Politics of the Roaring TwentiesUS History

Timeline: What’s Going On?

• United States:• 1920 – Warren G.

Harding is elected President (He died in 1923)

• 1927 – Henry Ford introduces the Model A. automobile.

• World:• 1921 - Chinese

Communist party is founded in Shanghai.

• 1922 - Mussolini is appointed prime minister of Italy.

Section 1: Americans Struggle With Postwar Issues

• Main Idea: A desire for normalcy after the war and a fear of communism and “foreigners” led to postwar isolationism.

• Why it Matters Now: Americans today continue to debate political isolationism and immigration policy.

• Key Terms:• Nativism• Isolationism• Communism• Anarchists• Quota System

• Key Names:• Sacco and Vanzetti• John L. Lewis

Postwar Trends:

• WW I had left America exhausted.

• Soldiers returning from war face unemployment

• The economy was badly bruised ($ for the war)

• Cost of living had doubled

• Americans started to become fearful of outsiders (jobs, safety)

Nativism and Isolationism:

• Nativism – Prejudice against foreign-born people

• Isolationism – Policy of pulling away from involvement in world affairs.

• Why do you think these two things caught on in America after the war?

Fear of Communism:

• People were fearful that Communists were trying to take over America.

• Communism – An economic and political system based on a single-party government ruled by a dictatorship.

• A Communist Party formed in the US – 70,000 people joined.

• Bombs were mailed to government offices and buildings.

• This time period became known as the “Red Scare”

Palmer Raids:

• Government officials began hunting down suspected communists, socialists, and anarchists.

• Anarchist – People who oppose any form of government.

• In the Palmer Raids, private homes and businesses were raided and hundreds were deported.

• These raids failed to turn up anything big and were seen as a failure.

Sacco and Vanzetti: A Famous Case

• In 1920, two Italian immigrants (and anarchists) were accused of murdering two factory guards

• Witnesses said the criminals looked Italian

• Sacco and Vanzetti were executed with no solid evidence

• This is another example of the strong power of nativism.

The Klan Rises Again:

• By 1924, KKK membership reached 4.5 million – all white male and native born.

• The Klan believed in keeping black “in their place” and driving foreign born people out of America.

• They were a radical and violent group

• D.W. Griffith’s film – A Birth of a Nation was critically acclaimed in 1915.

• Link to article on the film

Click the picture for a link to the FULL

video:

Limiting Immigration:

• “Keep America for Americans” became the new slogan.

• Less unskilled labor jobs were needed.

• American resentment towards immigration had reached an all time high.

The Quota System:

• From 1919-1921, the number of immigrants had grown almost 600% (from 141,000 to 805,000 people)

• Congress decided that things needed to slow down.

• They passed The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 – This system established the maximum number of people who could enter the US from each foreign country.

• It worked – but the law prohibited Japanese immigrants and limited other particular groups (Roman Catholics and Jews)

• This angered many groups

A Time Of Labor Unrest:

• 1919 saw more than 3,000 labor strikes – 4 million workers walked off the job.

• Even the Boston Police went on strike (union issues)

• 300,000 steel workers also walked off their jobs.

• Coal Miners went on strike as well

• John L. Lewis led a protest and got them a 27% raise!

• America was losing faith in it’s economy and presidency.

Section 2: The Harding Presidency

• Main Idea: The Harding administration appealed to America’s desire for calm and peace after the war, but resulted in scandal.

• Why it Matters Now: The government must guard against scandal and corruption to merit public trust.

• Key Terms:• Fordney-McCumber

Tariff• Ohio Gang• Teapot Dome Scandal

• Key Names:• Warren G. Harding• Charles Evans Hughes• Albert B. Fall

Warren G. Harding:

• Warren G. Harding took the presidency in 1921.

• The public wanted things to go back to “normal”

• Harding provided words of peace and calm

• His judgment was not that great though. (we’ll soon find out)

Harding Struggles For Peace:

• After the war, countries around the world were hurting economically.

