In 1928 Americans elected Herbert Hoover to presidency.
Hoover continued the hands off government policies of presidents Warren G. Harding and
Calvin Coolidge.
By 1930, with the economy crashing, America turned to Hoover for help.
How Herbert Hoover would respond would come to define his presidency.
Orphaned at a young age, Herbert Hoover's life was a rags to riches story.
He attended Stanford University, and he became a self made millionaire as a mining engineer.
As a result, Hoover's beliefs centered around Rugged individualism.
This is the idea that everyone should succeed through their own efforts without the aid
of others.
Herbert Hoover served as the secretary of commerce under presidents Harding and Coolidge.
He was a vocal proponent of their pro-business small government policies.
He won the republican nomination in 1928, under the premise that he would continue their
policies.
When the depression hit, Hoover believed the economy would fix itself.
He stressed that Americans should remain optimistic while government maintains a limited role.
He opposed all forms of direct relief, or federal welfare to aid citizens.
He thought government should foster cooperation between businesses and people.
Hoover believed that government shouldn't force businesses to do this, but they must
do it on their own.
This is the philosophy known as volunteerism, and centered on Hoover's response to the Great
Depression.
It's the idea that businesses and people would do what was right for the economy on their
own.
Hoover called together business, banking, and labor leaders to talk.
He asked businesses voluntarily not to fire workers or to cut wages.
He also asked labor leader not to strike.
He concentrated government efforts to provide resources to charities so these charities
cou provide relief to the needy.
While this helped some, charities were overwhelmed and ran out of resources quickly.
But as the depression worsened, and Americans suffered, president Hoover just seemed to
be out of touch with what the people needed.
He didn't quite get the severity of the depression.
By 1930, the economy was in ruins and anger in America was aimed at Hoover.
American's felt the president wasn't leading the country in a time of crisis.
Desperate for help, many felt the government had failed those in need.
Hoover was seen by Americans as a cold and heartless man of privilege.
As the depression worsened, frustration boiled over into anger.
Americans blamed Hoover for their troubles and for worsening the depression by not acting.
Angry farmers, for example, demonstrated their frustration in numerous ways.
Some burnt their crops, or poured their milk into sewers instead of selling it at a loss.
This especially hurt because starvation was rampant across the country.
Others stopped working their lands or blocked roads and used force to prevent foreclosures
of their property.
Symbols of the depression were everywhere around America and were named for Hoover.
The homeless in American cities whole lived in shanty towns named them Hoovervilles, when
they wrapped themselves in newspapers to keep warm during the night, they were called Hoover
Blankets.
And if you were broke with no money in your pockets, you would turn you pockets inside
out to show they were empty and fly your Hoover flags.
As things continued to get worse during the depression, Hoover was forced to abandon his
policy of volunteerism and Hoover began to provide some Direct relief, but it was too
little too late.
Hoover first attempt was Boulder Dam.
Hoover authorized the construction of Boulder dam on the Colorado river.
It was a public works project that created thousands of jobs, electrical power and water
supply for the region.
In 1947, to commerate his efforts in getting the dam built, the dam was renamed Hoover
Dam.
Hoover Dam provides the energy that fuels Los Vegas today.
Next is the federal home loan bank act.
This law lowered mortgate rates and let farmers refinance their loans.
It helped keep Americans in their homes.
And finally the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.
This bailout provided two billion dollars for banks and businesses to keep them afloat.
And then in 1932, came the final straw of the Hoover presidency.
It was the march of the bonus army.
In 1932, 20,000 World War 1 veterans, unemployed, hungry and desperate, marched on Washington
DC.
They wanted congress to pay them their World War 1 bonuses now, not in 1945 when it was
due.
Their argument was that they needed the money now to survive in the midst of the depression
and it wouldn't do them any good in 1945.
When congress denied the bonus, the bonus army was ordered to leave.
The marchers had come with their families and set up a shanty town within view of the
capital.
Most of the marchers left DC, but around 2000 remained with their families and they were
mad.
When they refused to leave, president Hoover ordered the US Army to remove the marchers
by force.
The marchers were gassed, and the army fired shots into the crowd.
They set their camp on fire and burned it down.
In the chaos of it all, a baby died and many veterans were injured.
The American public was outraged and blamed Herbert Hoover for firing on army veterans.
Herbert Hoover's steadfast belief in Rugged Individualism and volunteerism led him to
become one of the most unpopular presidents in American History.
Ultimately, Hoover's legacy as president is one of failure to act and he is blamed for
worsening the depression with his inaction.
Ultimately, it is Hoover's inaction during the depression that led the American to demand
more from their government.
And Hoover's successor would more than happily oblige the American People.