And hoover and roosevelt, their long relationship that lasted after their presidencies. This was a period of incredible trauma for the United States with the great depression. Of course, the two of them had known each other for quite some during world war one, Franklin Roosevelt was the assistant secretary of the navy under woodrow wilson. Tom, do you mind talking about what hoover did during world war i . Sure. Herbert hoover was the head of the u. S. Food administration. The Food Administration had to essentially provide food to the soldiers going to europe. Hoover was able to provide the necessary food by getting americans to voluntarily reduce consumption by 15 . And he did this by appealing to american housewives, to sign lunch cards, where they would hooverize. To hooverize, that meant you gave up a certain essential component. Meet, wheat, sugar, fats. So you had meatless mondays, meatless wednesdays. Hoover was able to use that as a stopgap before the farmers could increase their production, in growing the necessary food stuff that were required. And of course, fdr was a big fan of hoover, he was very impressed with the work he had done. They were both in the same administration, Franklin Roosevelt was trying to convince hoover to become a democrat. There was some sense of, maybe you could be a part of our party. But hoover had other ideas. Can you talk about why hes state republican . He grew up in that community, which had supported lincoln, because of their abolitionists sentiments. John brown visited west branch, and hoover had actually registered as republican. But because he had lived abroad for most of his adult life, with his mining career, people did not know his political affiliations. So, he had to write to roosevelt to indicate that, his tribe was the republican tribe. He considered himself, roosevelt, a progressive republican. So the 1920s president ial race, roosevelt was the vice parental candidate on the democrats side. The democrats lost, but then hoover became an important part of both the harding and the hoover administrations, while fdr, with his polio, disappeared for many years. The secretary of commerce, was actually quite big on government regulations. Talk about his role as commerce secretary, and how influenced his later political thoughts. So, he transformed a sleepy Government Agency into a real powerhouse. Standardization was one of his main achievements, where he got industries to set industrial standards, which he believed it would lower the cost of goods to consumers. Many of the things we take for granted it today, the size of lumber, the thread count, nuts and bolts, the size brick that you use in construction the size of tires that is right probably the greatest example, 42 different sized containers. He got it down to point, court, half gallon, gallon. So, hoover was a very aggressive secretary of commerce. He took that agency, and he really made it one that was very meaningful, to a majority of americans. 1928 is the year where it roosevelts political career, and hoovers career, really coming to parallel. The 1928 president ial election, hoover as a republican candidate, and a democratic candidate, a friend of roosevelts, roosevelt runs for governor of new york. His return to politics after his isolation, as he tried to recover from polio. And of course, we are still in the roaring twenties. The economy is doing a great, everyone thinks the world is wonderful. So, when hoover becomes president , he has a specific set of agenda in mind. Which of course, they do not last very. Long so, what was it like during the hoover it ministration . In october, 1929, three months into the administration, the stock market collapsed. Hoover was very much aware that there were certain systemic problems with the economy, even before the market crashed. Agriculture produced too much, which depressed prices. It had its own depression throughout the twenties. But banking. 25 of the banks failed before the crash. It was a condition of too many banks, with too few capital assets. When the market crashed, people needed to realize, only 10 of americans actually owned stock. However, banks were heavily invested in the market, 90 of the banks had stop. So, the crash really impacted already, the main institutions that made the loans, but kept the economy alive. So, hoover immediately calls industrial heads and leaders together, in november 19th, and gets them to agree to voluntarily continue to maintain full staff levels, to keep pay at the same level. And also, to keep liquidity, and the economy, the federal reserves, it helps out a little bit. It reduces the prime rate by half a point. But it is still incredibly high for the needs. And most economists, they claim that what should have been a normal kind of downturn into the economy, into that depression, into the great depression, was that again, the fed did not early enough, and at the level required, infused the economy with enough liquidity and capital. However, by 1930, Economic Indicators started to point up. And then, of course, there were other things that happened abroad. So it took the depression, into the great depression. The irony is typically, when we refer to