Part 7/10:
Under President Herbert Hoover, attempts to stabilize the economy were met with skepticism and largely ineffective policies. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, aimed at protecting American industries from foreign competition, led to trade retaliation from other countries, further collapsing global trade.
By the early 1930s, the Great Depression had reached its nadir, manifesting in staggering unemployment rates of nearly 25%, widespread poverty, and the haunting imagery of "Hoovervilles"—shantytowns named disparagingly after the sitting president.