The Terrible President Who Saved Millions of Lives

[@iammrbeat]

Go to our sponsor trylgc.com/beat and use MRBEAT25 for 25% off your at home test kit. So who should I cover next? Eisenhower or Clinton?

[@waspwrap1235]

Ike

[@abrahamlincoln937]

Eisenhower.

[@Cinnamonfr]

Eisenhower! :D

[@president-of-the-uroh]

Ike

[@iammrbeat]

@@davea6314 Ah yes, I remember this comment lol

[@Nemy10X]

Interesting thing about Hoover is that even though most Americans thought he was callous towards their economic needs, he was generous in donating his own money as President to organizations in need. However, he requested these donations remain anonymous. You wonder if his legacy would be slightly different if he publicized it.

[@iammrbeat]

Thank you for bringing this up. He truly was a generous yet extremely humble person.

[@Newton-Reuther]

Except for that whole gassing veterans thing, yeah Hoover was very generous.

[@shelbyherring92]

@@Newton-Reuther Honestly, this.

[@JinandWin]

Trump donated his salary too. It was a campaign promise that he did keep. Although critics argue he made money off his presidency with traction to his real estate properties, with some even arguing that it violates the constitution's emoluments clause, he only promised to donate his presidential salary and he did so. I dislike Trump to no given end, but he still has my respect for donating his salary. JFK was the only other president that donated his salary. Some critics claim it was "easy" for these 3 presidents to donate their salary since they were wealthy outside of politics, but if it's ever "easy" to donate $100K/annually (JFK and Hoover) or $400K/annually (Trump) I fail to see it. You're taking on the most dangerous job in America based on death rate, and receiving all the blame for all that's wrong with the country. Not donating your salary is fine with me.

[@gamingchamp6728]

@@JinandWin wait president is the most dangerous job?

[@handsomegeorgianbankrobber3779]

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become US president in 1928. In all seriousness, if Hoover had been elected in 1920 and not 1928 (thus being in office during the Roaring twenties) he would probably be considered to be one of the greatest US presidents and generally one of the greatest Americans to have ever lived.

[@pavelm.gonzalez8608]

Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, James K. Polk, Andrew Jackson (and many other trash people who had passed, lived or ruled in Washington D.C) honestly made so much worse things than this guy!! 🤷‍♂️

[@Newton-Reuther]

I mean he gassed veterans so probably not

[@handsomegeorgianbankrobber3779]

@@Newton-Reuther Yeah but the whole reason those veterans showed up in the first place was the Great Depression.

[@deebow3880]

Well Calvin Coolidge isn't really remembered so it would have probably been the same with Herbert

[@iammrbeat]

You are completely right. ALTERNATE HISTORY HUB WHERE YOU AT?

[@williamdesmond4289]

JFK kept Hoover, along with his other predecessors, informed throughout the Cuban Missile Crisis. Shows a great deal of respect.

[@iammrbeat]

Because JFK knew his history

[@nictheperson6709]

That must've been tough with the technology of the time.

[@PopeLando]

@@nictheperson6709 Landline telephone. So ubiquitous nobody then even knew what a "landline" was. It's not like Kennedy was running the crisis from Guantanamo Bay, they would all have been in mainland USA.

[@amandahealey2216]

@@PopeLando Wait, not everyone had landlines back then?

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

Did they back then get intelligence briefings like former Presidents do today?

[@Mak1_]

I feel bad for Hoover, he saved millions of lives and people only remember him for his presidency

[@TehRealMattyA]

Lived 90 years and is remembered for 4

[@iammrbeat]

Well let's change that by SHARING THIS VIDEO OHHHH YEAH :)

[@behnyepez5921]

@@iammrbeat this is from a 1999 spanish-language novel titled Tokyo doesn't want us anymore (author: Ray Loriga): - Did you know, in his last years, Ronald Reagan was incapable of remembering his presidency? - I don't know who Ronald Reagan is. (this character was a salesman of a drug that allows you to forget anything, he used his product) - A US president. The one who had been an actor. -Which movies? -I don't think I've seen any. Can't remember any - Poor guy. He forgets he is president while everyone else forgets his movies

[@miniaturejayhawk8702]

People only care about your killstreak. 😂😂😂

[@winniethepooh6950]

Thats because people tend to remember a president's presidency instead of what they did pre and post presidency

[@petitthom2886]

Fun fact : Hoover had streets, schools named after him… BEFORE he became President. Little did they know what he would do after lol

[@iammrbeat]

I should have mentioned this in the video. Thanks for bringing it up!

[@angeldroidcs4962]

@Jared Jams he named it after himself wit his rich ass 😭

[@JohnnyAngel8]

@@angeldroidcs4962 Right! That's his style. Name buildings after himself; put memorials on his property where no events took place; claim brilliance in many fields where he has no brilliance, etc ........

