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Politics of the Roaring Twenties

Politics of the Roaring Twenties. By: Elizabeth Zarka and Margo Wilhelms. In the aftermath of WWI, Americans faced hardships because of the following topics: Debate over participation in the League of Nations Women and minorities lost their jobs to returning soldiers

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Politics of the Roaring Twenties

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  1. Politics of the Roaring Twenties By: Elizabeth Zarka and Margo Wilhelms

  2. In the aftermath of WWI, Americans faced hardships because of the following topics: • Debate over participation in the League of Nations • Women and minorities lost their jobs to returning soldiers • Employment decreased as cost of living increased Post War Trends

  3. Post War Trends Americans developed two different social and political views in light of the changes they faced after the war. Nativism- prejudice against foreigners Isolationism- a policy of pulling away from involvement in world affairs Many Americans began to fear the spread of communism, a single party government ruled by a dictator

  4. The Red Scare In 1919 revolutionaries overthrew the czarist regime in Russia. The Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin established a new Communist state driven by the goal of abolishing capitalism everywhere that it existed. This caused a large Communist party to develop in the United States. When dozens of bombs were mailed to the government and business owners, the rest of the country feared that the Communists were taking over.

  5. As a result of the Red Scare, U.S. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer sought out to eliminate the threat of Communism. • Palmer worked with J. Edgar Hoover to target suspected Communists, socialists, and anarchists. • The Palmer Raids were largely unsuccessful at discovering any proof of revolutionary conspiracy and were mostly seen as an infringement of the rights of American citizens. Palmer Raids

  6. The Harding Presidency During Harding’s presidency, Americans adopted the Fordney-McCumber Tariff which raised taxes on U.S. imports 60 percent and as a result: Protected American businesses and industry from foreign competition Made it impossible for Britain and France to sell enough goods in the U.S. to repay debts The Dawes plan was developed as an alternative solution for Britain and France to repay the U.S.

  7. Ohio Gang Scandal erupted during Harding’s presidency over the president’s poker playing cabinet members also known as the Ohio Gang. More controversy unfolded as the president’s friends were caught abusing their governmental positions to become wealthy. The amount of scandal surrounding Harding’s presidency was thought to be the result of the lack of knowledge he possessed on many issues.

  8. Teapot Dome Scandal The Teapot Dome Scandal was one of the most controversial and public examples of governmental examples. U.S. Navy Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall set aside oil rich public land in Teapot Dome, Wyoming. Fall secretly leased the land to two private oil companies which served personal rather than state issues. “I have no trouble with my enemies…but my…friends, they’re the ones that keep me walking the floor nights!” (President Harding) Harding dies on August 2, 1923 and Vice President Coolidge assumes the presidency a year later

  9. Coolidge supported the following during his presidency: • Lower taxes • Increase business profits • Closely monitoring the government spending • Gave businesses more credit for spending which allowed for minimal government interference • Placed high tariffs on foreign products • New technologies developed, wages rose, and productivity increased Calvin Coolidge

  10. Herbert Hoover Republican candidate elected in 1928 over Alfred E. Smith Emphasized that Republican leadership brought the United States years of prosperity in earlier years After the stock market crash, told Americans to maintain an optimistic attitude toward the economy Felt that the government should take a small role in helping to solve the problems of the economy

  11. Herbert Hoover Both an engineer and a humanitarian Believed the government’s chief role was to encourage cooperation between competing groups and interests Advocated “rugged individualism”-Idea that people should succeed through their own efforts rather than the government Individuals, charities and local organizations should help the less fortunate

  12. Herbert Hoover Took cautious steps to repair the economy in his first years in office Opened communications with business, banking and labor leaders and asked them to work together to find solutions Created a special organization to help private charities More effective was the construction of the Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam) approved by congress in 1928

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