economic down terms, due to virtuous panic, hoover wanted to avoid that language. So, he is the one who embraced the term depression. Some of the things that hoover did, really exacerbated it, the limitation of the tariffs really created chaos. It may be situation much, much worse. The division between the way it was about responded, he believes that government should be directly involved in helping unemployed people. Hoover it was just adamantly opposed to that. Roosevelt strongly believed you had to have this government investment, in creating jobs, creating opportunities. Hoover was pretty insistent that the federal government do not go down that path. So, the convergence that happened later on, it becomes very evident fairly quickly, certainly by 1930, 1931, it is obvious that they have radically different philosophies about how to impose an economic crisis. At that point, they did not realize that this was going on for a decade. Now, when they started the campaign, hoover and his advisers hoped that roosevelt will be the candidate. They thought he was a weak candidate, that he would beat them. Hoover was not interested in campaigning. It was only when he saw that there wasnt this groundswell of support for him, and that he reluctantly got out, on to the campaign trail. By the end of it, it almost did him in. I mean, the demands of the crises every day war him physically and mentally. He did give an important speech in Madison Square garden, in late october, right before voting. This, i think is what is significant. He indicated that the 1930 contests was not about personalities, it was about two different philosophies of government. And hoover had always maintained, he was a supporter of small government. Even though, what we had been talking about, he was not afraid to use government to advance what he thought was important programs, protecting levels of interest. I think what hoover objected to was he was a 19th century liberal. He believed that protection of individual freedom and liberty was really the main function of government. As he liked to quote, the purpose of government is to remove obstacles from individuals, to provide open fields and fair chances to everyone. To be able to achieve what ever their talents and ambitions take them. So, this idea of the right to rise hoover wanted to use the power of government to help big business, he did not want to use it to help the american people. That was the biggest difference. When roosevelt comes out, with this democrat the invention of the 1932, with this concept, of the new deal for the american people. What he was really saying was, he wants to share that role at the federal government has, it should have a role in helping individual people. Of course, towards the end of the campaign, he laid out in his speeches, three specific policies for banking regulations, homeownership, he was a very specific set of ideas, for the new deal itself was more of a framework. How do you approach solving these problems . Do you approach them so the government can help, feed the balance between politics and labor, or does government need to stay out of the way . Of course, hoover got very, very hostile. Very nasty. He called fdr a fascist, a socialist. He claimed it would be the end of america as we know it. If roosevelt was elected. We became a very personal and nasty campaign. It did. I think it is a mischaracterization to say that hoover was only a friend of big business. In the 20s, he practiced association elysium, where the business labor government, worked to create the monetary codes. Hoover wanted things to be done in a voluntary, cooperative way, rather than by government. It is not so much that he was not interested in labor, he was interested in the common man. I mean, he was. His humanitarian efforts are evidence of that. Hoover had to deal with, the logical extension of some of the ideas he began so, he ends developing this conservative philosophy, which is constantly warning against the dangers of big government. The election itself was pretty onesided. Fdr one with a large majority. Then, on the streets, in periods of American History. Roosevelts first term starts on march 4th. He was the last president inaugurated on march 4th, even though he was elected november. Congress changed in january. You had this period where hoover is still president , he is trying to convince roosevelt to give up on his new deal plans, and to stick with hoovers plans. Roosevelt is looking to negotiate with him during this period. Of course, the number of Bank Closures continues to increase. The countrys crisis worsens. Congress is sort of paralyzed. Hoover has absolutely no respect for roosevelt during this period. In their meetings, hoover treats him like an idiot. I think there was a lot of antipathy between them. You might have a different take on that period, but it is certainly one of the most contemptuous transitions in American History. Yes. I mean, i think that overhead Unrealistic Expectations about there being a cooperative and joint position on dealing with the crises. You know, knows about, from strictly a political standpoint, no reason, even if he agreed with some of the things that hoover