Year 13; USA - Part 1

Question 1

Who was Calvin Coolidge

Key facts/figures

Answer 1

1872/1933

• born in Plymouth Vermont and died there
• PRESIDENCY = 1923-29
• Republican
• father was a farmer and mother died when he was 12
• Went to Amherst college and qualified as a lawyer in 1891
• 1901 = Republican town mayor of Northampton Vermont
• 1921= vice-president to Harding after severing as his running mate in the previous years campaign
• refused to stand for re-election in 1928 due to health concerns

Question 2

Calvin Coolidge

Qualities and failures

Answer 2

• Man of the people, especially in small towns
• believed in little government intervention - “the business of America is business’
• crictised for doing and saying very little but did meet and make more speeches than his predecessors
• apprehend calm, honest and incorruptible, didn’t smoke/drink/chase women

BUT

• Criticised for his low work rate - nicknamed ‘Silent Cal’
• severe depression after the death of his son in 1924
• to some he had a superiority complex and didn’t address usa’s problems

Question 3

Calvin Coolidge

Acts introduced

Answer 3

• Agricultural Credit Act 1923 = attempted to relieve the stubborn recession in 1920s, effort to develop special mechanisms for providing credit and loans (specifically farmers)
• Dawns Plan (1924) - attempt to solve WW1 reparations problem
• Revenue Act (1924) = bug cuts in income taxes
• Young Plan (1929) - renegotiated germanys WW1 reparations payments
• Reatained Andrew Mellon as Sec of the Treasury and supported Mellon Plan
• Immigration Act (1924) = limited the annual number of immigrants who could enter the country to 2% of those already in country SO end of mass immigration
• AND The Quota Act of 1921/4 - restricted immigration to the USA
• AND The National Origins Act 1924 = an american system of immigration quotas which restricted immigration on the basis of existing proportions (aim to reduce the number of unskilled immigrants)

Question 4

Who was Herbert Hoover

key facts/figures

Answer 4

• known as the ‘great engineer’
• born Aug 10th 1874 - October 20th 1964
• born in small town in Iowa and died in New York
• PRESIDENCY = 1928-32 and a Republican
• orphaned by 9 and raised by his uncle
• studied mining engineering at Stanford Uni and gained great reputation/ famous for his work
• Humanitarian too, 1914 he went to American Citizens Relief Committee to help compatriots caught up in war zones
• Food Administrator in WW1 - So successful in surplus of food, they could support starving Europe
• Sec of Commerce in Hardings gov and was huge influence in Coolidge choices e.g getting farmers to work together and not giving them direct federal aid

Question 5

Herbert Hoover

Character

Answer 5

• believed passionately in the values of hard work and enterprise
• couldn’t shift from his fundamental beliefs acquired at an early age
• perfect for president on paper, confident and qualified
• shy, taciturn, uncomfortable with strangers and shunned publicity
• BELIVED IN RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM
• Administrator more than politicians -avoided political tricks and infighting
• believed to have been architect of 1920s prosperity
• tragic figure, permanently aged and butt of cruel jokes e.g. Hoovervilles
• believed in conservative/ traditional approach to government - little gov interference and didn’t believe in Keynesianism
• believed in ‘self-reliance’ and american individualism
• followed voluntary co-operation to solve problems (business could volunteer to raise wages and working conditions)

Question 6

1928 presidential bid

Answer 6

• hoover won
• in 1928 he won a landslide victory to become the 31st president
• replaced Coolidge smoothly - saw as capable and experienced
• defeated democrat Al Smith
• presumed to be a future success

Question 7

Hoovers Administration - events

Answer 7

• gov suggested that unemployment rose from 3.2% of labour force (1929) to 25.2% (1933) = 12,830,000 unemployed - but others say real figures was more like 17mill
• “hoover was the greatest innocent bystander in history” - hoover believed “the cause of the depression was the war.”
• dealt with the depression BADLY as he was stuck with his traditional views that clouded his judgement - led to his failure and he received blame for depression
• followed VOLUNTARISM (business could volunteer to raise wages and working conditions) and hoped economy would simply fix itself
• Agricultural Marketing Act 1930 - enabled gov to lend money to farmers through special marketing groups which stabilised prices and ensured profits - failed
• The Grain Stabilisation Cooperation 1930 - guarantee fair prices when buying wheat- failed
• tried to implore business’ not cut workforce/wages - 1932 gave an additional 500mill to help agencies provide relief
• 1932 The Reconstruction Finance corporation - RADICAL - Lent up to 2bill to rescue banks, railroads (forerunner of roosevelt new deal)
• The Emergency Relief Act 1932 - 300mill to state gov to help unemployed

Question 8

what where the bonus marches

Answer 8

May/June 1932

• veterans of WW1 who were promised bonus’ in 1945 wanted their money - 12000 unemployed/homeless veterans marched to Washington
• Hoover couldn’t afford the 2.3mill needed to when veterans refused to leave the army was called in
• Over 100 were injured and a baby died of tear gas poisoning
• this left bitter taste in USA and destroyed Hoovers credibility