[@Pantsinabucket]

@Jared Jams it’s almost like businesses are private enterprises that can be named by the founder, and not public institutions where committees or referendums decide. There are also 8 trump towers, only 2 of which (NYC and Chicago) are owned by Trump. The rest are licensing deals to slap his name on it. There are also 5 “trump towers” that removed the trump name, and another 9 trump towers that failed to ever get built, mostly in the south or dictatorships like Russia, Azerbaijan, and the UAE.

[@minutemansam1214]

@Jared Jams Unlike with Trump, who named all these places himself, Hoover didn't name the schools and streets. Other people named it after him.

[@GenX1964]

I put Hoover and Jimmy Carter in the same category of Presidents. 1) Professionally both were Engineer and Science guys. They are the only two and what a disaster. Both super-smart. Probably too smart for the job of POTUS. 2) I rate them both near the bottom as presidents and I connect it with the mentality of the Engineer that says "I can fix any problem". But critically neither one was good at delegating responsibility. 3) Top SHELF as humanitarians. Conclusion: Don't assume the smartest person in the room will be the best leader. It takes a different talent stack.

[@Newton-Reuther]

You missed the part where Hoover gassed impoverished veterans for exercising their first Amendment rights. Carter never did that.

[@iammrbeat]

I couldn't agree more with you. Well put there

[@abrahamlincoln937]

Totally agree, both of them are very comparable in terms of them as people and as presidents. Hoover and Carter both suffered landslide defeats in their re-election bids and their successors were very effective in spawning a new movement. FDR spawned modern liberalism in the United States and Reagan spawned modern conservatism in the United States.

[@prathamsaxena9503]

@@abrahamlincoln937 FDR and liberals what?? Wasn't he supported by Southern Democrats?

[@saml302]

@@prathamsaxena9503 Abe hasn't been right in the head lately

[@justsomedude5727]

Ironic isn't it... he could save other countries from poverty and famine.. but not his own On a serious note it seems like he was a great guy and probably could have been a great president if he was given better cicumstances.

[@iammrbeat]

Ironic indeed. Then again, practically the whole world was poor and starving at the peak of the Great Depression

[@stephenlee3406]

There's really nothing much he could have done about the depression. With the rate at which the bubble was growing the crash was borderline unpreventable.

[@timmyy24]

It’s not a story the Republicans would tell you about… it’s a Democrat story.

[@Thegeniuskidsuperb]

Poor Hoover. Everyone hates him, he loves everyone. Poor guy. His parents died, he was separated from his siblings, he even died a slowly painful death. (Massive internal bleeding) He could’ve lived until the age of 100, but he didn’t. Poor Hoover :(

[@thunderbird1921]

Actually, in addition to Kennedy and Truman, there was another man who was very kind to him: Dwight Eisenhower. Despite having a few policy disagreements, Ike as President took Hoover in and even hung out with him at Camp David (there's a photo of them online grilling steaks together). It hopefully brought Hoover joy to see that the Republicans were not destroyed by his presidency and were being revived as a national force. I wonder if his 1952 or '56 RNC speeches were taped anywhere.

[@paultheaudaciousbradford6772]

Hoover was such a badass he was alive for 101% of his life.

[@dylanburnett7928]

That's such a great way of looking at it. He was *alive*, a humanitarian, a president, and then a humanitarian again.

[@gunterke]

I'm from Belgium and we owe Hoover and his entourage to avoid hunger in my country (including my ancestors). We don't learn about him in school and I only found out about his role from a history book I read 2 years ago. Hoover was able to talk with all the parties in the war, because the US was a neutral party (so was the Netherlands which he used to ship in goods and they also were affected by the allied blockade despite not being in the war themselves). A few streets and squares were named after him (but also to Wilson who helped bring peace), but most Belgians probalby don't know the imporant role Hoover played during WW1.

[@c.t.8614]

One of the best biographies of a president I have ever watched! Also if Herbert Hoover would have taken the Senate job, he would have been the second president to become a senator after leaving office (the other was Andrew Johnson).

[@iammrbeat]

That is a fun fun fact lol and thank you for the kind words! I kind of went crazy with this one.

[@ZekeorSomething]

He also would've been the latest president to have held in office after leaving the presidency

[@IrishmanGFS]

Ironic that it was another TERRIBLE president there.

[@adrianainespena5654]

You forgot John Quincy Adams

[@OMirantedoValeNaoTem170Metros]

@@adrianainespena5654 actually John Quincy Adams served in the House of Representatives after his presidency

[@olefredrikskjegstad5972]

Herbert Hoover was _the_ face of constipation. I haven't seen a single photo of him where he doesn't look like he's holding back a huge one.

[@iammrbeat]

Even the picture of him as a young child?

[@Nebulasecura]

Well he did have colon cancer so...

