Compare the lives of herbert hoover and al smith

Both Al Smith and Herbert Hoover , lost their most important elections because of the erroneous perception by the American people . In 1928 Smith was believed to be an agent of Rome and a corrupt New Tammany politician who did not have the best interests of the country at heart In 1932 , President Hoover was perceived to be out of touch with the plight of the working man and the struggles of his family in the midst of some of the worst years of the Greta Depression . Even to this day the perception of

the latter is still believed by many casual historians and was further cemented by posterity 's perception of his successor Franklin Roosevelt . Both men were Progressives who believed that they held the answers to bring America into a new age of progress . Prejudice and outside forces both were used to sidetrack each individual 's full political possibilities , from coming to fruition

Al Smith was born on December 30 , 1873 on the lower east side of Manhattan an area that would come to define his life and how he defined himself . When Smith was thirteen , his father died and Smith was forced to drop out of the private school that he was attending (Finan , 2003 pg . 18 ) He was able to support his family at such a young age since he worked more than sixty hours a week in to put food on the table and to pay the bills . His job was at the Fulton Fish Market paid him 12 a week (Burns 1999 ) Smith would comment that he received a degree from FFM . The Fulton Fish Market because it was there that he became well known in the immediate community . Smith was a people person ' and used those skills to make connections that would help to further his career in whatever he wanted to do . The Democratic Political Machine , Tammany Hall , soon took notice to the skills of Smith . Tammany Hall was the most important political force in New York City at the time . It was also one of the few places where an immigrant could hope to find a job or to receive help concerning family problems . Tammany Hall was a jack of all trades . And in return for such services , the ward bosses , expected and received , one 's vote for life . It would be this connection that would be instrumental in Smith enjoying the meteoric rise in New York politics However , due to the reputation for dizzying corruption that all too often accompanied Tammany Hall , such connections would serve as a severe impediment for him later in life

Herbert Hoover was on October 10 , 1874 . He was born into a Quaker family in Iowa . Both of his parents died when he was a young boy and Hoover went to live with his uncle . Hoover did not attend high school but rather attended night school where he learned all that he need to learn in to eventually be allowed entrance into Stanford University...