Herbert Clark Hoover
Our 31 president
By: Nate Miller
Horizons
Table of Contents
1. Major Events While in Office
2. Family
3. Birth and Childhood
4. Career before Presidency
5. Becoming the President
6. Post-Presidential Period
7. Herbert Hoover Quotes
8. Stock Market Crash
9. Start of the Great Depression
10.Hawley-Smoot Tariff
11.Bonus Army March
Major Events While in Office:
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Stock Market Crash (1929)
Start of the Great Depression (1929)
Hawley-Smoot Tariff (1930)
Bonus Army March (1932)
Lame Duck Amendment Ratified (1933)
Family
• Father: Jesse Clark Hoover - Blacksmith and
salesman.
• Mother: Huldah Minthorn Hoover - Quaker
minister.
• Siblings: One brother and one sister.
• Wife: Lou Henry.
• Children: Two sons - Herbert Hoover Jr. and Allan
Hoover.
Birth and childhood
Herbert was born Aug. 10, 1874 in West Branch,
Iowa. He grew up a Quaker and lived in Oregon at
age 10. His father died when he was only 6 years
old. His mother died only 2 years after that. He
and his siblings were sent off to live with various
relatives. He attended a school as a youth, but he
never graduated high school. He was then enrolled
as part of the first class at Stanford University in
California. He graduated with a degree in geology.
Career Before presidency
He worked as a mining engineer from 1896-1914.
During World War 1, lead the American Relief
Committee which helped stranded Americans in
Europe. He was then head of commission for the
relief of Belgium and American relief Administrations
which sent out tons of food and supplies to Europe.
He served as the food U.S. Administrator (19171918). He was involved in other wars and peace
efforts. From 1921-1928 he served as the secretary of
Commerce of Presidents Harding and Coolidge.
Becoming The President
In 1928, Hoover was nominated as the Republican
candidate for president on the first ballot with
Charles Curtis as his running mate. He ran against
Alfred Smith, the first Roman Catholic to be
nominated to run for president. His religion was an
important part of the campaign against him. Hoover
ended up winning with 58% of the vote and 444 out
of 531 votes.
Post-Presidential Period
Hoover ran for reelection in 1932 but was defeated by
Franklin Roosevelt. He retired to Palo Alto,
California. He opposed the New Deal. He was
appointed as the coordinator of the Food Supply for
World Famine (1946-47). He was chairman of the
Commission on Organization of the Executive
Branch of the Government or Hoover Commission
(1947-49) and the Commission on Government
Operations (1953-55) which were intended find
ways to streamline government. He died on
October 20, 1964 of cancer.
Herbert Hoover Quotes
• "The sole function of Government is to bring about a condition of affairs
favorable to the beneficial development of private enterprise."
• "War is a losing business, a financial loss, a loss of life and an economic
degeneration."
• "The course of unbalanced budgets is the road to ruin."
• "Free speech does not live many hours after free industry and free
commerce die."
• "When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole
people are poisoned.“
• "Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die. And it is
youth who must inherit the tribulation, the sorrow, and the triumphs that
are the aftermath of war."
• "True Liberalism is found not in striving to spread bureaucracy but in striving
to set bounds to it."
• "It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of
free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed
all free speech except his own."
Stock Market Crash (1929)
• Historical Importance: The Stock Market Crash of
1929 devastated the economy and was a key factor
in beginning the Great Depression.
• Dates: October 29, 1929
• Also Known As: The Great Wall Street Crash of
1929; Black Tuesday
Stock Market Crash (1929)
The end of World War 1 heralded a new era in the United
States. It was an era of enthusiasm, confidence, and
optimism. A time when inventions such as the airplane
and radio made anything seem possible. A time when
19th century morals where set aside and flappers became
the new model for woman. A time when prohibition
renewed confidence in the productivity of the common
man. It is such time of optimism that people take there
savings out from under there mattresses and out of there
banks and invest it. In the 1920s, many invested in the
stock market.
Stock Market Crash (1929)
Although the stock market has the reputation of
being a risky investment, it did not appear that way in
the 1920s. With the mood of the country exuberant,
the stock market seemed an infallible investment in the
future. As more people invested in the stock market,
stock prices began to rise. This was first noticeable in
1925. Stock prices then bobbed up and down
throughout 1925 and 1926, followed by a strong
upward trend in 1927. The strong bull market (when
prices are rising in the stock market) enticed even more
people to invest. And by 1928, a stock market boom
had begun.
Start of the Great Depression (1929)
• Historical Importance of the Great Depression: The
Great Depression, an immense tragedy that placed
millions of Americans out of work, was the
beginning of government involvement in the
economy and in society as a whole.
• Dates: 1929 -- early 1940s
• Overview of the Great Depression: The Stock
Market Crash
Start of the Great Depression (1929)
After nearly a decade of optimism and prosperity, the United States
was thrown into despair on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the day the
stock market crashed and the official beginning of the Great Depression. As
stock prices plummeted with no hope of recovery, panic struck. Masses and
masses of people tried to sell their stock, but no one was buying. The stock
market, which had appeared to be the surest way to become rich, quickly
became the path to bankruptcy. And yet, the Stock Market Crash was just
the beginning. Since many banks had also invested large portions of their
clients' savings in the stock market, these banks were forced to close when
the stock market crashed.
Seeing a few banks close caused another panic across the country.
Afraid they would lose their own savings, people rushed to banks that were
still open to withdraw their money. This massive withdrawal of cash caused
additional banks to close. Since there was no way for a bank's clients to
recover any of their savings once the bank had closed, those who didn't
reach the bank in time also became bankrupt. Businesses and industry were
also affected. Having lost much of their own capital in either the Stock
Market Crash or the bank closures, many businesses started cutting back
their workers' hours or wages.
