14.3 hoover and the depression (with a little 14.2)
TRANSCRIPT
The Dust Bowl• Destructive over-farming
in the 1920s left the land weak by the early 1930s– Combined with a draught,
created the Dust Bowl
• Many farm families had to flee to California to find work there.– They earned the negative
nickname “Okies”
The Dust Bowl• Country men/boys joined factory workers
in the search for work– Called “hoboes,” often traveled by hopping onto
trains
Hoover’s Response• Hoover was a conservative, believed in
American “rugged individualism”– People succeed the most when they have to
tough it out for themselves– Rather than get the govt. too involved, he only
did things like encourage businesses not to fire workers and workers not to strike
Hoover’s Response• Hoover did approve the
construction of the Boulder (now Hoover) Dam– This provides water to California for
agriculture
• Hoover attempted to save big businesses (hoping it would help the rest of us out too)
• Most of Hoover’s plans were too little, too late to save the economy.