Soon after his election in 1928, Herbert Hoover became the one to blame for the economic crisis that put a myriad of Americans out of work. Hoover obtained a reputation as an ineffective and unsympathetic president, due to his inability to maintain the United States’ economy during the Great Depression. Most of the programs created by the Hoover administration failed to improve the economy, as his attempts to raise taxes and tariffs, and balance the budget proved ineffective. The economy continued to be in shambles, with many Americans out of work and living on the streets, which only made the anti-Hoover sentiment grow. There were some Americans, however, who still had great faith in Hoover’s abilities, Helen Keller being one of those people. Keller’s confidence in Hoover defied the popular opinion of him during his presidency and showed that Hoover’s image was not completely destroyed.
Right before the inauguration of Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, Helen Keller wrote to Herbert Hoover from her home in Forest Hills, New York. The American Foundation for the Blind was developing a new way for blind people to experience literature, and Keller believed that “[Hoover’s] presence at the Foundation studio would give a tremendous impetus to this project` (Keller). Keller felt that if Hoover supported the Foundation’s endeavor to supply the blind with `talking books…
Keller wrote Hoover in the winter of 1933, asking for him to visit the American Foundation for the Blind in order to spark up interest in their new project. Throughout the letter, Keller speaks of her admiration for Hoover and the respect that she has for him. Keller wrote the letter because she believed that Hoover would be able to bring attention to her cause. The faith Keller had in Hoover also emulates a bias towards him, as their friendly relationship allowed Keller to view Hoover in a more positive…
