The Hoover Era
Transcript of The Hoover Era
Industrial cities see huge unemployment rates In 1932: Cleveland=50%, Akron=60%, Toledo=80%
Farm income declined 60% 1/3 of farmers sold their land between ‘29 & ‘32
Unemployment was seen as a personal failure
Local and state relief efforts were overwhelmed Red Cross, Salvation Army
Hoboes
Scavenging for scraps of food
Homelessness
Malnutrition, even death from starvation
Shacks, shanties=“Hoovervilles”
Wanderers Freight trains, parks,
under bridges
Drought hits the Plains in 1930
Accompanied by heat & high winds
Led to “black blizzards” Killed livestock & humans; respiratory problems
Black clouds reached the east coast
Drought lingered until 1937 in most of the region, 1940 in others
As many as 2.5 million people left the Plains Traveled west, esp. CA
“Okies”
Popularized by Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath
1st concern=restoring confidence in the economy
Asked business leaders & labor leaders for voluntary cooperation No laying off workers & no asking for higher wages
Increased government spending; but not enough
Increased taxes in 1932 (Revenue Act)
Hawley-Smoot Tariff of 1930 worsened economy globally
Popularity had sunk by 1931
Est. Reconstruction Finance Corporation in 1932 Provided federal loans
to troubled banks, RRs, & other businesses
Funded public works projects
But most of the $$ went to big banks & corporations
Had a large budget; but didn’t use it
Avoided providing direct relief to homeless & unemployed Thought it would destroy
desire to work & undermine self-worth
Some thought him hypocritical
In 1930 refused $25 million to feed Arkansas farmers
But approved $45 million to feed their livestock
In 1932 refused to help pay Chicago teachers & city workers
But approved a $90 million loan to Chicago’s Central Republic Bank
1924, Congress passed a $1K bonus for WWI vets
Wouldn’t mature until 1945
But vets demanded that gov’t pay immediately
Movement initiated in Portland, OR
By the time they reached Washington, DC they had 20K followers
HOR agreed to immediate payment, but Senate shot them down
Hoover refused to meet w/ the veterans
W/ conflict seeming inevitable, Hoover ordered the Sec. of War to “surround the affected area & clear it w/o delay.”
In July of ‘32 the US Army (led by Patton & MacArthur) attacked the veterans’ camp
Set the tents & shacks ablaze & dispersed the Bonus Army
100+ veterans were injured, 1 infant was killed
Hardened the nation’s anti-Hoover opinion
Hoover, once a symbol of optimism, was now a failure
He was doomed in the election of 1932
Only received 39% of popular vote