US History

The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)

Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)

Law and Government

This collection uses primary sources to explore the history of US food stamp programs.

Teaching Guide: Exploring the History of Food Stamp Programs

A photograph of someone purchasing food stamps in Los Angeles, California, 1940.

An excerpt from a 1940 booklet describing the use of blue food stamps under the Food Stamp Program.

A 1972 pamphlet by the US Department of Agriculture describing reforms to the Food Stamp Program after legislation of January 11, 1971.

A 1975 booklet by the US Department of Agriculture for shoppers using food stamps, including tips on “how to shop, store, and use foods.”

A photograph of a grocery store in 1940 with a display for food stamp recipients, including a sign saying “Orange and Blue Stamps Redeemed.”

A 1939 political cartoon depicting President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s introduction of the Food Stamp Program to Congress.

A photograph of applicants for the Food Stamp Program in 1940. 

A photograph of surplus commodities ca. 1936.

A television news clip from April 18, 1961 discussing “food paper money” in a pilot food stamps program for eight parts of the country.

An excerpt from analysis by the US Dept. of Agriculture on the impact of federal food subsidy programs, 2012.

Resources

1. [*America’s Great Depression and Roosevelt’s New Deal*](http://dp.la/exhibitions/exhibits/show/new-deal) online exhibit, Digital Public Library of America.  
2. “[The History of SNAP](http://www.snaptohealth.org/snap/the-history-of-snap/)” timeline, SNAP to Health. 
3. “[A History of Food Stamps Use and Policy](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/02/11/us/FOODSTAMPS.html?_r=0)” timeline, *The New York Times*. 
4. [A Short History of SNAP](http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/short-history-snap), US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. 

Overview

The Food Stamp Program was a federal aid program that started in 1939 to allow poor and unemployed people to purchase food and to assist farmers by consuming surplus crops. The color-coded stamp program provided orange and blue stamps that could be exchanged for groceries. Originally, eligible participants purchased orange stamps that could be used to the purchase any type of food. For every dollar of orange stamps purchased, participants received fifty cents worth of blue stamps, which could be used to purchase food the US Government labeled as surplus. By the late 1990s, most states had phased out actual stamps in favor of a debit card system known as Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT).

The Food Stamp Program, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been amended several times since its inception, experiencing periods of growth in the 1960s and early 1970s and restriction in the 1980s. Participation in the programs have varied throughout its history with greater need during economic downturns, recessions, and temporary disasters. SNAP remains a crucial governmental assistance program to those living below poverty levels, with 46.5 million people in 22.7 million households receiving benefits as of September 2014.

English

Feeding the Hungry with Food Stamp Programs

feeding-hungry-food-stamp-programs_07_fa2a8577d396a8b860e8430451932c0d.jpg

Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration.

“Near Bakersfield, California. Applicants for surplus food stamp grants by Farm Security Administration,” Digital Public Library of America, http://dp.la/item/fa2a8577d396a8b860e8430451932c0d.

A photograph of applicants for the Food Stamp Program in 1940.

Cite this item

Tips for Students

Item 7 of 10 in the Primary Source Set Feeding the Hungry with Food Stamp Programs