• Harding decided to call the nations to meet in Washington D.C. to figure out what needed to be done.

• Charles Evans Hughes (Sec. of State) – suggested that the five largest naval powers scrap their warships. (US, Great Britain, Japan, France, Italy)

• They agreed to disarm (for now)

High Tariffs and Reparations:

• France and Britain owed $10 billion to America for the war.

• Germany owed France and Britain for the damages

• In 1922, the US adopted the Fordney-McCumber Tariff – raised taxes on US imports to 60%!

• American investors loaned Germany $2.5 billion to pay back France and Britain. (Dawes Plan)

• Then France and Britain paid the US (with interest)

• Follow this? – The US was making money on the financial problems of others.

Charles Dawes

Harding’s Cabinet:

• Harding surrounded himself with good people (Charles Evans Hughes, Herbert Hoover, Andrew Mellon)

• He also had some not so good ones.

• The Ohio Gang – The President’s poker playing cronies that liked to cheat/bribe others (including the tax payers) out of money.

The Teapot Dome Scandal:

• The government owned oil-rich land in Teapot Dome, Wyoming.

• Teapot Dome Scandal – Albert B. Fall (US Navy Secretary) leased the land to private oil companies in return for a “cut” of the action.

• He received more than $400,000 in loans, bonds, and cash.

• He became the first American to be convicted of a felony while holding a cabinet post.

Harding Dies:

• “I have no trouble with my enemies…But my friends...they’re the ones that keep me walking the floor at night.”

• On August 2, 1923, Harding died suddenly from either a heart attack or a stroke.

• Calvin Coolidge assumed the presidency and the next year was elected.

Section 3: The Business Of America

• Main Idea: Consumer goods fueled the business boom of the 1920’s as America’s standard of living soared.

• Why it Matters Now: Business, technological, and social developments of the 1920’s launched the era of modern consumerism.

• Key Terms:• Urban Sprawl• Installment Plan

• Key Names:• Calvin Coolidge

American Industries Flourish:

• Calvin Coolidge focused hard on improving the American business.

• He aimed to keep taxes down and business profits up.

• We wanted to keep the government influence (in business) to a minimum and allow private companies to flourish.

• Wages (and productivity) started to rise because of new technology.

The Impact Of The Automobile: (Part1)

• The automobile allowed rural families to travel to cities for shopping and entertainment.

• Paved roads were created everywhere

• Route 66 was created to connect Chicago with California.

• Gasoline stations, repair shops, and shopping centers popped up all over the place

The Impact Of The Automobile: (Part12)

• People moved further away from their jobs – urban sprawl

• The automobile was considered a status symbol as well

• About 1/5 people had a car

• Automobile factories sprung up in places like Detroit and Akron.

The Young Airplane Industry:

• The US Post Office started the first mail carrying service. (by plane)

• The first cargo and commercial airlines also began during this time.

• Passengers started enjoying the speed of being able to travel by air. ($$)

America’s Standard Of Living Soars:

• 1920-1929 was a very prosperous time for America.

• Americans owned around 40% of the world’s wealth.

• The average American income rose more than 35% (from $522-$705)

• People started spending there money freely.

Electrical Conveniences:

• Gasoline powered most everything prior to this time period.

• Now, electricity started to become much more efficient.

• Electricity was able to be transmitted over long distances.

• Privileged homes had electric irons, refrigerators, stoves, and toasters

A Superficial Prosperity:

• During the 1920’s most Americans believed this prosperity would go on forever.

• National income was up• Most companies were

making a fortune• The Stock Market was

reaching unprecedented levels

Producing Great Quantities Of Goods:

• As productivity increased, businesses expanded.

• Companies merged, chain stores opened, farms produced excess crops.

• Problems: • 1. Excess crops drove

food prices down• 2. A huge income gap

was being created between managers and workers

Buying Goods On Credit:

• Big companies allowed consumers to buy things without paying for them in full.

• They borrowed money from the banks at very low interest rates.

• Installment Plans – buying goods over an extended period , without having to put down much money at the time of purchase.