Wall Street's Search for a Man on a White Horse: The Plot to Overthrow Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Abstract

In 1934, while the country was in the midst of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt offered Americans a New Deal and new opportunities for economic recovery. However, many in the Wall Street and business communities believed that the country was on a dangerous path towards communism and sought to overthrow the president. This fascist plot to overthrow the 32nd President of the United States is expressed by the man who was approached to lead the coup, retired Marine Corps General Smedley Darlington Butler and the Congressional Committee he exposed the plot to. By examining conditions that existed at the time, this chapter in history reminds us that America, while looking for threats from abroad, was vulnerable from within.