What Was Hoover's Role In The Great Depression

The year was 1929. America goes through the biggest national crisis since the American Civil War. They called it the Great Depression. The Stock Market was going down, unemployment was going up, and money was becoming scarce. The United States had to look up to the one person who could lead the country out of this national catastrophe, The President. At this time the man who had that title was none other than Herbert Hoover. Hoover, A republican, hoped that this was all a nightmare, he hoped that the Depression was a small fluke that would fix itself after a short period of time. After seeing that the Depression was getting worse had to

Compare and contrast Hoover and Roosevelt’s actions in the aftermath of the Crash of 1929. How did both administrations attempt to deal with the economic stagnation, social hardship and psychological impact of the depression? What needed to be fixed and which approach proved more successful? In your essay you should address not only the underlying economic and social problems that both administrations had to deal with and the various corrective measures they adopted, but also the underlying philosophical approaches of Hoover and Roosevelt and their supporters.

Hoover wanted to help the American economy to recover by encouraging American businesses to work together; he did this by passing the Smoot-Hawley Tariff in 1930, an improved version of the Fordney-McCumber tariff. This meant that American Businesses had to buy from American Suppliers so as to continue making a profit; it also meant that other countries could no longer sell as much produce to America, one of the worlds largest consumers. Other countries were of course suffering in the same depression which was worsened for them by the effects of the First World War. As a result of this other countries began to pass tariffs of their own, this reduced international

Thesis: Hoovervilles were named after President Herbert Hoover because the American people felt he was responsible for the Great Depression, although the irresponsibility of brokers, bankers, and other people in power contributed greatly.

Hoover was beginning to demonstrate conservative beliefs even before the onset of the Great Depression. Document A shows Hoover’s wish to avoid being thought of as a complete supporter of laissez-faire ideas. He appeared irresolute when it came to preserving the capitalistic society of the 1920s. During this time, society was managed by corrupt political bosses, such as Tweed. The American economy had flourished under the private interest policies of Harding and Coolidge, which forced Hoover to promise the American people that he would not abandon the laissez-faire economics, which had been so successful during past presidencies. Hoover was sure, however, that working class Americans would not be opposed to restricting unfair business practices. Documents B and C depict Hoover’s lack of support for private interest or public purpose policies. In these documents, Hoover stresses the significance of individual interests

In 1930, succumbing to pressure from American industrialists, Hoover signed the HAWLEY-SMOOT TARIFF which was

It was somewhat easy for him to get into the White House in 1929. There were a number of occurrences that helped him to be the president. Calvin Coolidge, the president in 1928, announced not to run for another presidency term. Hoover was naturally considered the presumptive Republican nominee for President. There was no great opposition, and he did not have to invest his time on campaigning to win the nomination. The election of 1928 went easy for him. The Democrat nominee was Al Smite, New York governor and a catholic. The country was not ready for a Catholic president. Hoover won 58% of the popular vote and 40 of the 48 states. He literally dominated the election. If I were a voter at the time, he would also vote for him without doubt. Simply, there were no better candidates who could beat over Hoover. He also did impressive public works for the government and citizens. In 1928, he deserved the result.

In general society, there is a consensus on Hoover more so than nearly any other politician, and that consensus is that he was a “heartless ogre, inept and callous and reactionary, who ‘caused’ a depression then ‘did nothing’ to fix it.” Yet historians tend to take several very different views, describing him as being “like a mariner, starting off on a journey of discovery to bring home rare treasures, who is forced by sudden storms to pour all his energies into just keeping the ship afloat.” Some of their ideas are not contentious, such as that Hoover did not cause the depression. But as to what kind of president he was, and how he handled the depression, there is little agreement. Kennedy, one historian that talks of the era, states that Hoover believed “Government might indeed step in where voluntarism had manifestly failed, but only after a fair trial.” (Kennedy

Contrarily before the Depression, there were signs that pointed to President Herbert Hoover becoming more conservative. Document A suggests that Herbert Hoover didn't want' do be considered strictly laissez-faire. Document A proposes that Herbert Hoover wanted to liberalism to be found not " in striving to spread bureaucracy but striving to set its bounds, " but also wanted The United States to know that, " he doesn't want to be misinterpreted as believing that the Untied States ins a free for all, or system of laissez-faire." Hoover appeared as if he was less determined to preserve the capitalistic society of the 1920's seeing that he argued that capitalism also has social obligations. However, the success of the American economy under presidents Hading and Coolidge who believed in private interest beliefs required him to make sure that the lack of intervention in the economy would be maintained. Also Hoover began to sense of the public disapproval and transformation of the working masses and public views. The public mass began to start looking favorably on restriction of unfair business practices. This transformation of the public opinion gave president Hoover trouble since he wasn't completely dedicated to the private interest or public purpose.

