Politics of the 20s US History

Spanish-American War Gains & Imperialism Immigration Urbanization “He Kept Us Out of War” WWI Progressive Reforms 117 k dead, 205 k wounded Post-War American Attitudes Russia “falls” to Communism

A Return to “Normalcy” and Isolationism Warren G. Harding wins election in 1920 (R, OH) Defeats democrats James Cox & Franklin D. Roosevelt Harding called for a return to normalcy He promised the return to a time before world war and progressive reform Warren Gameliel Harding

Harding Presidency In Foreign Policy, America desired less armament and no war 1921 Washington Naval Conference The 5 Power and 9 Power Treaties Called for major naval powers to reduce arms (US, GB,FR, JA, IT) 10 yr holiday on warship building Charles Evans Hughes

Harding and the Court During his 3 yrs as Pres. WGH placed 4 justices on the supreme court, including WH Taft as Chief. Most of these justices were favorable to big business. The court killed progressive leg.

Harding Good for Business Corporations did well under Harding. Antitrust laws ignored. ICC was ran by men sympathetic to RR’s. Sec. of Commerce Hoover urged big business to self regulate.

The Harding Presidency Kellogg-Briand Pact 1929 – US led agreement of 64 nations to renounce war as a national policy Fordney-McCumber Tariff - 60% on US imports (highest ever) Germany defaulted on reparation payments Dawes Plan US banks loaned $2.5 billion Germany used money to pay reparations Charles Dawes

Harding Presidency Andrew Mellon Sec. Of Treasury Scandal Ohio Gang drastically cut taxes Scandal Ohio Gang Group of Harding friends in his cabinet graft Teapot Dome Sec. Of Interior Albert B. Fall transferred oil reserves from navy to Dept of Interior then leased land to private comps. Received a $400,000 kickback convicted Albert B. Fall

Harding Presidency August 2, 1923 Harding died suddenly from either a stroke or heart attack VP Calvin Coolidge restored people’s faith in gov’t won election in 1924

5 Questions What effect did involvement in WWI have on American attitudes? What is “normalcy?” What is the purpose of the Washington Naval Conference & the Kellogg-Briand Pact? What is the Dawes Plan? What is the Teapot Dome Scandal?