Herbert Hoover’s Response to the Great Depression “Don’t emphasize hard times and everything will be all right” -Hoover

Hoover’s Responds to the Great Depression Great Shorts Answers: -What were the issues American’s faced during the G.D? -Evaluate President Hoover’s attempts to revive the economy. -How did Americans react to Hoover’s plans to revive the economy?

Hoover’s Responds to the Great Depression What were the issues American’s faced during the G.D?

Life During the Great Depression -1932 = 30,000 businesses closed -1933 = 9,000 banks closed -1933 = 12 million unemployed ¼ workforce -In 3 years = Family Income from $2,300/yr to $1,600/yr The STATS

Unemployment: people left their homes in search of jobs (hobos)

Hunger = forced to wait in line for soup & bread

Homelessness = many families could not afford rent… Many were evicted bailiffs (court officials) came in and kicked you out of your house.

Hoovervilles Shantytowns

Hoover’s Responds to the Great Depression Evaluate President Hoover’s attempts to revive the economy.

Hoover’s Responds to the Great Depression What were Hoover’s philosophies about gov? Laissez Fair Decentralized Government: don’t expand the Federal Government. “During the war we necessarily turned to the government to solve every difficult economic situation…If continued in peacetime it would destroy our progress and freedom…it would have meant the undermining of individual initiative and enterprise…”

-Public Works Administration: Hoover’s Responds to the Great Depression Needs to be fixed? Attempts Made. Successful? Unemployment PWA: -Public Works Administration: Problem = Who pays? 1.) Raise Taxes? 2.) Run a deficit = spend more money than the gov has. = debt

Reconstruction Finance Corp Needs to be fixed? Attempts Made. Successful? Stop Business & Bank Closings RFC: Reconstruction Finance Corp Have Federal Government loan money to Banks Railroads Farmers

RFC = TRICKLE DOWN Economics

Did not believe it was the Fed Gov’s responsibility Needs to be fixed? Attempts Made. Successful? Prevent Hunger & Homelessness Relief: Did not believe it was the Fed Gov’s responsibility Give $ to the states and they deal Not enough $ without going into a deficit

Hoover’s Responds to the Great Depression How did Americans react to failed attempts to revive the economy?

1.) Hunger Marches 2.) Farmer’s Revolt - destroyed crops - 1930-1934: foreclosures on over 1 million farms 3.) Bonus Army March - WWI soldiers promised $1,000 - 1932: 1,000 left Portland  D.C…grew to15,000 - Eventually cleared out by the D.C police

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D) 1932 Election Herbert Hoover (R) Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D)

Election Of 1832 Hoover lowering taxes No national welfare caring for poor must be a local and voluntary responsibility Roosevelt Three R’s: Relief, Recovery, and Reform. New Deal he said little about the specifics of his plan. federal government’s responsibility to care for the poor.

Landslide Democrats were also in control of the House & Senate

Pop Quiz! 1.) What was the PWA? What was the purpose of the PWA? 2.) What is a deficit? 3.) What is the RFC? Who, specifically, did the government loan money to? 4.) When was Hoover elected? 5.) What was the nickname for shantytowns that sprung up all around US cities during the G.D?

What in the economy needs to be fixed? How would you fix it? Who should do it? What did Hoover do? Was it successful?