Why did Roosevelt win the 1932 Presidential Election?

Learning objective – to understand and explain the outcome of the 1932 Presidential Election.

I can describe the outcome of the

Presidential Election of 1932.

Grade D

I can explain the outcome of the 1932 Presidential Election by giving at least two reasons why it happened.

Grade B

I can explain and make links between the different reasons that help justify the outcome of the 1932 Presidential Election.

Grade A/A*

Starter – Out of the 48 states of America in 1932, how many voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt in the Presidential Election?

Starter – Out of the 48 states of America in 1932, 42 states voted for Franklin D.

Roosevelt in the Presidential Election.

Main task

This word cloud summarises the content of the 1932 Presidential Election.

In pairs, find the 11 terms in the word cloud and using the PowerPoint and the sheet given to you, list the 11 terms and, for each term, write their relevance to the 1932 Presidential Election in two sentences.

Terms

RooseveltHooverDemocratsRepublicansLandslideBonus ArmyUnemploymentState interventionStrong LeadershipNew DealVague

Extension TaskCreate a hexagon pattern, provided on the worksheet, that helps you make links between the different factors of the 1932 Election.

Choose from the 11 terms from the word cloud to help you fill in the 7 blank hexagons and where each hexagon touches, you need to make a link between the two factors in the hexagons.

Write the link in the blank table provided on the sheet. You should aim to make at least three links.

What was the political position in America before and after 1932?

Between 1920 and 1932, the Republican party was in full control of government and the role of President.

In 1928, 40 of the 48 states were Republican.

In the 1932 election, the Democrat Party, won 42 states with a new President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt being elected with a 7 million majority.

Between 1932 and 1953, each president was a Democrat and up to 1981, Congress and the Senate was under their control for much of that time.

Why did the Democrats win the 1932 Election?

Failure of Hoover as President.

The Bonus Army Episode.

Leadership of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

The failure of Herbert Hoover as President

Prosperity is just around the corner.

A chicken in every pot; a car in every garage.

We in America are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever before in the history of any land.

The failure of Herbert Hoover as President?

Hoovervilles

Unemployment

Banks and businesses closed.

Failure of Rugged Individualism and

Laissez Faire

Who were the Bonus Army?

Because of the Depression, these veterans wanted their war bonus

early and organised a campaign to get their war bonus early.

The Bonus Army was ex-army veterans who fought in the First World War who

were due pensions in 1945. These pensions were called war bonuses.

How did the Bonus Army campaign?

This shanty town housed around 40,000 men, women and children. But Congress refused to pay the war bonus. It would

have cost them $2.3 billion and this was too much.

The Bonus Army and their families marched on Washington DC and built a shanty town ar Anacostia

Flats just outside the city.

To blacken the Bonus Army’s name, Congress accused the Bonus Army of being led by Communists. This

was unfair and inaccurate.

How did the government deal with the Bonus Army?

Hoover called in the army, who forcibly removed the Bonus Army in what was

called the Battle of Anacostia Flats. Over a hundred of the Bonus Army were wounded

with two killed, including a baby.

Initially, the government offered the Bonus Army money for

transport home. 5,000 refused to move and continued to protest.

The Bonus Army incident made Hoover look cruel and heavy-handed and many feared that the USA was on the verge of

a revolution and social breakdown.

What did Roosevelt do during the Presidential campaign?

During the election, Roosevelt promised a ‘New Deal for the American people’ to end the Depression. He promised more state intervention and blamed the

present government for the current state of the USA. Although, he was vague in how he was going to do

this.

Roosevelt was the Governor for New York State. He was the first Governor to

spend money on helping the unemployed in a series of measures

costing $20 million

He maximised Hoover’s unpopularity as well as seem to be the only potential leader to offer a solution to end the problems of the Great Depression.

He promised –• Creation of jobs.

• Assistance for the unemployed and poor.• Help for farmers and industry.

• Protection against harsh employers.

Plenary

Stick a copy of this visual representation of the reasons why Roosevelt won the 1932 Election into your exercise book.

Beside each image write how it can contribute to answering the central question – ‘Why did FDR win the 1932 Election?’

Home learning task – Answer the exam question – Explain why Roosevelt won the 1932 Presidential Election. [8 marks]