm Security Administration (FSA).
Read More
