Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act in 1913, this was the beginning of the erosion of our currency. That and the 16th amendment enabled the government to start providing “free” stuff.
Of course things expanded greatly under FDR, Johnson, and the rest, but I think it began with Wilson, before he came along, money was real.
and the 17th amendment , too.
Prior to 1913, there was no federal income tax. The states had rights and representation in Washington, D.C., there was no Federal Reserve Bank, and the federal government lived under the enumerated powers afforded within the U.S. Constitution. What a difference one year can make...
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2010/08/1913_was_a_very_bad_year.html