America Wants Change

President Hoover was blamed for many of the problems associated with the Great Depression. At election time voters replaced him with Franklin Roosevelt.

Strikes, holidays, violence. The whole Nation was bewildered over the deepening depression. Those without jobs, begged for the Government to do something. But President Hoover steadfastly held to the policy that the Government should not interfere with the economic affairs of the people. The people must take care of themselves. Hoover’s name became a symbol for everything that was wrong with the country. Thousands of homeless people lived in tarpaper communities, called ‘Hoovervilles’, and covered themselves with newspapers, called ‘Hooverblankets’, to keep warm. The American people were tired of being ignored. They were ready for a new administration.

(music and cheering)

Let us all here assembled constitute ourselves profits of a new order of competence and of courage. This is more than a political campaign; it is a call to arms. Give me your help, not to win votes alone, but to win in this crusade—to restore America to its own people.

(clapping and cheering)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, former Governor of New York, was the Democratic nominee for president in 1932. The American people agreed that Government action was needed to put an end to the depression, so they gave Roosevelt a chance to fulfill his promises and elected him by a landslide vote.