wanted to get done, no reason to expose himself and tie himself to someone who had just lost, in a very big way. Hoover sends a Ten Page Memo talking about the crisis to roosevelt, he writes 11 days before he even responds. So again, and he also misspelt roosevelts name on the envelope. It gets down into these petty slights that get blown up. And roosevelt, of course, when he becomes president , it is an incredible period of legislative accomplishment for several days. But again, it was that period. He had the overwhelming majority, congress, he get that legislation done. He was never given that same ability, in any of his reelections. So the hundred days is the very unique, a historic moment. I do not think that you will see any president s soon to be able to match it. I dont think youll ever see it again. Partly because they had this long, four month period to prepare for the first time in several days. They had huge majorities in both houses in congress, and the American Congress delaying action, and action now, but there is a famous photograph of roosevelt and hoover in the back of the car, during the london inauguration. It really sort of sums up everything that you said about their relationship. The story is, they get into the car. Roosevelt is trying to have small talk with over. Roosevelt was, you know, famous for his charming personality, his ability to engage with people. Hoover was equally famous for us taciturn nature. Hoover doesnt respond at all. A certain point, revoked or insist attention to the crowd, really waves to featuring crowd. Hoover sits there with that mug on his face. It is last time that they ever see each other. Of course, that is a great cover on the new yorker which never ran. It kind of sums it up perfectly. Hoover has this scowl, and roosevelt has his usual smile. Their personalities were really night and day. Hoover felt that he did not need to communicate what he was doing to the american public. The results of what he was doing with speak volumes. He tried to be successful, or he would not be. Whereas, roosevelt was really, he really understood look, you have to communicate. He was a wonderful communicator, the fireside chats. He also had some great speech writers. He had pulitzer prizewinning playwright robert sure would, and others to help him. He also had a natural ability. That is the difference. Roosevelt grew up understanding the levers of politics. The needs of the voting public. Hoover had always been outside of politics. Well, he became president , that was the first time he ever held elective office. Not like starting at the top. He also spent the rest of his life, trying to convince people that he was right, roosevelt was wrong. Hoover wrote a book in 1934, called the challenge to liberty. And it was really all the way up to 1940, he thought he might get the nomination to run again. It never happened. He wrote a major attack on fdrs foreign policy, which was never published until maybe about five years ago, edited by george nash, called freedom betrayed. You can see there is a theme here about freedom and liberty. And it is not that hoover has not made arguments, where historians have been criticizing roosevelt foreign policy. It is that no one can then say it was leadership during the second world war. I think that the war, more than necessarily, the new deal, which was kind of iraqi, and never really got america out of the depression. That shows his leadership at a time, in saving democracy. Not only in america, but in europe. That jy is one of the things that i find most confusing about hoover, when you read about him. His life is really very much based on a set of principles. Both in terms of his extraordinary intellect, and his fitness, the bedrock two principles he had for the rest of his life. Yet, even though he saw terrible suffering the germans imposed on the belgiums during world war one, in that period in the 1930s, he supports hitler. He goes to germany, to hitler, he starts supporting the nazi regime, and one of his criticisms of roosevelt was that roosevelt was having such antipathy towards him. I have never been able to understand why hoover took that point of view. Particularly, if he is saying freedom is the most important thing. This is the most Oppressive Society in the world. So, hoover had been over in europe, to visit poland. He was very important in feeding the polls through world war i, through the American Relief association. He was asked by the American Ambassador if you had come to germany, to have that audience with hitler. Hoover did not seek it. It notes that he made, in memorandum afterwards, he indicated that american media, which made hitler out to be a clown, could not be more wrong. That hitler meant what he said, and what he said was sheer evil. He thought that the germans and the russians would be involved in this very prolonged, and kind of, blood letting, which would protect western interests. Similar to what, a long time ago, happened in iraq and iran. It is a rather cynical view, but hoover thought that america should become fortress america, and let the nazis and the soviets fight it out. Its not until pearl harbor that hoover finally comes on