Hebert Hoover: The Father Of The Great Depression

Hebert Hoover was born on August 10, 1874 in West Bank, Iowa. He was the first president born west of the Mississippi River. Hoover was the second of three children of a Quaker family. His father died when he was six and his mother died three years later. At age nine Hoover moved in with his aunt and uncle in Oregon. After going to Quaker schools, Hoover joined the first class to attend Stanford University which opened in 1891. He graduated with a degree in geology and became a mining engineer. Hoover traveled worldwide to discover valuable mineral deposits and created businesses to gather the resources. His businesses eventually made him a multimillionaire. Then on February 10, 1899, Hoover married Lou Henry, his college sweetheart. Together they had two sons, Hebert and Allan Henry. As World War I began, Hoover dedicated himself to humanitarian work. When conflicts broke out, he helped return 120,000 stranded American tourists in Europe back home. He also organized the delivery of food and supplies to the people of Belgium after it was overtaken by Germany. …show more content…
He ran against Alfred Smith and won. Then, seven months later the stock market crashed and caused the start of the Great Depression. To attack the Great Depression, Hoover’s plans included tax cuts and public works projects. He wanted to keep money in the people’s pockets and keep them working. He also urges businesses not to cut wages or lay anyone off. In 1932, he backed the Reconstruction Finance Corporation that intended to help banks and industries recover. None of these methods helped and Hoover could only watch the poverty increase. One interesting thing he did was sign a law that made The Star-Spangled Banner, America’s national anthem. In the next election of 1932, the public blamed Hoover for the depression and as a result Franklin Roosevelt won. The Great Depression would continue for eight more years despite Roosevelt’s