[@Noah_Banyas]

I feel like Hoover was a good guy, just with the wrong ideas. His Great Depression stuff really didn’t stick, which REALLY messed up his legacy, which I think wasn’t fair. Hoover was a decent guy.

[@iammrbeat]

Well put

[@abrahamlincoln937]

Hoover was clearly a well-intentioned person that simply failed as a president because of the time that he was serving in. Hoover was still a horrible president in my opinion, but if he had been elected president in 1920, he easily would have been a good president. Honestly Hoover is similar to Nixon in the sense that while they were both bad presidents in my opinion, they easily could have been good presidents if they had been elected president 8 years prior to their actual election as president. If Nixon won in 1960, I think that he would have been a successful two-term president similar to Hoover if he won in 1920.

[@reflux340]

Also similar to Carter

[@everburn]

@@abrahamlincoln937 Neither are as great as you Abe.

[@abrahamlincoln937]

@@everburn Thank you!

[@gmwdim]

The old days when someone could fail most of their classes in school and still be accepted to Stanford.

[@Paranoid_Found]

Hoover sometimes reminds me of Jimmy Carter: not the greatest president, but definitely superb individuals. Both of them lived long and fulfilling lives.

[@iammrbeat]

Definitely

[@SomeRamdomAhole]

Carter is still alive

[@pavelm.gonzalez8608]

@@howtomakeamonster I got the reference... LOL!! 🤭😂

[@Newton-Reuther]

Except Carter never gassed impoverished veterans when they exercised their first amendment rights.

[@D00MMAST3R]

@@howtomakeamonster Where's your shame?

[@metalparasite]

It is ironic that the people that seem to be the nicest men to serve as President are some of our worst at the job.

[@iammrbeat]

That's definitely the case for at least three American Presidents.

[@metalparasite]

@@iammrbeat Yes sir. Love your content.

[@112steinway]

Another fun fact about Hoover that didn't make it into the video: Today former Presidents are given a pension after they serve their time in office under the Former President's Act. The thing is, that law wasn't passed until Harry Truman left office, and it was only passed because Truman left the office in near poverty. Hoover was the only living former President at the time and while he didn't need a pension due to his already vast fortune, he took it anyway so his good friend wouldn't feel embarrassed or like he was being given a charity handout.

[@gmwdim]

Hoover is somewhat similar to Carter: outstanding humanitarian who led an ineffective administration during difficult economic times.

[@jtgd]

“You’re supporting communism” “Bruh, PEOPLE ARE STARVING TO DEATH”

[@junesilvermanb2979]

Starvation en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation

[@geridamas935]

Communists aren't people.

[@7BigJoe7]

I didn’t expect half of the humanitarian good that Hoover did. It is amazing how much he was able to accomplish. For the next one you have to go with Ike!

[@GregoryTyler-ii6et]

Thanks For watching ♥️ MSG those digits above to stand a chance to win a prize in my GIVEAWAYS..

[@MinunRobotnik4]

I'm not sure what is more depressing, someone getting promoted beyond their competency range or a good man getting dealt a very bad hand. I know a lot more about Hoover than I did before watching this video. Good work.

[@adrianainespena5654]

If there is something that forgives less than the Peter Principle, I do not know what it is.

[@nobiazcustomsinc5030]

"20 million people are starving, Whatever their politics..they shall be fed" Legend.

[@SiVlog1989]

It's interesting that Hoover’s nickname before he was President was "The Great Humanitarian"

[@iammrbeat]

The nickname is definitely highlighted at his presidential museum!

[@Newton-Reuther]

Despite his many many flaws, one thing that I'll always respect Hoover for is how he was pretty cool about his wife Lou being essentially a proto-feminist.

[@iammrbeat]

Many of the First Ladies of the 20th century were feminists!

[@abrahamlincoln937]

@@iammrbeat Betty Ford was a feminist.

[@shef8764]

what did feminism give us? abortions(child murder) and terrible birth rates thanks feminism for ruining every western nation

[@BlueNinjakoopa553]

"Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter Compared" should be the next video. Both were staunch humanitarians who lived very long past their tenures as president, both were engineers, both are often reviled as contenders among the worst presidents, and both liked fishing. Oh, and both presided over unprecedented economic times and served one term as a result of bad decision-making during those times. Waaay better than the Kennedy-Lincoln parallels imo.

[@abrahamlincoln937]

Yes that’s an excellent idea!

[@anasfarahi4401]

However, only one of them is alive.

[@ThunderTheBlackShadowKitty]

They really shouldn't be considered among the worst, like I'm sorry but it's just not true. The 'worst' presidents should be saved for ones who *actively* made America worse despite having overwhelming evidence that their decision would make the nation worse, and knowing better, yet doing it anyway. (Buchanan, Pierce, Bush Jr, Trump). I think both Hoover and Carter's presidential performances were good, yet simply were screwed by the times they were living in. In Hoover's case, unregulated croney capitalism tanked his economy. In Carter's case, geopolitical events caused his economic woes. I think calling them bad presidents is *inherently* wrong when they actually worked to try and improve the lives of their citizens, as any good president should.

