The 1930's were a critical time in United States history. America was in the worst depression in history. There were two presidents who were in office during this period; President Herbert Hoover (1929-1932) and President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1932-1948). Both had different views politically; particularly when it came to the depression. In this paper I will discuss the different views that these two presidents had on the depression; and who did what to end the depression. I will start with president Hoover.
Herbert Clark Hoover started his political career as head of the Department of Commerce during president Harding and Coolidge's term. During this time; Hoover became very noticed as a political leader. In the year 1928, Hoover ran for the presidency against Alfred E. Smith since Coolidge was not seeking re-election. Hoover would win the election by a landslide and take a Republican majority in to Congress. It would only be less then a year in his term before trouble would strike.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933. Lietuvių: Frankl...
Hoover's official White House portrait painted by ...
English: Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Herbert Hoo...This trouble was the Wall Street crash of October 1929.
The 'crash' would lead the United States into the worst depression in its history. Hoover would refuse to enable the resources that the federal government had to save the falling economy. The reason for this was to keep his own integrity. President Hoover thought that was just a temporary sign of inconsistency in the business world. When he saw that this was more serious, he would have to take some action to turn the economy around. These actions that Hoover took were ineffective and damaging. He had made a tax cut in 1930 but it had very little effect.
The Hawley-Smoot Tariff would create high interest rates and provoked a retaliation from other countries that cut America's exports in half. Hoovers most costly decision was the one...