Huey Long's Share Our Wealth Program

Huey Long

Share Our Wealth

• Huey Long's Share Our Wealth program was a populist economic plan aimed at reducing wealth inequality in the United States
• Proposed a guaranteed minimum income, free education, and old-age pensions
• Called for the redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor, with a net worth cap of $5 million
• Aimed to provide every family with a homestead of $5,000, as well as a $2,000 to $3,000 annual income

Assassination

• Huey Long was assassinated on September 8, 1935, at the Louisiana State Capitol building
• Shot by Dr. Carl Weiss, son-in-law of a judge who had been targeted by Long's policies
• Long died two days later, on September 10, 1935

New Deal Critic

• Huey Long was a vocal critic of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies
• Believed the New Deal did not go far enough in addressing poverty and inequality
• Proposed his own alternative, the Share Our Wealth program, as a more radical solution to the Great Depression

Governorship

• Huey Long served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932
• Implemented numerous populist policies, including free textbooks for students, infrastructure projects, and increased funding for education and healthcare
• Used his charismatic personality and populist rhetoric to build a large following among the working class and poor in Louisiana

Huey Long

Share Our Wealth Program

• Aimed to reduce wealth inequality in the United States through a populist economic plan
• Proposed a guaranteed minimum income, free education, and old-age pensions
• Called for the redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor, with a net worth cap of $5 million
• Intended to provide every family with a homestead of $5,000, as well as a $2,000 to $3,000 annual income

Assassination

• Huey Long was assassinated on September 8, 1935, at the Louisiana State Capitol building
• Killed by Dr. Carl Weiss, son-in-law of a judge who had been targeted by Long's policies
• Died two days later, on September 10, 1935

Criticism of the New Deal

• Huey Long opposed President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies, believing they didn't address poverty and inequality adequately
• Proposed the Share Our Wealth program as a more radical solution to the Great Depression

Governorship

• Served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932
• Implemented various populist policies, including:
  • Free textbooks for students
  • Infrastructure projects
  • Increased funding for education and healthcare
• Built a large following among the working class and poor in Louisiana through his charismatic personality and populist rhetoric

Test your knowledge on Huey Long's populist economic plan to reduce wealth inequality in the United States, including his proposed minimum income, free education, and old-age pensions.