[@stephenjenkins7971]

Carter these days is a total China shill so his humanitarianism bit comes with a huge asterisk.

[@jimmycarter1924-living]

@@anasfarahi4401 98 years XD

[@adams8584]

Interesting fact: the photo in 27:18 was taken in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, where Hoover also helped children affected by the war, as Warsaw was one of the most destroyed cities in World War II (it was demolished after a failed uprising in the city in 1944)

[@iammrbeat]

Yep, he was welcomed there as a hero because everyone remembered how he helped in World War One

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@iammrbeat The idea that Polish people remembered Hoover better than Americans did is…something

[@gregb6469]

Hoover is still high revered in Belgium.

[@nathanseper8738]

I think Hoover was a decent man who wasn't prepared for the responsibilities of the Presidency and we should give him credit for his efforts at famine relief.

[@iammrbeat]

Well put

[@nathanseper8738]

@@iammrbeat To learn from history, you have to look at its figures as flawed people who make mistakes and can't be sorted into good or bad.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

Thanks Matt for putting the effort in these videos

[@iammrbeat]

Thanks for the encouraging words!

[@MeikaiX]

Finally! A video appreciating Herbert Hoover, he wasn't the best president, but he did do a lot for the world-I really don't see the average president being someone capable of getting a country through a HUGE economic crisis such as the Great Depression-I give him the benefit of the doubt when I play devil's advocate. He's a good man in my eyes.

[@toryficarola]

Wholeheartedly agree. I deem Hoover to just be kinda poor or just below average as president.

[@iammrbeat]

I agree with you. Everyone should learn about what he accomplished outside of the Presidency.

[@toddnetland366]

I grade his presidency a C-.

[@rico14]

I mean in the history of the United States you could argue that there’s only been 5-10 truly great presidents. Exceptional leadership is very rare.

[@adrianainespena5654]

Him, and Jimmy Carter. Bad Presidents, wonderful human beings.

[@chriswhalen4155]

I think a great historical “what-if” is how a Hoover presidency without the Great Depression would look. He really drew the short straw when it comes to the timing of his presidency.

[@TehRealMattyA]

Hoover would serve 2 terms, Wilkie would become president and WW2 ends in mid 1941. Hoover would be ranked consistently in the top 3 presidents.

[@bobbywise2313]

Could the great depression have been avoided? I think too many things alligned like the dust bowl to make it just about unavoidable. But I would love to hear other takes on this.

[@addiewelsh4308]

I read this joke in a book of Presidential jokes at the time they served: A man goes to the White house and starts eating the grass. Hoover saw the man and says to him "Why are you eating my grass?" The man replied that he was hungry and hadn't eaten in days. He was homeless and jobless and his only option was to eat the grass. Hoover listened to the man and then said, "You should eat the grass in the backyard because it is longer."

[@whodoobucrew2960]

Crazy. Never thought I could find a fondness for Hoover. Now for a real challenge, Wilson!

[@iammrbeat]

Oh geez....well I'll see what I can do lol

[@alexwilfong5703]

I'm afraid that is probably too tall a task 🤣

[@tanker00v25]

I mean, he did a few nice things. Still not exactly a saint tho

[@alexwilfong5703]

@@tanker00v25 can't look past showing clan movies in the Whitehouse and helping create WW2 😬

[@mattrogers9574]

@@tanker00v25 who is?

[@tomhalla426]

Hoover was quite active in pushing wrong headed economic models. He strove to keep wages and prices up in a recession, which aggravated the recession.Then he did not veto the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, which helped spread the depression worldwide. It was not that he did not care, he was actively doing the wrong things.

[@kevinaguilar7541]

Dude, just watch the video. He explains this.

[@iammrbeat]

"actively doing the wrong things" is aptly put

[@gregb6469]

Hoover signed Smoot-Hawley, even though he had serious doubts about it, because he knew that a veto would be over-ridden by Congress, and an even more restrictive tariff passed. He had no free-trade option. As an international businessman he knew that free trade among nations was preferable to economic isolation.

[@bdcochran01]

@@gregb6469 You are correct. Unfortunately, the world is filled with ignorant commentators who express flip opinions.

[@EpicGhostShadow]

Hoover not caring about politics and just wanting people not to starve is a MASSIVE W

[@thomasewbank8082]

Hoover was a better president than he is credited with. After 1930, he had an opposition Congress limiting what he could do. FDR got credit for several Hoover initiatives but didn’t get the country out of the Great Depression-WW II did that.

[@eb0526]

Never knew this deep back-stop on Hoover in both of his roles. Thank you!

