The Life of Huey Long and His Assassination

One of the most skillful speakers and successful politicians of his time, Huey Long was a political leader. Long was elected governor of Louisiana and then a U.S. senator, if he hadn't been assassinated, he might have had a chance to take Franklin D. Roosevelt's spot in the white house. From an early age it was clear that Long was something special. A bright and intellectual child who excelled at school. It was no doubt that Long would grow up to be a very special person.

Huey Pierce Long was born on August. 30 1893, near Winnfield, Louisiana. Born into a middle-class family, Long was the seventh of nine surviving born to Caledonia Tison Long and Huey Pierce Long Sr. The Longs were well off, even tho they lived in one of the poorest states. Most families lived in poverty, living off what they farmed, with little opportunity for education neighbors relied on one another. He learned to walk at eight months and was soon discovered playing with the livestock, his parents and siblings were always chasing after him. His father built a cover for their water well thinking that Huey would jump in, “just to see what it was like.” Small for his age, Huey was not like the other boys in his community, who did outdoor activities like hunting and fishing. He disliked farm work and loved to read books, which were rare in his community. He was curious and determined to understand how things worked. When a train rolled into Winnfield, little Huey crawled underneath it to get a closer look, delaying its departure until somebody pulled him out. When it came to work, he preferred anything other than farm work. His jobs were, delivering baked goods to setting newspaper type, but sales work was his favorite.

In 1928, Huey Long ran for governor using the slogan, “Every man a king,” a phrase used by William Jennings Bryan. Huey’s campaign beat the political tower. Louisiana was widely known as the most backward state in the nation. Public education was non-existent, and one in four adults could not read. Most families could not afford to purchase the textbooks required for their children to go to these schools. Dirt roads and water hazards made travel and trading difficult. The taxes stopped the lower classes from voting, and the poor paid high property taxes for state services they never received. Long made hundreds of speeches in front of voters, showing what he thought of the Louisiana government to the people. He promised Louisiana’s citizens good roads, bridges, free hospital care, free education, and lower property taxes. In 1932 Huey continued to express the control of state government and made trips to Baton Rouge to tr and get his bills through the legislature. Huey Long surrounded by guards in the Louisiana State Capitol. After death threats, Huey beefed up his security, surrounding himself with bodyguards. Huey also worried about his family’s safety and was concerned that his children may be kidnapped. The threats only made him try harder to crush his opponents. His enemies formed an organization called the Square Deal Association. In January 1935, 200 Square Dealers went to the East Baton Rouge Parish courthouse, telling Governor Allen to call the National Guard.

In July, Huey had discovered an assassination plot against him. Long’s partners had listened in on a secret meeting in New Orleans. A man, known as Dr. Wise was put at the gathering “I was very lucky in knowing and being a close friend with an old eccentric gentleman in Winnfield who as a young man, was invited to a secret meeting.” On September 8, Huey was in the State Capitol building in Baton Rouge for a session of the Louisiana legislature. Dr. Carl Weiss walked up to Huey in a corridor and shot him. Huey’s bodyguards shot Weiss. Weiss died instantly, and Huey was ran to a hospital, where the surgery was unable to stop internal bleeding. Huey died two days later on September 10, 1935.Even tho Huey Long only lived to see his forties he had many great accomplishments throughout his very fulfilled life. From a young age Long was a very kind, bright, and curious kid like us all. Long wanted to give everyone a chance at a successful life no matter what circumstances they faced he believed in equality for everyone not just the rich or the poor but the middle class as well. Huey only wanted to do what was right for the people, and because of that he was killed.