America Had No Social Security Before 1935 — What Happened When You Got Old?

America Had No Social Security Before 1935 — What Happened When You Got Old? Before 1935, there was no Social Security, no Medicare, and for most Americans, no pension. So what happened when you got too old to work? For millions of people, the answer was simple and frightening: you kept working until your body gave out. After that, you depended on your children, your church, or the charity of your neighbors. And if none of those came through, you might end up at the county poor farm. In this video, we go back to a time when growing old in America meant facing an uncertain future. You'll hear about: 🏚️ The poorhouse and the county poor farm: where elderly people with nowhere else to go were sent, and what daily life was like inside 👨‍👩‍👧 Living with the kids: how multigenerational households became the main "retirement plan" for most families 🎖️ Civil War pensions: the closest thing America had to an old-age safety net for decades 🏭 Working until you dropped: farmers, factory hands, and domestic workers who never got to stop 📉 The Great Depression: how the crash wiped out savings and pushed older Americans to the brink 📜 August 14, 1935: the day President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, and how it changed what it means to grow old in America ✉️ Ida May Fuller: the Vermont woman who received the very first monthly Social Security check in January 1940 If your parents or grandparents ever told you stories about "the poor farm," or warned you never to end up there, this video explains where that fear came from. 💬 Tell us in the comments: Did your family have stories about how older relatives were cared for before Social Security? We'd love to hear them. 👍 If you enjoyed this look back at American history, please like the video and subscribe for more stories about how everyday people really lived. #SocialSecurity #AmericanHistory #GreatDepression #PoorHouse #FDR #Retirement #HistoryStories #1930s #OldAge #NewDeal