Hoovers Speech on Rugged Individualism - Essay Example

Hoover’s Speech on Rugged Individualism Herbert Hoover’s speech on rugged individualism, his last one during the campaign trail given on October 22, 1928 extolled the virtues of private enterprise and accredited the policies of the Republican party over the last decade for the country’s progress. The economy was strong at the time of the speech, and had been stable for a good while since the end of the First World War, an achievement attributed to the Republican Party’s philosophical approach with regard to the relationship between the government and commercial enterprise, the economy and the individual. Biography Herbert Hoover was born into a Quaker family in Iowa, and became an orphan at the age of nine1. He was adopted by an uncle where he learnt strong work ethics that saw him determined to gain admission into Stanford despite mediocre grades. Hoover graduated with a degree in geology and went on to become a great mining engineer. Hoover’s background shaped his ideals to a great extent because most of his life, he worked hard to get what he got. By 1914, Hoover had amassed great wealth from holding high positions, owning profitable silver mines in Burma and royalties from writing the top textbook on mining engineering.2 In essence, he was a self-made millionaire. Additionally, Hoover was a great humanitarian, building his name organizing various relief efforts in Europe during the Great War and seemed a great presidential candidate during that period in America’s history; one of progressive promise.3 Historical Context Hoover’s speech on rugged individualism was his final speech on the presidential campaign trail against Democratic candidate Alfred Smith. Given in October 22nd, the ideals and philosophies he articulated reflected the progressive period that the country was in. The effects of World War I saw America become a determining factor in international finance, becoming a source of financial aid to the Allies such as Britain.4 The US economy was growing at a rate of 7 per cent annually and unemployment rates were dropping e.g. in 1926 it dropped by 2%.5 The country was experiencing an economic boom, strikingly evident in the New York Stock Exchange where share values increased exponentially within this decade. The business sector also, was revitalized and consumerism was very high-fridges, radios and automobiles for all households was the goal of this decade and credit purchases were the norm6. Federal banks provided easy loans to finance the prevalent consumerism culture and speculation was at an all time high.7 This profitable business climate propelled citizens to consider business as a source of national direction. Summary Description This speech outlines Hoover’s position on government involvement in private business. He argues that the government’s role in the affairs of the business sector does both entities more harm than good. In his opinion, businesses required stricter controls to ensure efficiency and focus but governments were not primarily concerned with efficiency but with other more important issues. If government involved itself in business, Hoover declared that it would have to become more centralized, like a dictatorship, and businesses would lose their efficiency. Businesses should succeed or fail without government interference, he reasoned. Hoover’s ideals reflected those of his party, and thus “rugged individualism” is a term that can also describe the Republican philosophy of self reliance to succeed or fail, without any government handouts. Hoover pointed out the progress that the country had witnessed since the end of World War I. He argued that “... I know of no better test of the improved conditions of the average family than the combined increase of life and industrial insurance, building and loan assets, and savings deposits... these alone have in seven years increased by nearly 100 per cent to the gigantic sum of over 50 billions of dollars...” The high consumerism practiced was also reinforced “The slogan of progress is changing from the full dinner pail to the full garage.” According to Hoover, the Republican system of “rugged individualism” was the basis for the country’s “unparalleled greatness.”8 “...As a result of our distinctly American system our country has become the land of opportunity to those born without inheritance not merely because of the wealth of its resources and industry but because of this freedom of initiative and enterprise.”9 Hoover attested to the soundness of these principles of “decentralization, self-government, ordered liberty, and opportunity and freedom to the individual” by pointing out the progress witnessed in the seven years after the First World War under Republican administration. This, he reasoned, was proof that further progress was only possible if they stuck to this method that has worked so well for so long and increasing individualism by “reducing government interference in business.”10 The government’s role was supposed to be one of cooperation rather than interference, to create equal opportunities for all. Ultimately, Hoover impressed upon the American people the ideals of initiative and self-reliance rather than state socialism as the means to achieve further progress. At the time in history, this point seemed valid to the people as they had been experiencing good economic and business growth under Republican leaders since the end of World War I. His declaration that the American system of “rugged individualism” was the reason for the country’s “unparalleled greatness” and giving a solid case using the Republican Party’s leadership throughout the 1920s as proof to continue using these principles convinced the voters to elect him to office.11 Works Cited American President: A Reference Resource. Available from, http://millercenter.org/president/hoover/essays/biography/1 (Accessed March 31, 2013). Boyer Paul S. The Twenties. The Oxford Companion to United States History. Oxford Reference Online. 2004. Available from, http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195082098.001.0001/acref-9780195082098-e-1561 (Accessed April 1st, 2013). Herbert Hoover: “Rugged Individualism” Speech (1928). Available from, http://apush-xl.com/DocumentsHOOVER.pdf (Accessed March 31, 2013). Reynolds, D. America, Empire of Liberty. New York: Basic Books. 2009. Scott J. Hammond, Kevin R. Hardwick, and Howard L. Lubert, eds., Classics of American Political and Constitutional Thought (CAPCT), Volume II, Reconstruction to the Present (Indianopolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, 2007) Read More