Start of the Great Depression
In turn, consumers began to curb their spending, refraining from purchasing
such things as luxury goods. This lack of consumer spending caused additional
businesses to cut back wages or, more drastically, to lay off some of their workers.
Some businesses couldn't stay open even with these cuts and soon closed their
doors, leaving all their workers unemployed.
The Dust Bowl
In previous depressions, farmers were usually safe from the severe effects of
a depression because they could at least feed themselves. Unfortunately, during
the Great Depression, the Great Plains were hit hard with both a drought and
horrendous dust storms. Years and years of overgrazing combined with the effects
of a drought caused the grass to disappear. With just topsoil exposed, high winds
picked up the loose dirt and whirled it for miles. The dust storms destroyed
everything in their paths, leaving farmers without their crops. Small farmers were
hit especially hard. Even before the dust storms hit, the invention of the tractor
drastically cut the need for manpower on farms. These small farmers were usually
already in debt, borrowing money for seed and paying it back when their crops
came in. When the dust storms damaged the crops, not only could the small farmer
not feed himself and his family, he could not pay back his debt. Banks would then
foreclose on the small farms and the farmer's family would be both homeless and
unemployed.
Hawley-Smoot Tariff (1930)
Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act, 1930, passed by the U.S. Congress; it brought
the U.S. tariff to the highest protective level yet in the history of the
United States. President Hoover desired a limited upward revision
of tariff rates with general increases on farm products and
adjustment of a few industrial rates. A congressional joint
committee, however, in compromising the differences between a
high Senate tariff bill and a higher House tariff bill, arrived at new
high rates by generally adopting the increased rates of the Senate
on farm products and those of the House on manufactures. Despite
wide protest, the tariff act, called the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act
because of its joint sponsorship by Representative Willis C. Hawley
and Senator Reed Smoot, both Republicans, was signed (June,
1930) by President Hoover. The act brought retaliatory tariff acts
from foreign countries, U.S. foreign trade suffered a sharp decline,
and the depression intensified.
Bonus Army March (1932)
Congress had overridden Herbert Hoover’s veto of a veterans’ compensation act early
in 1932, which provided some relief for ex-servicemen, but also fueled sentiment for having
payments made in cash. Such requests were swiftly rejected by Republican leaders who
believed that such irresponsible action would only deepen the nation’s woes. In late May, a
group of veterans numbering around 1,000 came to Washington, D.C. to lobby for their
cause. Many of these were unemployed and homeless, and they vowed to remain in the
nation’s capital until favorable legislation was passed. As the weeks went by, the so-called
Bonus Expeditionary Force (BEF) grew to more than 17,000. Many of these took up
residence at a camp outside of the city on the banks of the Anacostia River*; others made
homes for themselves in vacant government buildings and even on the lawn of the Capitol.
Despite the swelling numbers, the on-going demonstrations remained essentially peaceful.
On June 15, the House of Representatives passed the Patman Bonus Bill, a measure
authorizing the printing of $2.4 billion in fiat money to be used for cashing out the veterans’
bonus certificates. This relief measure was promptly stopped cold in the Senate. Before
adjourning for their summer recess, both houses of Congress offered a meager gesture to
the veterans by agreeing to provide them with transportation money for returning to their
homes. Most of the veterans were exhausted by their stay in the sweltering capital and
accepted the funds; however, about 2,000 determined protestors remained. Metropolitan
police were called in to disperse this remnant and violence erupted that resulted in the
deaths of two policemen and two veterans.
Bonus Army March (1932)
Hoover feared that the country was on the verge of descending into mob rule
and that an assortment of radicals was in the forefront of the movement. On July
28, the depleted Bonus Army marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, chanting,
Mellon pulled the whistle,
Hoover rang the bell,
Wall Street gave the signal
And the country went to hell.
Hoover had had enough and summoned federal troops. Army Chief of Staff
Douglas MacArthur was in command, assisted by Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S.
Patton Jr. and others. An assortment of tanks, cavalry, infantry and a machine gun
detachment moved in pursuit of the demonstrating veterans, forcing the Bonus
Army out of the city. Tear gas was used to break up the assemblage at Anacostia
Flats and the shanty town was burned to the ground. In the melee, more than 100
veterans were injured and a three-month-old baby died from tear gas inhalation.
The president claimed that the Army had used force far in excess of its orders, but
that explanation made little impression on the public. If any remote possibility of
Hoover’s reelection remained in mid-1932, it ended on that July day. Most
Americans were disgusted by the spectacle of heavily armed troops moving against
the Bonus Army, destitute former servicemen who had fought for their country
only a few years previously.
Lame Duck Amendment Ratified (1933)
Senator GEORGE W. NORRIS proposed the amendment on March 2, 1932,
as a way to shorten the period of time in election, or even-numbered, years
during which members of Congress who had failed to be reelected (the lame
ducks) would serve in office until their terms expired. The handicap of a session
of Congress with numerous lame ducks was particularly evident in December
1932. During the thirteen weeks of that session of the Seventy-second
Congress, 158 defeated members (out of a total of 431) served until the new
Congress convened in March 1933. In the meantime the newly elected
members, spurred by their recent electoral victories and the problems of a
nationwide economic depression, had to wait inactive and unorganized until
the term of the old Congress expired. The Norris proposal was ratified by the
requisite number of state legislatures on January 23, 1933, and took effect on
October 15 of that year. The new amendment stipulated that the terms of all
members of Congress begin on January 3. It also required Congress to convene
on January 3 each year and for the president and vice president to be
inaugurated on January 20 rather than in March. Two sections of the
amendment also clarified the problem of presidential succession under certain
conditions.
Resources
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www.about.com
www.google.com
www.americanhistory.com
www.whitehouse.gov