The Depression

Hardship and Despair• Stock market crash hits hard and many people left out of

work: have no money• Families struggling to survive• Families start to depend on soup kitchens and bread

lines- charitable donations- who does not like this?• Males-heads of households despise going to bread lines:

pride

The Dust Bowl• Farmers hit hard- erosion takes toll on soil• The Dust Bowl, Donald Worster contends

capitalism and overproduction are at the root of the dust bowl

• Loose dirt- winds pick it up and make intense clouds or dust particles

Hoover Responds… eventually• America is still confident that Hoover will pull us out of

Depression- he relies on this• His motto “everything will be okay” “don’t panic”• Federal budget needs to be balanced, best thing to do is

raise taxes- Revenue Act of 1932• His theory is “trickle down economics”, he bails out

banks and creditors, but it hurt average American• He reluctantly creates government programs- Boulder

Dam

Hoover

• Hoovervilles or shantytowns• Hoover Flags• He is booed in public• Hoover is distressed

The Bonus Army• After WWI, Veterans promised to get bonuses for serving in

1945• Veterans decide they want it now-1932• March on Washington- 200,000 come-8,000 camp around

Capital Hill- • Government refuses to give money, deem camps unsanitary• Hoover sends future legendary generals- George Patton,

Douglas Macarthur, and Dwight Eisenhower to “disperse” crowd

Thinking Critically• Can Hoover be blamed for this?• No, circumstances just happened on his watch.• Could he have done more?• Maybe, but he did enact certain legislation that is similar

to New Deal• Key is Depression needs time• Hoover cannot be blamed for all of problems

Questions• What else will be done to help the country?• What event might help America pull out of the

Depression?• Is Hoover a “bad guy?”• Who comes to our “rescue” in 1932?