Food stamps began in 1939 as a Depression-era program

The first food stamp program started in May 1939, run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was designed to help people who could not afford food during the Great Depression, while also supporting farmers by creating a market for surplus crops the government had bought to stabilize prices.

The original program worked differently than today's system. Participants bought orange stamps at face value, and the USDA gave them blue stamps free — worth half the value of the orange stamps. The blue stamps could only be used to buy foods the government had in surplus, like dairy, eggs, and fresh produce. The program ran in selected cities and counties, not nationwide.

This first version ended in 1943 when food became more plentiful after World War II began and the economy recovered. For the next two decades, there was no federal food stamp program at all.

Key Takeaways

  • Food stamps started in 1939 as a New Deal program to help people during the Great Depression and to support farmers with surplus crops.
  • The original program used two-color stamps — orange stamps you bought and blue stamps given free — and only worked in certain cities and counties.
  • The program ended in 1943 when the economy improved, and no federal food stamp program existed again until 1961.
  • The modern food stamp program, which began in 1964, expanded nationwide and eventually became today's SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).

Why the program restarted in 1961

Food stamps returned in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy as a pilot program in eight counties. Poverty and hunger had not disappeared after World War II — they had simply become less visible. The new program was meant to test whether food stamps could work better than the old surplus-distribution system that had replaced the original program.

This pilot version was voluntary for states. Participants paid for stamps, but at a discount — they paid less than the face value and received additional stamps free. Unlike the 1939 program, these stamps could be used to buy any food at regular grocery stores, not just surplus items.

The program became permanent and nationwide in 1964

Congress made food stamps a permanent program in 1964, and it began expanding to more counties. By 1974, the program was available in every county in the United States. The same year, Congress removed the requirement that people pay for stamps — participants now received them free based on income and household size.

This shift to free stamps was a major change. It meant the program was no longer a way to move surplus food, but a direct way to help people buy the food their families needed. The program also became indexed to inflation, so the value of benefits would rise with the cost of living.

The name changed to SNAP in 2008

In 2008, the federal government renamed the Food Stamp Program to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The name change reflected a shift toward electronic benefits cards instead of paper stamps, which had been phased in during the 1990s. By 2008, all states were using the cards.

The name change was also meant to reduce stigma. Research showed that some people who could use the program did not, partly because they felt embarrassed by the visible paper stamps. Electronic cards look like debit cards and do not announce to a cashier or other shoppers what program a person is using.

How the program has changed since 1939

The core purpose has stayed the same — helping people buy food — but almost everything else has shifted. The 1939 program was small, local, and temporary. Today's SNAP reaches millions of people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.

The income limits have changed many times. The benefit amounts have risen and fallen with inflation and with changes in Congress's funding decisions. The types of food you can buy have expanded and contracted — for example, hot prepared foods are not covered, but seeds and plants that produce food are now covered in most states.

The application process has also changed. In 1939, you applied in person at a local office. Today, most states let you apply online, by mail, or in person, though the speed and ease of the process varies by state.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did food stamps exist before 1939?

No federal food stamp program existed before 1939. During earlier economic crises, the government gave out food directly or helped farmers sell surplus crops, but there was no stamps-based system. The 1939 program was the first time the federal government used stamps as a way to help people buy food.

Why did the first food stamp program end in 1943?

The program ended because food became more available and affordable after the economy recovered during World War II. The government no longer had large surpluses to move, and unemployment dropped sharply. Congress decided the program was no longer needed and stopped funding it.

How much did food stamps cost to use in 1939?

Participants bought orange stamps at their full face value — the same price as the food they represented. They then received blue stamps free, worth half the value of the orange stamps. This meant a person who spent $1 on orange stamps got $0.50 in free blue stamps, for a total of $1.50 in purchasing power.

When did paper stamps become electronic cards?

States began switching to electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards in the 1990s. The transition was gradual — different states moved at different speeds. By 2008, when the program was renamed SNAP, all states were using cards instead of paper stamps.