A Republican Decade Angela Brown Chapter 11 http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/english/1project/99gg/99gg2/clothe2.htm

The Red Scare “Normalcy” appealed to American in 1920 Events convinced people U.S. threatened by political violence. http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/english/1project/99gg/99gg2/clothe2.htm

Russian Revolution Czar Nicholas II forced to abdicate March 1917 Vladimir Lenin and Bolsheviks took control Bolshevik government put all privately owned farms, industries, land, and transportation under government ownership.

http://cla.calpoly.edu/~lcall/lenin.gif

1918 Civil War Lenin forces “Reds”, opponents “White” Britain, France Japan, U.S. whose investments had been seized – backed Whites (farmers/landowners) Reds triumphed in 1920 = Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)/Soviet Union

Soviet Union Map http://depts.washington.edu/caict/images/map.gif

Communism as practiced in Soviet Union government owned all land-property single political party controlled government Individuals had no rights government vowed to spread communism

Redscare – intense fear of communism and other extreme ideas Known communists jailed or driven out of country.

Schenck Vs U.S. Government justified in silencing free speech when “clear and present danger” stated Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Charles Schenck – letters to draftees urged them not to report to duty Convicted of violating espionage act

The Palmer Raids 1919 Attorney General Mitchell Palmer of Justice Department set up special force to overthrow “subversives” – targets included communists, socialists, anarchists Thousands jailed, 500 immigrants deported most innocent – none convicted of any crime

At first supported – went to far 1920 NY State assembly expelled (5) socialists (had done nothing wrong – legally elected)

Sacco and Vanzetti http://thegurglingcod.typepad.com/thegurglingcod/cheffelation/ 1920 gunman robbed /killed guard and paymaster of shoestore Nicola Sacco, shoemaker; Bartolomeo Vanzetti, fish peddler – both carrying guns when arrested Drew international attention/controversy

Americans suspected/accused because they were immigrants (Italian) Many appeals upheld conviction – electrocuted 1927 Labor Strikes Americans believed communists behind strikes Simpler cause, cost of living double prewar levels

http://www. kirkwood. k12. mo http://www.kirkwood.k12.mo.us/parent_student/KHS/plattes/topics17and18/topics17and1821.jpg

Boston Police Strikes Strike – no pay increases since before WWI Rioting began – Calvin Coolidge (Governor) called out state guard

Steel and Coal Strikes 1919 U.S. Steel Corp. used force to break strike (private police force) – killed 18 – beat hundreds United mine Workers of America – no strike agreement during war Governor Court ordered strikers back to work UMW cancelled strike – got raise 1920’s economy boomed – strikes/unions decreased

Republican Leadership Republican Party dominated all (3) branches of government (President Harding, Coolidge, Hoover 1921-1933) William H. Taft – Chief Justice of Supreme Court Favored business, social stability = economic growth

The Harding Presidency Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Commerce Many appointments to friends – incompetent and dishonest – overwhelm his presidency and life

Isolationism Foreign policy reflected Americans’ postwar desire for isolationism Isolationism – a policy of avoiding political or economic alliances with foreign countries No attempt to join League of Nations

Support disarmament – program for nations to voluntarily give up weapons 1921 Washington Conference nations signed treaties limiting size of navies 1922 Fordney – McCumber Tariff – raised rates on a number of imports – discouraged imports that competed with goods made by U.S.

Limiting Immigration Nativist movement became stronger immigrants could never be fully loyal mostly protestants – disliked Catholics, Orthodox Christians, or Jews Blamed immigrants for city problems (slums, corruption)

feared would take away U.S. jobs came from unstable parts of Europe – might hold or adopt dangerous political ideas 1921, 1924 Congress passed laws restricting immigration at Harding’s request 350,000 total immigrants

quotas, numerical limits form each foreign nation low quotas for southern/eastern European countries – Asian immigration banned altogether

Teapot Dome Scandal Harding died of heart problems Aug 2, 1923 Possibly due to upset from corruption scandals of his administration- stolen government funds, bribes taken, two committed suicide.

Sec. of Interior, Albert Fall, secretly gave oil drilling rights on government oil fields (Elk Hills, California and Teapot Dome, Wyoming) Fall received $300,000 disguised as loans – jailed

The Coolidge Presidency Vice- President Calvin Coolidge’s father, a justice of the peace administered him oath of office of President of the United States by kerosene lamp Coolidge respected as governor of Mass. – not part of Harding scandals

1924 election won in own right “Keep Cool with Coolidge” slogan skilled public speaker, privately man of few words (could be silent in (5) languages

Laissez Faire “The business of the American People is Business” Republican decade – theme – do not interfere with big business – tried to make federal government smaller Coolidge’s efforts to have government do less drew criticism from those who saw it as failure to take action

Continued Isolationism Sec. of State, Frank Kellogg – French Foreign minister, Aristide Briand Kellogg-Briand Pact – 15 nations agreed not to use the threat of war in their dealings with one another – more than 60 nations joined (unrealistic, unworkable – no way to enforce) 1941 many nations that signed at war

Election of 1928 Coolidge chose not to run again. Herbert Hoover Republican Nominee Won by large margin against Alfred E. Smith first Roman Catholic to run – Governor of NY. U.S. hoped Coolidge prosperity would continue.