Eastlake High School History Responses

Instructions: For response 1-2, respond thoughtfully. Just saying “I agree” or “I disagree” does not constitute a thoughtful response. They need to be substantive to promote further discussion, new ideas, or questions and are approximately 150-200 words (1 paragraph) in length. Short comments, such as “Good point,” information not applicable to the historical context of the assigned topic, and non-topic personal interactions do not apply.

1. Herbert Hoover was America’s 31st President and started his presidency in 1929, a few months before the Stock Market crash of 1929, which was the start of the Great Depression. He had one of the lowest approval ratings out of all other presidents. The American people were losing their jobs and their homes and the economy was going downhill. President Hoover was very unprepared for what was coming during the Great Depression. Throughout the Great Depression President Hoover had to give a couple of responses to the American people fighting through the Great Depression. One of theses responses took place in the aftermath of Black Tuesday. Hoover wanted to give the American people a little hope by saying everything will be ok. Hoover said “Any lack of confidence in the economic future or the strength of business in the United States is foolish.”. I personally believe that President Hoover response was very “limited in scope”. He put very little effort into what he was doing. Hoover had a “philosophy of limited government” (Pg 735), Hoover also felt that too much federal intervening would cause a threat towards individualism and capitalism. Hoover made a few programs to get people jobs and to help out but it was a little too late. These programs only helped out a little amount of people. Hoover’s ideals made him act in such a poor way that most of the American people had to suffer.

2. President Hoover was unprepared for the extent of the Great Depression, his response didn’t help the millions of Americans in need of his help. President Hoover’s response to the Great Depression was that the government should have a limited role to play in terms of restoring the country to its former wealth. He believed that the economic outcomes were the product of individual character. It was the citizens of America who would decide their fate, not the government. President Herbert Hoover’s beliefs about the limited role of government caused him to respond to the economic crisis with the objective of getting people to return to their jobs rather than to grant government aid, which he called “handouts” (Corbett 2017). Hoover established the President’s Emergency Committee for Employment to organize the local welfare agencies. Efforts such as the Smoot Hawley Tariff Act, raised import taxes, it was meant to increase American trade but destroyed businesses that relied on imports as well as leading to taxes on American goods from other countries as retribution. As the Great Depression worsened, organizations were very overwhelmed by the extent of the Great Depression, Hoover tried many new ideas to boost the failing economy, like the Reconstruction Finance Corporation – which provided financial support to governments and made loans to banks, railroads, mortgage associations, and other businesses. The Glass-Steagall Act – prohibited investment banks from having a controlling interest in retail banks. The Emergency Relief and Construction Act which was meant to authorize loans to private corporations that provided housing for low-income families.Although Hoover’s responses/efforts were not enough to keep the economy from plummeting further into economic chaos. “While Hoover could not be blamed for the Great Depression, his failure to address the nation’s hardships would remain his legacy” (Corbett 2017).