The War on Poverty was something that Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson declared in his first State of the Union speech after he took over for John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated in 1963.  Johnson believed that the poverty rate in the US, which was 19% at that time, was too high and he wanted to make the eradication of poverty part of his legacy.

The first piece of legislation that Congress passed in response to Johnson's declaration of "war" was the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.  This law was meant to provide more opportunities for the poor through such programs as the Job Corps and Head Start.