board, supporting the american military. He is fairly supportive of roosevelt during the war, i think at that point, he did not have many options. I do think that it is interesting, that America First group, it was lindbergh, taft, other people who had this influence randall hearst, who had this idea that america could just stay out of this war, and let them fight it out over there. Really, hoover was very much in that camp, whereas roosevelt was more, we need to support western democracy. We need to be partners, of course, which was handcuffing. Roosevelt wouldve gone much further if he could. As it is, you could say, if he did not break the law, he came as close to breaking it as you can. The story, all those pervasive deals, and all that stuff. Also, hoover opposed them. There is an interesting postscript to the war. After, of course, when it roosevelt dies, hoover had not visited the white house for 12 years, at that point. But, he had a different relationship with fdr, his successor. Want to talk about . That throughout roosevelts administration, a number of his advisers, specifically, some of the conservative democrats, like bernard broke kept pushing president roosevelt, to bring over in on certain policy issues. And roosevelt exploded and said, i am not jesus christ. I will not raise hoover from the dead. When he dies, harry truman reaches out, and asked him for a meeting. The 71yearold man, on a fact finding mission, a global fact finding mission, post war, food and humanitarian needs. It is used by george marshall, in formulating the marshall plan. So, hoover under truman, i think gets rehabilitated. He is brought back into service. In fairness, the only person to have really dealt with feeding millions of people in dealing with that kind of relief effort was hoover. Plus, he also still had a network with in the leadership of europe, that remembered him from world war one, especially in germany. Really, the only american that they trusted after world war ii, was hoover. Because at a time when the allies did not want to go into pursed post world war i germany, hoover fought to get food in. I feel like one of roosevelts great feelings was that he did not brief truman on anything. Not on the bomb. Not on his strategy, so hoover had to take over with very little understanding of what was going on. Of course, from 1933 to 1953, hoover was the only surviving ex president he was the only person who really understood, understood what the job was. I am going to let you have the last note as we wrap this up. I think it is about one of hoovers great quotes. He lived until the mid sixties. He saw a lot of different things. His philosophy, essentially laid the groundwork for the conservative republican cross media of goldwater, reagan, that went all the way through, for decades. Near the time of his death, he was asked, how did you overcome your critics . Do you want to end with that famous quote . Thank you, i think you are referring to is quote, that he outlived thes. Which allowed him to get a last word in. There are two kind of quotes, an understanding of what happened. The first where he said, a foolish individual only hurts themselves, were, a foolish government hurts both the wise and the foolish. And the other, is blessed are the children, for they shall inherit the national debt. You did a fantastic job, with the hoover president ial library in west branch, iowa. You have a fantastic job preserving that legacy, the backers, in the president ial library. Many president s have different political philosophies, but thank you for your efforts. Thank you for joining us today, tom. Thank you, paul. You are watching American History tv. Every weekend on cspan three, explore our nations past. Cspan 3, created by americas Cable Television companies, as a public service. Brought to you today by your television provider. Week texas, month we feature American History programs, for what available every weekend on cspan three. Wednesday night, a look at programs from the Kansas City Public Library in kansas city, missouri. We began to talk about the life of hollywood artist listen to patrick. Author and filmmaker Mallory Omeara discusses your book, the lady from the black lagoon. Hollywood mobsters, and the lost legacy of militant patrick. Watch wednesday night, beginning at 8 pm eastern. Enjoy American History tv. This weekend, and every weekend on cspan three. Have watched lectures in history lately . Every saturday at 8 pm eastern, on American History tv on cspan three, go inside a Different College classroom, and hear about topics ranging from the american revolution, civil rights and u. S. President s. All the way to 9 11. Thanks for your patience and for locking into class. With most College Campuses closed due to the impact of the coronavirus, what professors transferred teaching to a virtual setting, to engage with their students. Gorbachev did most of the work to change the soviet union, but reagan met him halfway, but reagan encouraged him, reagan supported him. Freedom of the press, which we will get to later. I should mention, madison originally called it freedom of the use of the press. It is indeed freedom to print things, and publish things