President Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

Herbert Hoover was America's 31st president (1929-1933). He unfortunately took office just months before the country plummeted into the Great Depression. Even though he won 40 states in the general election, he quickly lost a lot of popularity due to the economic crisis that unfolded over the course of his term.

Americans criticized President Hoover for not doing nearly enough to help them.

• Unemployment rose from 3.2% in 1929 to 24.9% by 1933
• Tariff Act of 1930 does not help
• Hoover vetoed bills that would have provided more direct relief to struggling Americans

Hoover’s inability to really help the economic crisis was what made him so unpopular amongst American's affected by the Depression. He was constrained by his conservative political opinions. He believed in a limited role for government and felt that reinforcement should be handled on a local, voluntary basis. 

"Hoovervilles" created by Americans living in the most extreme poverty. 

When Franklin D. Roosevelt soundly defeated Hoover in the following election, many of the bills that Hoover originally vetoed were actually adopted and expanded upon by FDR in his New Deal. After his presidency, Hoover criticized FDR and the New Deal programs. He warned about the dangers of investing too much power in the federal government. Still, Roosevelt not only got Americans to believe in his efforts to restore the economy, but he even rallied Americans to get back to work. The CCC is a famous example of his efforts to literally get American boys "back to work."