Herbert+Hoover

Herbert Clark Hoover - 31st president
**Born:** August 10, 1874 – **Died:** October 20, 1964 **Presidency:** 1929-1933 **Political Party:** Republican **Quote:** "The only thing wrong with capitalism is capitalists"

**Details**
 * 1st president born west of Mississippi
 * 8 years in Commerce Department[Secretary] under Coolidge/Harding
 * ** Self-made man **- built his own mining company and became a millionaire
 * Wall-Street Crash broke out at the time he won presidency.
 * Philosophy of "associationalism" - incorporating voluntarism within government/businesses

Hoover Programs
[Hoover Hotel - Collection of cardbox shacks (Houses were foreclosed)]
 * **Voluntarism** - Hoover gathered businessmen to persuade them not to cut production/lay off. He asked for higher wages/better hours for the people. The economic conditions during the Great Depression caused his idea to downfall.
 * **Agricultural Marketing Act** - Government intervention to help farmers maintain prices. It was Helping farmers with loans from the government and to project them from international competitions.
 * **Hawley-Smoot Tariff** - Helped increase protection on 75 farm products.
 * **Reconstruction Finance Corporation** - Government agency that provided federal loans to banks, railroads, other businesses. By the end of 1932, it consisted of a budget of $1.5 billion for public works.

Many Americans held Hoover responsible for the crisis and called shantytowns unemployed people established as "Hoovervilles" or "Hoover Hotels". Democrats that won control of the House urged Hoover to support more programs of relief and public spending. Hoover took everything step by step and his policies were working for the most part.

Major Events/Issues/Decisions
**March 5, 19****29** - Appointed Henry L. Stimson Secretary of State **May 27, 1929** - U.S Supreme Court upholds use of pocket veto by President for the purpose of blocking legislation **October 29, 1929** - "Black Thursday": the New York Stock Exchange experiences a collapse in stock prices as 13 million shares are sold **June 7, 1930** - Hoover signs the Hawley-Smoot Tariff **July 3, 1930** - Hoover signs Veterans Administration Act **September [?] 1930** - 305 banks across the country foreclose **September 17, 1930** - Construction of Hoover dam in Nevada **December 2, 1930** - Hoover persuades Congress to fund public works. Congress provided $116 million in jobs for the estimated 4.5 million unemployed. **February 27, 1931** - Hoover's veto, Congress passes Bonus Loan Bill which allowed veterans to obtain up to 50% of their bonus from 1924 **March 3, 1931** - The Stars Spangled Banner becomes the national anthem **November 8, 1932** - FDR wins election over Hoover

**Thesis** Herbert Hoover could possibly be called the most important presidency in U.S history because as soon as he won presidency, the stock market crashed. He couldn't control the economic issues going on but he did what he could. He created "Hoover programs" that helped people with money, housing, and even jobs.

[] [] [|Brinkley, A. (2007) A Survey American History New York, NY: McGraw Hill Co]