AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Hoover's Response to the Great Depression (Day 237/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about Hoover’s Response to the Great Depression as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Hoover vs. the Great Depression, Hoover Institution

President Herbert Hoover's response to the Great Depression reflected a commitment to rugged individualism, emphasizing self-reliance and limited government intervention. 

Hooverville in Seattle, Wikimedia Commons

However, as the economic crisis deepened and Hoover continued to press voluntary efforts to combat widespread unemployment and homelessness, shantytowns emerged and were called “Hoovervilles,” to cast blame upon the inaction of the president.

Hoover Dam, Wikimedia Commons

As the Depression intensified, Hoover reluctantly took steps to intervene, such as initiating the construction of the Hoover Dam to create jobs and signing the Emergency Banking Act in 1932 to stabilize the banking system. 

Bonus Army on the Capitol Lawn, Wikimedia Commons

Hoover's hesitancy to intervene in the economy drew criticism, and the 1932 Bonus Army incident, involving World War I veterans seeking early payment of bonuses, damaged his reputation when he ordered their eviction from Washington, D.C.

Hoover's presidency ultimately became associated with perceived inaction during the Great Depression, fueling a desire by many Americans for a more interventionist approach by the federal government.

Join me tomorrow as I explain the Election of 1932 in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!