[@iammrbeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnchessant3012]

He would've been an okay president, but not in a crisis. His dogmatic opposition to deficit spending and direct federal help to ordinary people really made it impossible for him to respond effectively to the Great Depression. I do agree that it is unfair that the positive impacts he had at other times in his career are so overshadowed. Great video!

[@wesleywyndam-pryce5305]

I'm sorry how was direct Federal aid unhelpful?

[@Yanramich]

@@wesleywyndam-pryce5305 he said opposition to.

[@drmadjdsadjadi]

FDR actually was opposed to deficit spending as well. He just was less dogmatic about it. Indeed, in 1937, when unemployment was still 14%, he tried to balance the budget. It was only then that he realized the emergency was long-term and it was really only WWII that got us out of it because FDR still was a deficit hawk at heart.

[@martinhumphreys4891]

Mr. Beat, when you make videos like this, I feel the need to go out and tell everybody about your channel. Thank you!

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

As a President he was one of those who couldn't recognize when his policies failed and realize when government intervention was necessary. In the rest of his life he was an awesome administrator.

[@iammrbeat]

Yeah, and to be fair, most probably would have failed to react effectively to the devastation. But first and foremost, he should have vetoed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

@@iammrbeat Protectionism almost always fails, even if it works in the short term it just weakens domestic industry's competitiveness internationally.

[@killergoose7643]

Government intervention wasn’t necessary. The new deal did more to prolong the depression than anything Hoover did or didn’t do. At least he operated within his constitutional limits.

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

@@killergoose7643 Government intervention was absolutely necessary as shown by the international experience. The countries that did least didn't recover until after WW2.

[@adrianainespena5654]

@@Matt_The_Hugenot There is a time and place for protectionism, when you are trying to create an industrial base. But once you got that, scuttle the protectionism. Friedrich List explained it - and as a rule societies that read List DID industrialize. Ask Ireland, Korea, Japan...

[@RamblinPhoenix]

Years ago, I read the book "The Presidents Club" about the relationships presidents had with each other. I was really suprised to learn how Truman, knowing of Hoovers early work, put him essentially in charge of making the logistics of the Marshall Plan work. That itself is a legacy to be proud of.

[@Kieranpokemonsisliterallyme]

He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[@roeffcf1169]

exactly

[@TheCriminalViolin]

I'd love to see Jimothy Carter done. Most people feel he was one of the worst presidents ever, and go out of their way to put all the blame on him for the Vietnam War, other military operations under his term, and just general incompetency when it came to the role of a president. What people forget is he really had no experience, desire or sway and say in those situations regarding the things like the war and the oil crisis, etc. In fact, he directly inherited most of the geopolitical messes from his predecessors. Moreover, he was never cut out to be a President or even really a Politician. Jimmy has always be a Humanitarian first, and a Diplomat second. And you will never make it in geopolitics like Presidency with those as your core foundations. I would even argue the Jimmy Carter is as much, if not more of a amazing humanitarian who has done arguably even more good overall for his fellow man than even Herbert here has ever done. And he STILL is doing it into his 90s! Still goes out and directly helps build homes as he is the founder of Habitat For Humanity. He still goes out and directly in person helps run various drives, food banks and pantries, and other charities. And he still lives on that little farm in rural Georgia he always has. Just an incredible story and man to be sure. Does not ever get the proper credit he deserves, especially since folks only wish to focus on the bad during his presidency, which to them makes him out to be a shill and a overall horrible person too. Sad.

[@gguerard]

Enjoyed watching this video again! Thanks for the rounded look at Hoover and his life!

[@christophercambra3754]

This was a very educational video about Hoover. It helped me realize how the great accomplishments Hoover had prior to being President propelled him to the office. Also its coincidental that this video is 31 minutes long given that its about the 31st President.

[@jimbrogan9835]

Thank you. I love history and this helps me so much. You have saved me from the "dangers of the single story".

[@andreslosinski5861]

Please make a series about every president in this style! I am reading a biography about every President and this is the ideal length and format

[@John-hz8xy]

14:28 - "Twenty million people are starving. Whatever their politics, they shall be fed." This went hard imo.

[@The_Horse-leafs_Cabbage]

I might not like the guy, but I really love this biography you've made for Hoover. It puts a lot of perspective on a dude that's often caricatured (like most presidents or world leaders). The late 19th, early 20th century is such a fascinating time to look at. There's enough familiarity and parallels to our time period that you can truly put yourself in people's shoes and see that era come alive. Especially with how interconnected everything was back then. But there's definitely a side to that time period that fits in an uncanny valley: - The last golden age of the old Empires, and the horrors they wrought (I immediately think of the novel, Heart of Darkness) - and the weirdly inverse nature of the world powers... The US aside, many of the strongest players then are shadows of their former self now (if they exist at all), while weak players then (like China and to some extent, Russia) dominate our current landscape

[@iammrbeat]

That was an eloquent comment. Well said

[@duckpotat9818]

If study even more history then you realise that China (and India) being minor players in world affairs was the exception and not the rule. People find the world returning to this "equilibrium" where more people = more powerful country "miraculous" but really it's not.

