Essay | Who Caused the Great Depression?

Many have argued about whose conscience the "Great Depression" should fall on. At the time it happened in 1929, many of those affected blamed Hoover and his policies for their newfound woes. However, as historians looks back on these years and the years directly proceeding them, historians have argued that perhaps the "Depression" was not the act of a single administration but in fact the culmination of many factors which made the "Depression" inevitable many years before it had even taken place.

In 1920, Warren G. Harding was elected president under the Republicans platform. During his campaign he advocated a "Return to Normalcy", which meant he wanted to bring America back to its pre-WWI days. In his return to normalcy, Harding ceased progressive reforms and took a pro-big business stance; letting private businesses run without to much government interference. Harding died in 1923 amidst many...
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