Hoover’s Response to the Great Depression

Hoover

Quaker from IA Self made millionaire by the age of 40 WWI made him famous

As a republican President Hoover held the belief that the government can not affect the individual.

Hoover felt private organizations should be in charge of the relief effort – like he did in WWI

Rugged Individualism – success through individual effort and private enterprise.

Plan would have worked if the problem was smaller Hoover Dam But people still didn’t have hope.

Bonus Army

WWI Veterans want to receive their pensions early to help them now when they most need the money.

The movement begins on the west coast and ends in D.C.

They set up camp in the streets and parks of D.C. Every morning they do drills.

Congress doesn’t pass the bonus bill, and an altercation breaks out leaving two vets and two policemen dead.

Hoover orders the army to remove the bonus army peaceably. However, he places Gen Douglas MacArthur in charge.

MacArthur moves against the veterans with the cavalry, tanks, tear gas, machine guns, water hoses, and swords. He used the gas, burned buildings etc…Hundreds were injured, and three died.

The Great Depression was not Hoover’s fault…however he is the one that received all the blame.

1932 “All the money in the world couldn’t induce me to live over the last nine months.”

FDR New Deal (3 R’s) – Boosts public hope,

aided unemployment etc… People didn’t vote rep. or dem. but

rather for FDR.

FDR was also very accessible to the people, unlike the distant Hoover. Fireside Chats Eleanor

“My Day” Newspaper column Traveled +4000 miles a year…Secret Service

nicknamed her Rover. In 1939 she was more popular than her husband.

5000-8000 letters a day for the President

First 100 Days

FDR’s brain trust gets together and established the first 15 new programs.

Declares a bank holiday for an audit. Only sound banks were allowed to reopen under the Emergency Banking Act.

Then he follows with his Alphabet Agencies.