When was the WPA created, by whom and why?

Answer 1

The Works Projects Administration, WPA was started in 1935 as part of the New Deal of Franklin Roosevelt see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration for more info. It was a plan to put out of work people to work it was similar to the CCC ,which put young people to work on various projects around the country but was geared to the Middle Aged worker they did every thing from build the Tennessee Valley Authority to do recordings of the remembrances of old slaves.

Criticed at the time some WPA projects can still be seen today.

Answer 2

In 1935, the Congress approved the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act. It allocated 4.8 billion dollars to put people to work.

The largest part of the appropriations went to the Works Progress Administration. The W.P.A. built or improved 20,000 hospitals, schools, airports and playgrounds. In 1935, it employed 3.5 million workers. It even had extensive programs for unemployed artists and writers. By the time it was closed in 1943, it had employed over 8.5 million people.