Which U.S. president signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff during the 1929 crash era?

Herbert Hoover signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff during the 1929 crash era.

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act became law on June 17, 1930, when Hoover was president. It raised U.S. import duties on thousands of goods. Many trading partners retaliated with tariffs of their own, reducing international trade during an already severe economic downturn.

Economists continue to debate the tariff’s exact contribution to the Great Depression, but it is widely viewed as having worsened trade conditions. It did not cause the 1929 Wall Street Crash, which had already occurred before the act was signed. Hoover’s administration also faced bank failures, deflation, unemployment, and falling industrial output. Franklin D. Roosevelt succeeded Hoover in 1933 and introduced the New Deal.