The American Liberty League was founded in 1934 as an opposition to the forces of President Roosevelt. Its members demanded a review of the social and economic situation in the country, namely the cessation of preferential support for unemployment and the abolition of public works.
Explanation:
U.S. history knows many periods associated with the oppression of civil rights and freedoms of certain social groups. Typically, when restrictions become too harsh or interfere with the liberty of the rich or powerful, alliances are formed to counter radical change. One such union was the American Liberty League, founded in 1934 in response to the economic policy of the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt.
As a result of President Roosevelt’s economic policy of the New Deal in order to overcome a significant social and economic crisis, the position of the considerable bourgeoisie in the United States has been strengthened. This can be seen in all areas of the economy: industry, the banking system, and the agricultural sector. This policy has produced the most favorable consequences for the leading groups of American monopolistic capital.
Contrary to expectations, the New Deal opposition has only intensified with the easing of the economic crisis. In 1934 the American League of Liberty was organized by DuPont family of entrepreneurs, and Robert Carpenter’s politician created an organization called the American League of Liberty. The American Liberty League thought the New Deal was unfair to the entrepreneurs. Members of this organization demanded from Roosevelt to abandon state regulation of business, reduce taxes on large capital. In addition to significant reforms, the League also proposed to stop public works and unique assistance to the unemployed opposed the right of workers to social security.
The American Liberty League was formed on August, 1934, as an organization that declared its goal to fight radicalism and protect the U.S. Constitution and the right to property. The organization was funded by major international companies, including General Motors, U. S. Steel, and Standard Oil. Although the American Liberty League itself did not advocate for any political party, the executive committee was composed mainly of Democrats, but also Republicans. This was intended to show the political forces the unified two-party nature of the League.
The first chairman of the group, the Democrat Jouett Shouse, announced the intention of the organization to admit two to three million members and to attract about thousand sponsors. The American Liberty League had the purpose of launching a massive, albeit fruitless campaign to alert the masses to the poor performance of the government’s actions. League members were actively involved in all propaganda and political campaigns aimed at suppressing the general democratic and labor movement in the U.S.. However, the initial growth plans for the ranks were overstated. The American Liberty League’s members include 125,000 participants, and 27,000 sponsors were attracted. It is interesting to note that most of the audience to which the organization’s work was directed were college and university students. This may be due to the fact that this social group is generally considered to be the most oppositional. At the same time, the majority of those who joined the League was not active, and Dupont themselves and other right-wing entrepreneurs had to sponsor the League.
As a result, the American Liberty League, established in 1934, showed the historical significance of conservative political views popular among the population. The activities of the American Liberty League in the 1930s had no substantial influence on the political course of the United States but showed the willingness of millionaires and politicians of different political views to unite under the aegis of confrontation with the radical restrictive measures of Roosevelt.