During the 1920s, America was a prosperous nation going through the "Big Boom" and loving every second of it. This luck, however, did not last long, because with the 1930s came a period of serious economic recession, a period called the Great Depression. In 1933, a quarter of the country's workers (about 40 million) were out of work. The weekly rate of income dropped from $24.76 per week in 1929 to $16.65 per week in 1933 (McElvaine, 8). After President Hoover failed to remedy the recession, Franklin D. Roosevelt began his term with the promising New Deal. In two installments, Roosevelt hoped to alleviate short-term suffering with the first and redistribute money among the poor with the second. During these years of depression, many Americans expressed their opinions through pen and paper. Many criticized Hoover's early Depression policies and praised the Roosevelts' efforts. Every opinion about the causes and solutions of the Great Depression is based on the economic, racial and social position in America. At the onset of the Depression, many (mostly discouraging) letters were sent to President Hoover. These letters came mainly from wealthy citizens, however letters from left-wing workers also arrived. Wealthy citizens agreed that the ultimate cause of the depression of the lower classes was their laziness and incompetence. Beyond that, these wealthy citizens thanked Hoover, probably because their money was unharmed (McElvaine, 38). However, some opinions were not so favorable for the Hoover administration. Some people believed that “engineers can be intelligent but poor presidents” (pp. 43). Finally, the left-wing parties did not appreciate President Hoover's efforts... middle of the paper... to their misfortune. The rich blamed the poor, the poor blamed the rich, the middle class blamed the blacks, and no one took responsibility. A complaint of most of these classes (except for the few who benefited) was the lack of success of the New Deal and other relief efforts. Whether blacks had too much work or the poor were too lazy to receive aid, very few Americans seemed to be happy with Roosevelt's solution. This did not stop its popularity. Many Americans supported their president rain or shine, depression or big boom. Regardless of their position, these citizens who turned to the President in a moment of desperation have proven that the pen is indeed mightier. Works Cited McElvaine, Robert S, ed. Down and Out of the Great Depression: Letters from the Forgotten Man. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1983.