The great depression kept going on. Millions of Americans were homeless and jobless. Soup kitchens were popping up everywhere there were people. The people started to turn to the government for help. But America's 31st president, Herbert Hoover, didn't think so. While many people believed that relying on the government was the answer, Hoover thought that self-reliance and relying on each other would relieve them of this economic crisis, not government intervention. And as the people kept prying, Hoover kept refusing. Desperate for a place to call home, and knowing that the government wasn't going to do anything to help, Americans and their families started building shantytowns in cities and in different places around them. They soon became

Herbert Hoover, a former engineer, and millionaire who became the 31st U.S. President, had attempted to pass multiple laws to aid the country’s financial situation. Although his predecessors’ policies undoubtedly contributed to the crisis, which lasted over a decade, Hoover bore much of the blame in the minds of the American people. As the depression deepened, Hoover failed to recognize the severity of the situation. He undertook various measures designed to stimulate the economy, and a few of the programs he introduced became key components of later relief efforts.

Herbert Hoover was orphaned at the tender age of nine after his father suffered a heart attack while battling pneumonia shortly after his mother fell ill with a combination of pneumonia and typhoid fever and passed away. The death of both parents left Herbert and his siblings to live the rest of their childhoods with distant relatives. Hoover’s tragic childhood did not in any shape or form foreshadow his future.

     With the continually worsening conditions, and the stock market crash on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the United States was thrown into the biggest economical disaster of our history. Everyone, excluding the rich upper class, became poor and most unemployed. The majority of the American populace found themselves living in ‘shantytowns’ or ‘Hoovervilles’ as they later became to be known, which consisted of many cramped shacks constructed from whatever was available. This meant old burnt-out cars, cardboard boxes, random pieces of lumber, and anything else that people could find. Times truly were tough. It was a daily

During Herbert Hoover’s administration any mistakes were made after the Stock Market crash. After the crash during the depression Hoover took action but made a few mistakes along the way. Many of Hoover’s acts were passed by congress and signed by Hoover himself. His worst offense was the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, which raised tariffs. The raising of tariffs was the worst possible thing that could have occurred. Hoover tried his best to reassure the country that the economy would become improved, although it actually worsened. To improve things after the crash Hoover prepared all Federal Departments to speed up public works. He did this with hopes to generate supplementary jobs and bring back the economy. As well, Hoover asked congress if they would reduce spending, and use what was no longer required to restart public works. Unfortunately for Hoover a collapse in Europe and a change in foreign trade caused prices for United States manufactured goods and farm equipment. After this occurrence President Hoover asked congress once again for more money, his time he wanted the money for farm loans and to establish the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which would be used to help buildings in need as well as banks and railroads. With all of Hoovers efforts by July 1932 the Depression began

Hoover attempted many plans to end the Great Depression. Hoover rested on his belief of “volunteerism” which was a key concept of progressivism. Hoover believed private organized charities were sufficient to meet social welfare needs and was the “American Way”. Progressivism was when you displayed the wrong actions businesses were taking to the public in hopes that the public would make businesses reform their ways. This was a keen reason to why Hoover failed to solve the problems of the Great Depression. The first solution to the Great Depression attempted by Hoover came after the great crash. Hoover received a petition from the president of General Electric, Gerard Swoop, in 1929. It called for series of voluntary wage and price freezes of leading industries in the U.S. in exchange for freezing wages and prices. They asked in return for the government to cover the cost of welfare capitalism; which was an attempt to break the union, by providing benefits to make companies obsolete. They would pay workers 80% when laid off, but when the stock market crashed, they would only give them 20% salary. This was due partially to welfare capitalism. They