Demobilization

 The transition from wartime to peacetime production levels  Causes social and economic strain on the country

Return to normalcy

 Campaign slogan of Warren G. Harding in the 1920 election.  “America’s present need is not heroics but healing.”  Shifting America back to isolationism and slamming the door on global affairs.

20’s Tax Reduction

 The 1920's saw the tax burden of middle Americans decrease while most lower income Americans were relieved of their tax burden altogether

Red scare

Red scare Video Video  A period of anticommunist hysteria during 1919 and 1920  Was a response to the Russian Revolution of 1917  Was driven by the fear that communism might take a foothold in the United States

Communism

 Political system proposed by Karl Marx  All property and production of goods are controlled by the government  Creates a utopian society

Communism  Works from the premise “from each according to their ability, to each according to their need”

Marxism

 The belief in Karl Marx theories he published in his book Communist Manifesto.

Palmer’s raids

 A series of raids that were intended to capture alleged radicals  Arrested thousands of radicals in 33 cities  Most were poor immigrants who had recently arrived in the country

Sacco & Vanzetti

 Immigrants who were convicted of murders of a paymaster and guard in payroll robbery  Evidence against them was weak – the judge suspected them of radical behavior  Executed for the crime

Warren G. Harding

 Republican nominee for President in 1920 election  Won by a wide margin – 404 to 127 electoral votes

Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act

 Pushed tariff rates on manufactured goods to an all time high  Helped U.S. manufacturers by allowing them to keep higher prices to increase profits

Mergers

 The combining of two or more companies  Brought greater efficiency to industry  More than 100 mergers took place in the early 1920s

Equal Rights Amendment

Video  Constitutional amendment that would give men and women equal rights throughout the United States  Many opposed because they believed it would undo all of the progress women had made

Teapot Dome scandal

 Scandal that came to light after Harding's death  Sec of the Interior Albert Fall convinced Sec of Navy to transfer control of naval oil reserves to his department  He leased reserves to private companies and received bribes

Calvin Coolidge

 Became President after Harding’s Death  Worked to restore the reputation of the Presidency by firing any involved in scandals  Video – Pro Business Video – Pro Business

Ku Klux Klan

 Originally a reconstruction group to discourage blacks from voting  Dissolved in late 1800s

Ku Klux Klan Video  Restarted by Georgia preacher William Joseph Simmons  Targeted blacks, Catholics, immigrants, Jews and radicals  Membership grew dramatically during Red Scare

Marcus Garvey

 Native of Jamaica  Supported Black Nationalism – A movement aimed at creating a new political state for African-Americans on the African continent.  Video Video

Immigration Act of 1924

 Limited the number of immigrants to 2% of the 1890 population figures for each nationality  Reduces the number of immigrants to about 153,000 in 1925

 Eugenics: Pseudo- Scientific belief that humans could be improved through breeding.  Charles Davenport  Fear of Immigrants  Social Darwinism  Idea Spread to Europe….

American Indian Citizen Act of 1924

 On June 2, 1924, Congress enacted the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the US.