Politics of the Roaring Twenties

1. Politics of the Roaring Twenties U.S. History Chapter 12

2. Postwar Problems ØDivided America over League of Nations Ø      Progressive Era led to changes in American life Ø      Economy adjusting back to consumer goods Ø      Soldiers returning to unemployment, readjustment to life Ø      Cost of living doubled Ø      Work orders for factories and farmers dramatically reduced

3. Many began to fear outsiders. Led to an increase in nativism • Many people pushed for isolationism – pulling away from involvement in world affairs.

4. Fear of Communism • Communism – economic and political system based on a single party government ruled by a dictatorship. • Put an end to private property, government ownership of factories, RR, other businesses.

5. The Red Scare • Russian revolution led to panic • “Reds” in Russia - worldwide revolution. • Communist party formed in the US – 70,000 members. • Bombs mailed to government and business leaders. • Public became scared – Red Scare. • U.S. Attorney General – Mitchell Palmer.

6. The Palmer Raids • Hunted down suspected communists and anarchists – people who opposed any form of government. • No evidence of any conspiracy

7. Sacco and Vanzetti • Italian immigrants - anarchists • Arrested and charged with robbery(stole over $17,000) and murder of factory paymaster and his guard. • Provided alibis and said they were innocent • Jury – guilty, sentenced them to death. • Led to protests around the world. Many thought they were sentenced b/c of their radical beliefs/immigrants. • They died in the electric chair.

9. Limiting Immigration • Need for unskilled labor had decreased, so need for immigrants decreased. Nativism increased. • Immigrants – seen as radicals and anarchists. • Ku Klux Klan - Devoted to “100% Americanism.” • Anti Everything - against blacks, saloons, unions, Catholics, Jews. Anti-foreign, anti-Catholic, anti-black, anti-Jewish, anti-pacifist, anti-communist, anti-internationalist, anti-evolutionist, anti-bootlegger, anti-gambling, anti-adultery, and anti-birth control. It was pro-Protestant, pro-Anglo-Saxon, pro-“native” American.

10. 1919 – 1920 - # of immigrants increased 600%. • Emergency Quota Act of 1921 – quota system –maximum number of people who could enter the U.S. from each foreign country. • Goal – cut down dramatically the # of people coming from Europe.

11. 1924 – 2% of # living in the U.S. in 1890. • discriminated against Catholics and Jews. • Prohibited Japanese immigration – led to ill will between the U.S. and Japan. • Did NOT apply to the Western Hemisphere - Mexico and Canada increased a lot.

12. A Time of Labor Unrest • War – no strikes. 1919 – 3,000 strikes due to no wage increases, refusal to allow workers to join unions (employers determined to halt war-time gains). • The Boston Police Strike • The Steel Mill Strike • The Coal Miner’s Strike • Propaganda used to link strikers to communism.

13. Section 2 The Harding Presidency “Return to Normalcy”

14. Harding Struggles for Peace • Sec. of State – Charles Evans Hughes • Washington Naval Conference –major European powers, except Russia (communism), invited to Washington. • No more warships to be built for 10 years, 5 major powers (U.S., BR, FR, Japan, and Italy) will reduce battleship tonnage, cruisers, and aircraft carriers.

15. Kellogg-Briand Act – renounced war as a national policy. Couldn’t enforce though, so really didn’t work! We can reduce our military.

16. High Tariffs and Reparations • FR and GB owed the U.S. $10 billion. Needed to get the money from Germany. • Worried that there would be a flood of cheap goods from recovering Europe, businesses wanted to put a wall of protection around the U.S. • Fordney-McCumber Tariff – raised tariffs to 60%. Made it impossible for FR and GB to sell goods to the U.S., therefore making it hard for them to raise money to pay us back. • They looked to Germany and their reparations. Germany couldn’t pay

17. Dawes Plan - scaled back war debt and reparations to $250 million/year (would increase as German economy improved) • $200 million in loans - money paid to G.B. and France in reparations payments. The money would then come to the U.S. as war debt payments (This will end with the crash in 1929). • The U.S. never did get it money, but it harvested a bumper crop of ill will from the French.

19. Scandal Hits Harding’s Administration • Warren G. Harding elected in 1920 • laissez-faire • Harding had few qualifications for the presidency. He was in the Senate, but only because political machine put him there. Same for President – they wanted someone they could control. • “Ohio Gang” - close group of friends

20. Cabinet members – Sec. of Commerce – Herbert Hoover, Sec. of State – Charles Evans Hughes, Sec. of Treasury – Andrew Mellon, Attorney General – Harry Daugherty.

21. Charles Forbes – director of Veterans Bureau – went to prison for swindling the government out of $200 million in hospital supplies. • Attorney Gen. Harry Daugherty – faced two criminal trials for bribery (illegal sale of pardons and liquor permits), but burned incriminating documents and did not go to jail.

22. The Teapot Dome Scandal • Secretary of Interior Albert Fall leased critical government oil reserves to two private oil companies • Fall received illegal payments and so-called loans that totaled over $300,000 • Went to jail

23. WGH depressed, suffered a heart attack in 1923, and died. VP Calvin Coolidge became president.

24. Section 3 The Business of America • Calvin Coolidge –taxes low, business profits up, give businesses more credit to expand. • Increased tariffs, reduced income taxes so people would spend more money. • Coolidge – supported business!!!!

25. The Impact of the Automobile • 1920 – 8 million on the roads. By 1929 – 27 million. • Paved roads –Route 66 – • Architectural styles changed – Houses now had driveways with garages/carports. • New businesses – gas stations, repair stations, motels, tourists attractions, shopping centers. • Tunnels – 1st one – Holland Tunnel – NYC to NJ.

26. Brought rural people to the cities. • Vacations • Independence for the young • Urban sprawl – spread out of the cities.

27. Route 66 – Chicago to California

28. America’s Standard of Living Soars • Annual income rose 35%. • Electricity spreading over bigger distances. # of houses with electricity increasing. Mid 20s – 60% of nation’s homes wired for electric power. • Irons, refrigerators, ranges, toasters – freed women to do other things. • Advertising - Played on people’s conscience • Targeted middle class women the most.

31. Buying Goods on Credit • Easy credit – installment plan – buy goods over an extended period of time with a low interest rate. • By 1930 – 15% of all purchases were made on installment plans