The American Presidential Election of 1932

The American presidential election of 1932 between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover was the thirty-seventh presidential election. The Great Depression was the main focus of this election it cost President Herbert Hoover the 1932 election.  When the stock market crashed in 1929, and the Great Depression began, The American people lost everything; which lead to the end of the Republican Party reign. This election was the ending of the Republican Progressive Era, the end of the multiple political parties, the last time blacks-African Americans would vote for a Republican candidate, and the beginning of Democratic Party New Deal Era. The development of federal agencies to end America plight: Federal Emergency Relief Administration, Civil Works Administration. This was first election in 16 years that a Democratic won a presidential election.

Herbert Hoover lost the presidential election of 1932 because of the following reasons: the American people lost confidence that he could bring American through the Great Depression and create jobs. During Hoover administration, big businesses and banks were built, but when they crashed the American economy collapsed.  Hoover believed in ‘laissez-faire. That meant to leave things as they were and it would correct itself. He put a tariff on imported goods, which back fired and made the Great Depression worst. He blocked the Garner-Wagner Relief Bill, which would allow Congress to provide 2.1 billion jobs for the American people. He believed that Social Security was not the responsibility of the government. He appointed General McCarthy to handle the White House protestors. McCarthy had American troops use tear gas to push back on the protestors.  The people were protesting for money they believed was owed to them. Americans were tired of Hoover economic policy.

Franklin D. Roosevelt won the 1932 election by huge margins. He won the popular and the electoral college votes.  The American people was tired of the Republican Progressive Era that lead to the Great Depression. They wanted and needed a change now.  He outlined his campaign promise of The New Deal. The New Deal would consist of unemployed assistance, old-age insurance under state law, legislation to protect labors, assistance for farmers, development of electrical power plants, repeal of prohibition, and a balance budget. Roosevelt won because the American people believed that he could help them get jobs to pay their bills, to buy homes, and to buy food for their families. He promised a future for the American people. Roosevelt was seen as the president who would restore America. Roosevelt believed that, if we work together we can rebuild the American economy. I personally believe Roosevelt speech in San Francisco helped him win the election.  In his speech, he states how he wanted the federal government to resuscitate the American economy, in easing the burden of the suffering and insuring that all Americans had an opportunity to lead successful and rewarding lives.