[@NerdilyDone]

My favorite aspect of Hoover is his bromance with Truman. Those two worked together superbly well.

[@digitaldoc1976]

I can't tell you how grateful I am for this. As if there isn't enough about which to poke fun at Iowa, producing the worst-ever president demoralized me about my state. I didn't know any of this and you're pretty awesome for producing this video.

[@jeffcastetter6122]

I have a lot of respect for Hoover. Been to his Presidential Library. Timing is a lot of the success or failure of a President. Hoover got elected at a bad time in our nation’s history.

[@My_lesdabsalot8]

I respect Herbert Hoover, due to the fact that he was a great person. He might of not of been that well of a president, but he tried doing his best. Your videos are very educating and enjoyable, and this was a good video as well.

[@binsh731]

Thanks Mr. Beat. I grew up in Iowa and still live here (unfortunately). A long time ago, id say probably more than 20 years now, I went on a school field trip to visit an ex presidents house. I was probably like 12 at the time so I didn't really care who's house it was, but I did care it was historic. For that reason, I had no idea who's house it was we went to. I always assume it was Ulysses s. Grant's home (its close). When I saw your video I immediately recognized the small white house. I finally know who's house i went to for my school trip. Mystery solved after 20 years! Not that I was trying to solve it...

[@AndrewMFAult]

I find Herbert Hoover over hated. He got a lot of blame from problems pretty much boiling in silence, and all those problems came to a head finally in 1929, just months after being inaugurated. Which is really sad because Herbert had a terrible beginning to life, all the while being a humble a guy from the midwest just trying to eek out a living and climb out of poverty. Not only did he climb out of poverty, but he ended up climbing his way to the highest and important position in the country, and world, all the while traveling the world, and being a well-educated guy. He wasn't perfect by any chance, but damn does he have a really fascinating background.

[@itisnottaken4444]

Can you do the same thing for Jimmy Carter? He is often not too far behind Hoover in the worse presidents category but is a really good man and humanitarian.

[@paparazziparks1]

Didnt hear about this in the video: One thing Hoover helped get started was UNICEF. The idea came from his post WWII report and he secured some of the early funding. His west branch historical site (the one Mr Beat visited) talked about it.

[@silviomorales6523]

I learned so much from this video. Great video, changed my perspective for sure.

[@_Daniel_Plainview]

Hoover helped Finland during the winter war and as a finnish person, I am thankful for that.

[@junesilvermanb2979]

Winter War en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_War

[@benjason_94]

I cant believe you went to Iowa and Oregon. Such Dedication.

[@christophersmith1694]

Before this video I knew that he didn't a great job as president but now I like him a lot as person for the information given.

[@charlie729]

what an amazing video, mr. beat. thank you! well rounded, well researched, i learned a lot!

[@Mr._XStence]

I love how your video is 31 minutes long and 31 seconds long and Hoover is POTUS #31.

[@Ganondorfdude11]

Hoover is proof that simply being a good person doesn't make one a good leader.

[@VacuolarIsland]

Every time I see hoovers picture I think he's Benny hill before hoover

[@iammrbeat]

lol now I can't unsee

[@luxurreview]

Hoover and Carter have similar stories. Both were liked more after their presidency and were great humanitarians.

[@person3070]

Great video Hoover was so impressive that he fed over a billion people in over 57 countries Source: The Ordeal of Herbert Hoover Summer 2004, Vol. 36, No. 2

[@robertpeacock894]

Great video. Wish it showed up in my feed six months ago.

[@LVMikes]

Mr. Beat - I enjoy your history profiles. I know it takes a bit more work to script, shoot and find visual materials- but you do a really nice job. Kinda like you actually enjoy history. Thumbs up on your Hoover biography. My parents were serving during WWII and they had a great affinity for Eisenhower’s presidency. I’d like to how he parallels with Gen. Washington. Thanks for all you do. I like Ike.

[@mr.g1758]

To me Hoover was one of the most brilliant men to assume that office. The depression was worldwide...not isolated to the U.S. What many don't know is that the depression went on for 15 more years after Roosevelt assumed office. Hoover tried to initiate some of the programs FDR did but Congress would not pass his bills. He also never took a dime in salary while VP or as President.

[@CoasterFan15]

This isn’t normal Mr. Beat!! This video is thousands of times better than any video you’ve ever made!!

[@jvanguarddragon]

How come we did not learn this at school. School taught us how bad Hoover was but never how good. I am glad to have learned something new.

