14.3 Hoover and the Depression

(with a little 14.2)

The Dust Bowl• Destructive over-farming

in the 1920s left the land weak by the early 1930s– Combined with a draught,

created the Dust Bowl

• Many farm families had to flee to California to find work there.– They earned the negative

nickname “Okies”

The Dust Bowl• Country men/boys joined factory workers

in the search for work– Called “hoboes,” often traveled by hopping onto

trains

Hoover’s Response• Hoover was a conservative, believed in

American “rugged individualism”– People succeed the most when they have to

tough it out for themselves– Rather than get the govt. too involved, he only

did things like encourage businesses not to fire workers and workers not to strike

Hoover’s Response• Hoover did approve the

construction of the Boulder (now Hoover) Dam– This provides water to California for

agriculture

• Hoover attempted to save big businesses (hoping it would help the rest of us out too)

• Most of Hoover’s plans were too little, too late to save the economy.

Hoover’s Response• 1932 the “Bonus Army” showed up in

Washington, looking for bonus payments to WWI vets– Hoover and Congress turned them down– The Army was brought in to force the vets out using

tear gas and bayonets