The Harding Years 1920-1924 Unit 9.1

A New Era: The 1920s President- William G. Harding (R) Vice President- Calvin Coolidge Harding’s campaign slogan- “a return to normalcy” Through the 1920s, three Republican presidents were elected while the majority of Congress was also Republican A time when businesses boomed and farmers and unions struggled

A New Era: The 1920s The death of Theodore Roosevelt in 1919 coupled with public disillusionment over WWI allowed for the return of “old guard” (conservative) Republicans Regulatory commissions established in the Progressive era were now administered by appointees that were more sympathetic towards businesses than the general public

A New Era: The 1920s Harding was not a very good leader, but appointed very able men to his cabinet: Charles Evan Hughes Secretary of State William H. Taft Chief Justice Andrew Mellon Secretary of the Treasury

Domestic Policy President Harding did little more than sign into law the measures passed through the Republican Congress A reduction in the income tax Passage of the Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act raised taxes on U.S. imports Established the Bureau of the Budget Oversaw procedures of government expenditures being collected into a single budget for Congress to review and vote on

Scandal in the White House Teapot Dome Scandal: Albert B. Fall, Secretary of the Interior, was accepting bribes for granting oil leases on federal land near Teapot Dome, Wyoming Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty and others uncovered the dealings, but also took bribes for agreeing not to prosecute certain suspects Harding died in August 1923 shortly before the scandals were uncovered

Characteristics of the 1920s: Union Decline Wages rose, but union membership declined “open shop” policies keeping jobs open to nonunion workers Some companies began offering improved benefits and higher wages to remove the need for their workers to unionize Efforts to unionize in the South were violently resisted by police, state militia, and local mobs During the era, union efforts often failed and were set back by Conservative courts

Characteristics of the 1920s: Anti-Internationalism After WWI, immigration shot upward Over a million entered the U.S. from 1919-1921 Once again, nativist prejudices were aroused Feared competition for jobs Immigrants viewed as radicals who might incite revolution Quota laws severely restricted European and Asian immigration and policies of unlimited immigration had officially ended by 1927 Sacco and Vanzetti Two Italian immigrants convicted of robbery and murder in 1921; executed in 1927

Characteristics of the 1920s: Effects of the 19th Amendment Passage of the Amendment did not change women’s lives or politics as much as had been anticipated Most middle-class women still expected to spend their lives as homemakers and mothers Employed women usually worked in the cities and were limited to certain professions (clerks, teachers, nurses) Received lower wages than men

Characteristics of the 1920s: Effects of the 19th Amendment Revolution in Morals: There was a revolt among young people against sexual taboos Movies, automobiles, novels, and new dances also encouraged greater promiscuity Margaret Sanger and advocates for birth control achieved growing acceptance in the 1920s Flappers Influenced by movie actresses; shocked the older generations by wearing hemmed dresses at the knee, “bobbing” their hair, smoking, and driving Liberalized divorce laws

Flappers of the 1920s

Washington Naval Conference In 1921, the major naval powers of the world agreed to renounce war by downsizing their navies, respecting each other’s territorial possessions in the Pacific, and maintaining an open door policy in China

Kellogg-Briand Pact 15 nations around the world signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which renounced the aggressive use of force to achieve national ends Proved to be ineffective Permitted defensive wars Failed to provide for taking action against violators of the agreement