[@PresidentJamesDChaos]

Well now I need to find a way to distinguish the biography style videos I’m doing! Jokes aside, your content is fantastic and I’m excited to see your take on every president.

[@iammrbeat]

Wait do you really have biography videos?

[@PresidentJamesDChaos]

@@iammrbeat I haven’t filmed yet, but I have slideshows built for every US President and then I’m also going to do some videos on subjects that I find need or deserve further information. Like I’m definitely going to do one on the first inauguration of Calvin Coolidge, because that story is quite entertaining in my opinion.

[@UbinTimor]

It's very odd to me that throughout all my years in school it was never mentioned once whenever we talked about Hoover's presidency that he lived in my home state of Oregon for a time. It feels like that would have been something that my teachers should have briefly mentioned given how his presidency can be summed-up in a paragraph. I mean, I guess I understand not really wanting to be associated with Hoover, but it still would have been a nice little fun-fact to tell us as kids. Oregon tends to fade out of US history after the Oregon Trail which made me feel like we were insignificant so any little historical details I would find involving Oregon always made me feel better about how the rest of the country doesn't see us.

[@S0nyToprano]

Same thing like with Jimmy Carter. Not a great president, but a hugely successful and renowned humanitarian.

[@johnwinter9722]

My dad was born in 1930 and remembers the Great Depression. Tough times. Glad to see Hoover's story told. He did some great things, but missed the mark on some key points when president. Thanks for the video!

[@TheTarrMan]

Just imagine how much worse the Great Depression would've been if someone not like him were president. We could still be feeling it's effects, even today.

[@ninaappelt9001]

Under FDR is still lasted 10 years and only ended when the USA entered WWII.

[@bobbywise2313]

@@ninaappelt9001 Well some of his policies provided short term relief, which was needed, but also extended the depression. I can not support many of his policies because they go against the tenth amendment and the our federalism. The federal government had been in takeover mode since 1912. FDR's policies combined with all of his SCOTUS appointments really was the death of states rights. All the SCOTUS had to do was say "commerce clause" and the federal government could do just about anything. But I understand why some people considered him great. He had a leadership quality about him and did help get people working and eating. So I see him as great in some aspects but extremely bad for our federalism. We will probably never escape the federal takeover at this point. Jefferson must be rolling in his grave. Hamilton, on the other hand, would be proud.

[@spencerbuck1074]

“Hoover would outlive even Kennedy” that was cold, man

[@wholeNwon]

When I was a kid, I would occasionally stop to chat with an old man in our town. One day he asked me to check the mailbox because it was his birthday and he expected a card from an old friend. So I did and that was the first time I saw Hoover's signature in place of a stamp.

[@nathanjasper512]

I really liked this. I hope you do more like this. I like the balanced take, and finding out overlooked things about famous historical figures.

[@thecawdsquad875]

Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.

[@Susie_Legion_DBD]

Reminds me of an axiom of mine: "It is impossible to be a moral person and a good leader."

[@roarpar]

Loved the video! I'd love to see a version of this video but with Nixon. From what I recall, you rated him favorably as Eisenhower's VP in your tier list; it led me to do more research on him and to read his memoir, RN. I think he would be a fascinating subject to take on considering he's an incredibly complicated, intelligent person who (for better AND worse I guess) had an indelible impact on the second half of the 20th Century. As always, really enjoyed the videos; keep them coming!

[@abrahamlincoln937]

Great idea! Alternate History Hub should do a video about if Nixon had won in 1960. If Nixon had won in 1960, I think that he would have been a good president and his legacy would have been much more positive as a result. And Nixon was a good Vice President to Eisenhower. Mr. Beat ranked Nixon as a B tier Vice President.

[@roarpar]

@@abrahamlincoln937 Definitely agree with you! Nixon winning the 1960 Presidential Election is worth considering as a video at the least (@Alternate History Hub wya) When I read his memoir regarding the 1960 election, I think that version of Nixon would have been the best equipped to lead. At that point in history, he wasn't totally jaded over campaigning/politics while still being young (he was only four years older than Kennedy) and experienced.

[@abrahamlincoln937]

