Huey P Long and the Great Depression describe in vivid detail the Free Essay Example

Huey P. Long and the Great Depression, describe in vivid detail the life of Long and his struggles and hardships on his quest to the top, or so he thought. The Author, G. Jeansonne starts off describing Longs more youthful times. Huey Long was born on August 30, 1893 in Winnfield, Louisiana. Louisiana is the only states divided or “zoned” by parishes. Huey Long’s Winnfield was apart of Winn Parish. Being a Louisiana native, I have an advantage because we learned of Long and his eventual deceit of the people while learning Louisiana history as a child.

Huey Lone was born to Hugh and Callie Long. Huey’s father, Hugh was very bright and appealing. The Long family experienced many hard times resulting in the relocation of their homestead. As a child Long dreamed of having the home most could only fathom. He would grow up to build one of the biggest houses in Winnfield. The house came ready with sixteen bedrooms and exuded the air of luxury as he was now living in the lap of luxury.

Influenced by “populism” Long would start his career at an extremely young age. Having ten siblings and increasing pressure from their successes, Huey realized he had a knack for selling things to help support the family. In 1910, with the new found talent of being in sales, Huey Long dropped out of school without a job or a high school diploma. He had a great friend that helped him find employment as a “traveling salesman for a seed cooking oil company” (Jeansonne, 19).

Life would soon know Long on his bottom. He would soon realize that selling oil was not the smartest or most lucrative decision he would make. In realizing that he had not made any money, and could not make a living off selling oil, Long decided to re-enlist in school and this time he would go on to earn his diploma. After his graduation, Long would again reenter the sales arena. He found employment at the Houston Packing Company, in Houston. In 1912, Long found inspiration to become a lawyer and began taking classes, but in his true fashion, dropped out because it was too much work and tine for him. He would become a rolling stone, moving from job to job. Once he found a job he loved, at a Starch Company, he married Rose McConnell. Soon after another spell of bad luck fell upon Long. He was let go from his job, and to top it off his mother died. With much pressure from his siblings to finish his law degree, Huey would finagle his was around the system and tried to gain admittance to the bar by taking certain courses that were essential information to become a practicing lawyer. At the age of 21, he was finally an attorney.

Huey Long opened his very own law firm in Louisiana. He of course started without any clients and had to hold side jobs to make ends meet. Long then began to grow interest in politics, and in 1918, he made his debut as a candidate for public office, he was elected as the Railroad commissioner. Next up, he aimed to become Governor of Louisiana. All those sales jobs would come to aid his campaign and he saw much success. Julius, Long’s brother would become his campaign manager, in true sibling rivalry, the two would often fight so Huey requested Cecil Morgan to be his campaign manager, and partner. Throughout the next couple of years, Long made known his name and let people know what his motivations were. He assured the townspeople that he would build modern highways and supply schools’ free textbooks to school children. As time went on Long became more popular amongst other prospective governors. Throughout his campaign, his wife Rose remained in Shreveport, Louisiana with the children. Just as a man without his family in sight, Huey employed a private secretary, a nice-looking woman named Alice Lee Grosjean, whom you already know became his mistress. As karma would have its way, Long ran for governor, but lost in the primary elections of 1923. In September of 1924, Long ran for and was reelected to the Public Service Commission.

Huey would not face defeat and give up on his quest to become governor of Louisiana. Long continued his reverie of becoming governor of Louisiana. From the beginning of his career to its ending, Long’s mian goal was to win and hold rural Louisiana by an amalgamation of promises, benefits, and rhetoric that rewarded his supporters and abandoned or penalized those who voted against him. Huey propelled his campaign into overdrive, trying to get everyone he could to vote for him. In 1927, Long stressed his movement toward the youth and gave speeches after speeches. He was known to give awesome speeches. The people who had the privilege to hear Long speak never forgot. A mixture of restlessness, depression, and revolt led Huey Long to begin drinking heavily, which later caused grave problems. Insufficient sleep and irregular nervousness led Huey to become a changed person. His mind and body were continuously on the ready, and he never really had a chance to take a break. He became obsessive and felt he was too important for the small detail of living an everyday life, so he put all his work off on others who completed those responsibilities for him. Huey was living his life as if he was racing against a clock, and many spells his irritation and selfishness got the most of him. Although he seemed to find middle ground politically and work with people he had not got along with well, deep down he was a cold blooded and acrimonious man. “Many people came to Long’s aid to help him win the office of governor. Long’s campaign, known as the “machine”, never lacked money because of all the donations people gave. Long learned that getting his name known to the public and having people recognize it was a key factor in winning elections.” Long thrived for profile-raising publicity, always doing television and radio interviews. Reporters found Huey highly quotable, audiences thought of him amusing and a delight to listen to. Long led the democratic primary and eventually won the title of Governor of Louisiana. Long’s induction took place on May 21, 1928; where thousands gathered to hear his plans for the state. Members of the audience left dissatisfied, his speech was brief, dull, and unlike the man they knew. At this instance the citizens of Winnfield should have been alarmed. He would soon allow his true colors to shine through. In the face of deep-rooted antagonism from the old guard, he began a never-before-seen program to build the state’s substructure and provide education and economic opportunity to the masses. After a failed attempt by his adversaries to remove him from office, Huey united his power in the state and became known as the “Kingfish.” After the election, Huey altered the state bureaucracy, installing supporters in every level of government and often placing a fine on skill over cronyism. He cultured loyalty by giving people a chance to work in his administration, and it soon became mutual for citizens to come up to him for a job, college scholarship, or assistance. Huey immediately pushed his agenda, submitting bills through the legislature to satisfy his campaign promises, including a free textbook program for schoolchildren, night courses for adults, and bringing natural gas to New Orleans. Long also started an enormous building program of infrastructures, infirmaries, and government institutions.

According to reports of his reign as Governor, Huey Long was a horrible, self-centered, cruel, narcissistic, spiteful, drunken, misogynistic, a-hole. And that’s putting it lightly. Though Long was driven, bright, but obsessed with power. But somehow his voters loved him. Many thought he was often praised because his supporters were bought seeing that he gave them things. You could say that the citizens and his votes had been bought and paid for. But he did it at the expense of the democratic political process. He fixed elections, he bribed people, he took kickbacks, he installed his cronies in lucrative state jobs amongst his innumerable other crimes. During his time in office, Long made a vast amount of money and a massive number of enemies. His enemies included those he kicked out of jobs, opportunities, and community organizations for not supporting him and his antics. And one of them shot him before he could do damage at the nationwide level like he had in Louisiana. Unfortunately, his family and his “mechanism” continued to do harm in Louisiana for twenty more years after his death.