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White House Insider Theodore Joslin's Account of the Depression and Herbert Hoover's 1932 Presidential Campaign, 1932

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Courtesy of National Archives, Joslin, Theodore, "Diary of a White House insider during the Depression and the campaign of 1932," 1932

Description

Theodore Joslin was one of President Herbert Hoover's closest White House advisors in 1932. In his diary, Joslin captured important daily developments, including the president's mood and reactions. The selected excerpts cover the end of Hoover's 1932 presidential campaign and his immediate reactions to his loss to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Full Transcript of Theodore Joslin's White House Account

Transcribed Excerpts from Theodore Joslin's White House Account

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What was Theodore Joslin's perspective on President Herbert Hoover's actions regarding the Great Depression? Provide evidence from the document to support this perspective.
  • What actions was Hoover suggesting to combat the Great Depression according to the evidence provided in this journal? How are these actions similar or different from the characterization of Hoover’s administration in Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1936 campaign speech?
  • Consider the quotation from Hoover regarding the cancellation of orders by businesses in the November 1932 journal entry. Why would Roosevelt's policies have caused that reaction?

Citation Information 

Joslin, Theodore, "Diary of a White House insider during the Depression and the campaign of 1932," 1932. Courtesy of National Archives