A nation in crisis: Learn about the 1932 presidential election
— Photo from “Reds on the Ballot”
Franklin D. Roosevelt won the 1932 election after incumbent Herbert Hoover unleashed armed forces against the Bonus Army, composed of about 20,000 World War I veterans and their families who marched on Washington, D.C. to petition the government for their adjusted compensation bonus.
Bradley Towle will present a Schoharie County Historical Society talk at the Gallupville House on July 25, centered on the 1932 presidential election.
Historians have referred to 1932 as the “cruelest year” of the Great Depression. It was also one of the most pivotal election years in American history, often remembered for Franklin D. Roosevelt’s landslide victory over incumbent Herbert Hoover, ushering in the era of the New Deal.
But behind the other names and parties included on the 1932 election ballot are stories, events, and characters that offer a deeper understanding of a nation in crisis, the search for solutions, and the struggles associated with the economic crisis.
Towle’s talk, which starts at 6:30 p.m., will focus on Herbert Hoover, the Communist Party, and the Bonus Army.
The presentation is a companion to “Reds on the Ballot: Communists, The Bonus Army, and the 1932 Election,” an article by Towle previously published in The Olde Stone Fort Newsletter and currently available on the museum’s website.
This program, sponsored by the Schoharie County Historical Society, is hosted by The Gallupville House at 913 Route 443 in Gallupville. Additional parking is available at the Lutheran Church at School Street and Route 443.