@@roarpar Agreed, Nixon became more paranoid after he lost the 1960 election and that certainly was a cause of the Watergate scandal which ended his presidency. If Nixon won in 1960, I think that he would have succeeded in the Bay of Pigs invasion, by sending in the Air Force, which would have led to Castro’s overthrow in 1961. Though Kennedy was a good president in my opinion, the Bay of Pigs invasion was definitely a negative of his administration, though he showed excellent leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Assuming that Nixon succeeded with the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, that would have prevented the Cuban Missile Crisis. Nixon would have continued Eisenhower’s Cold War policies and it’s possible that the Berlin Wall would not have been built. Kennedy was criticized for his handling of the Vienna summit with Khrushchev. Domestically, Nixon would have continued Eisenhower’s economic policies and the economy would have continued to grow in the 1960s. Nixon probably would have pushed for civil rights legislation and he might have been able to implement it. In terms of Vietnam, Nixon would have continued to send military advisers to Vietnam and if there was a Gulf of Tonkin incident, Nixon would have sent ground troops to Vietnam and it’s possible that he would have attempted a full-scale invasion of North Vietnam. Nixon would been overall more hawkish than Kennedy towards the Soviets. The Vietnam War could have either been a major victory or a quagmire, depending on if the war escalated. Nixon would have won re-election in 1964 and he would leave office in 1969. Overall though, had Nixon won in 1960, he would have been a successful two-term president and Watergate, or any scandal resembling that would never have happened. As a result his legacy would have been much more positive today than in our timeline. This is an alternate history scenario that I came up with if Nixon had won the 1960 election. America and the world would definitely be different as a result.

[@bobbywise2313]

I would like to see one about the reason we left the gold standard and the effects it had myself. I feel this is a very misunderstood topic by both those in favor and against this.

[@erikbender1]

thanx for doing this one. Very interesting and entertaining. the photo of young Hoover walking out the house is crafty!

[@bananacat3109]

I like how this video is 31:31 long when he's the 31st president. I noticed immediately before watching.

[@iammrbeat]

COMPLETE coincidence.

[@Masterpieceman16]

Are we to believe you traveled to Iowa and Oregon just for this video or was that just some really impressive green screen work?

[@BigBrotherMateyka]

"Oh, no, my dear. I'm a very good man. I'm just a very bad wizard."

[@micheasz2552]

Here in Poland Hoover has multiple streets named after him. His fund saved hundreds of thousands of lives in post-WWI Poland

[@twrampage]

Fun Fact: Charles Curtis was the first Indigenous American and first person with acknowledged non-European ancestry to be elected Vice President.

[@philliphessel6788]

You didn’t change my mind, because I already admired his work in famine relief - but it’s nice to see the history shared. His persistence in promoting bad public policy in economics is unfortunately more prominent.

[@samurer1290]

nicely done Mr. Beat, you have indeed persuaded me about how Herbert Hoover's history wasn't so bad after all.

[@fence03]

I didn’t know this guy existed (I don’t live in the US), but I’m impressed in this guy, he help a lot of people.

[@ender3960]

Great Video! Never realized Hoover had such an interesting life! A lot more to him than the guy who messed up the response to the great depression!

[@gregblair5139]

If Hulda was from Canada (and even if she wasn't), she never saw the Canadian flag that presented at the beginning of this video! It did not exist before 1965!

[@clarencethecrazy]

Mr. Beat, personally, I would like a biography video about Dwight Eisenhower. Whatever you choose, I trust your decision. Thanks for making so many great videos! Thank you for your time.

[@deelee4639]

This

[@musicwithmathias5822]

I second this

[@deelee4639]

I want to know more about whatever knew about military industrial complex. After WW2 we wanted to keep up with the same level of production so everything turned into consume consume consume

[@ryelyndesch1018]

Mr. Beat your videos are so nice and informative. Thank you for sharing history with everyone!

[@EliT347]

Here's something that was skimmed over in the video that I was absolutely impressed by: when Hoover was at Stanford, he served as a manager for both the Stanford baseball and football teams, and it was during this time he worked with Herbert Lang to create the Cal-Stanford football matchup - known as the "Big Game" - in 1892. It is known today as the oldest football rivalry in the Western United States.

[@Primslim]

You bring up something that not many people today do. That just because you don't like someone. doesn't mean they didn't do any good, and it does mean that they're a horrible person for bad policy.

[@iammrbeat]

Exactly! It's always better to try to have a more nuanced view.

[@RandySmith580]

We need a video like this for every president 🙏 you're great at this 👏

[@comradepetri5085]

Hoover was kind of like Jimmy Carter in the sense that he was a good man who served in office during a bad time and made a few bad decisions during his term, but outside the presidency he did a bunch of great humanitarian work that is often overlooked.

[@ThunderTheBlackShadowKitty]

Honestly I don't even think their decisions were that bad AT ALL. They simply got screwed by the times they were in. The US economy had already begun to unravel by the time Hoover got into office in 1929, and geopolitical events across the globe are what caused the US' economic woes during the 70s, when Carter took hold. Oh and also Nixon taking us off the gold standard, yeah he shocked the economy with that too, so fuck Nixon. Seriously, I'll never agree with the idea that Hoover & Carter were as bad as people think, it's simply not true.

[@MrBurdinekl]

But Carter's policies brought about shortages and stagflation. Hoover had nothing to do with creating the Great Depression, which was a world depression.

[@ninaappelt9001]

I was a teenager during Carter. I would have rather he be a jerk and take care of Americans.

[@pop123410]

“Heck yeah players!” - Herbert Hoover…. Still rings true today