Herbert Herbert HooverHoover

The Dust BowlThe Dust Bowl From 1930 – 36, a From 1930 – 36, a

terrible drought, terrible drought, coupled with decades coupled with decades of damage to the of damage to the topsoil from plowing, topsoil from plowing, led to wind erosion led to wind erosion and huge dust cloudsand huge dust clouds

Thousands of farmers Thousands of farmers lost everything and lost everything and were forced to move were forced to move west and work as west and work as migrant farmersmigrant farmers

Dorothea LangeDorothea Lange 1895 – 19651895 – 1965 PhotojournalistPhotojournalist Lange's photographs Lange's photographs

humanized the tragic humanized the tragic consequences of the consequences of the Great Depression and Great Depression and profoundly influenced profoundly influenced the development of the development of documentary documentary photographyphotography

Lange’s PhotosLange’s Photos

John SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck 1902 – 19681902 – 1968 Author of Author of The Grapes The Grapes

of Wrathof Wrath, a Pulitzer , a Pulitzer Prize winning novel Prize winning novel about the tragedies about the tragedies which befell his which befell his fictional family of fictional family of Oklahoma farmers Oklahoma farmers during the Dust Bowlduring the Dust Bowl

Also wrote Also wrote Of Mice and Of Mice and MenMen, a story about the , a story about the tragic relationship tragic relationship between two poor between two poor migrant farmersmigrant farmers

Hoover’s Public Hoover’s Public ResponseResponse

After “Black After “Black Tuesday,” Hoover Tuesday,” Hoover worked hard to worked hard to assure Americans assure Americans that the economy that the economy would recover quicklywould recover quickly

Hoover stepped up a Hoover stepped up a propaganda propaganda campaign aimed at campaign aimed at boosting consumer boosting consumer confidenceconfidence

Hoover’s Private Hoover’s Private ResponseResponse

Hoover, however, Hoover, however, knew that the knew that the economy was economy was extremely unstableextremely unstable

He held multiple He held multiple meetings with meetings with business leaders business leaders trying to win trying to win pledges that pledges that factories would factories would remain open, but to remain open, but to no availno avail

National Credit National Credit CorporationCorporation

Hoover tried to ease Hoover tried to ease the nation’s credit the nation’s credit crisis with the creation crisis with the creation of the NCCof the NCC

The NCC held a pool of The NCC held a pool of private money that it private money that it could lend to banks so could lend to banks so that banks could that banks could continue to offer loans; continue to offer loans; the NCC, however, the NCC, however, never had enough cash never had enough cash to meet the demand to meet the demand and so was a failureand so was a failure

Reconstruction Finance Reconstruction Finance CorporationCorporation

When the NCC failed, When the NCC failed, Hoover resorted to Hoover resorted to government lendinggovernment lending

The RFC was created The RFC was created to make direct loans to make direct loans to banks & railroadsto banks & railroads

Even the RFC could Even the RFC could not meet the not meet the demands for loans, demands for loans, and the economy and the economy continued to failcontinued to fail

Emergency Relief & Construction Emergency Relief & Construction ActAct

In desperation, the In desperation, the government government approved $1.5 approved $1.5 billion in spending billion in spending on public works on public works projects and an projects and an additional $300 additional $300 million to provide million to provide “direct relief” – “direct relief” – money provided money provided directly to families directly to families in needin need

Hunger MarchesHunger Marches Crowds of the Crowds of the

unemployed and hungry unemployed and hungry began to hold large-began to hold large-scale demonstrations scale demonstrations across the USacross the US

The largest was The largest was organized by the organized by the American Communist American Communist Party in Washington DC; Party in Washington DC; protesters chanting protesters chanting “Feed the hungry, tax “Feed the hungry, tax the rich” were blocked the rich” were blocked from marching by the from marching by the policepolice

Farmers RevoltFarmers Revolt Meanwhile, desperate Meanwhile, desperate

farmers began to farmers began to destroy their crops and destroy their crops and produce in an effort to produce in an effort to increase pricesincrease prices

Some even resorted to Some even resorted to burning their crops for burning their crops for heat in their homeheat in their home

Anger continued to Anger continued to grow as more and more grow as more and more farmers had their land farmers had their land foreclosed on by banksforeclosed on by banks

Breadlines & Soup Breadlines & Soup KitchensKitchens

As unemployment As unemployment approached 30%, approached 30%, many people began many people began to rely heavily on to rely heavily on soup kitchens and soup kitchens and breadlines run by breadlines run by churches, charitable churches, charitable organizations, & organizations, & some city some city governments in governments in order to surviveorder to survive

HoovervillesHoovervilles In large cities, as In large cities, as

people could no longer people could no longer afford to pay rent, they afford to pay rent, they were forced into were forced into homelessnesshomelessness

Many began to live in Many began to live in homemade shacks that homemade shacks that they built in any open they built in any open space available – whole space available – whole villages of such shacks villages of such shacks began to appear, began to appear, mockingly referred to mockingly referred to as “Hoovervilles”as “Hoovervilles”

HobosHobos Hundreds of thousands Hundreds of thousands

of homeless, jobless of homeless, jobless men began to live a men began to live a nomadic lifestyle, nomadic lifestyle, moving from place to moving from place to place usually by illegally place usually by illegally hiding on freight trainshiding on freight trains

Often lived in temporary Often lived in temporary Hoovervilles called Hoovervilles called “hobo jungles” along the “hobo jungles” along the railroad tracksrailroad tracks

The Bonus ArmyThe Bonus Army In 1924, Congress In 1924, Congress

had promised to pay had promised to pay every WWI veteran a every WWI veteran a $1000 bonus in 1945$1000 bonus in 1945

May 1932 – over May 1932 – over 15,000 vets arrived 15,000 vets arrived in DC to lobby in DC to lobby Congress to move Congress to move the bonuses up – the bonuses up – Congress voted Congress voted against the ideaagainst the idea

Hoover Responds to the Bonus Hoover Responds to the Bonus ArmyArmy

After the vote, much of After the vote, much of the Bonus Army the Bonus Army remained in remained in Washington, living in Washington, living in Hoovervilles and Hoovervilles and vacant buildingsvacant buildings

Pres. Hoover ordered Pres. Hoover ordered them dispersed; after them dispersed; after the DC police failed, the DC police failed, Hoover sent in US Hoover sent in US Army, who used tear Army, who used tear gas and bayonets to gas and bayonets to clear the Bonus Army clear the Bonus Army outout

Election of 1932Election of 1932 Republicans nominated Republicans nominated

Hoover, while Hoover, while Democrats ran NY Gov. Democrats ran NY Gov. Franklin Delano Franklin Delano RooseveltRoosevelt

Hoover continued his Hoover continued his mantra that recovery mantra that recovery was just around the was just around the corner, while Roosevelt corner, while Roosevelt pledged himself to a pledged himself to a “new deal” for the “new deal” for the American peopleAmerican people

Roosevelt won easilyRoosevelt won easily

Franklin Delano Franklin Delano RooseveltRoosevelt

1882 – 19451882 – 1945 3232ndnd President (1933-45) President (1933-45) President throughout most President throughout most

of the Great Depression of the Great Depression and WWIIand WWII

Roosevelt had been Roosevelt had been paralyzed from the waist paralyzed from the waist down from polio since down from polio since 1921, making him our only 1921, making him our only physically disabled physically disabled president, however, he president, however, he carefully controlled his carefully controlled his public appearances so that public appearances so that the public wasn’t the public wasn’t constantly reminded of his constantly reminded of his disabilitydisability