Mr. Wells Hickory Ridge HS Trends in the 1920s Mr. Wells Hickory Ridge HS

Trends Develop in American Society

NATIVISM

The Russian Revolution and Communism (continued) A. Mitchell Palmer- appointed U.S. Attorney General – combat communists in US J. Edgar Hoover hunts down suspected Communists/Anarchists Hoover’s division would later become known as the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) Eco and poli system based on single party gov ruled by dictatorship End private property and put gov in charge Response to 1919 Russian Revolution 70k join

The Red Scare Fuels Nativism Nicola Sacco & Bartolomeo Vanzetti – both were Italian, anarchists & evaded WWI draft Charged with murdering a paymaster & stealing $15,000 Evidence circumstantial – found guilty & sentenced to die by electric chair on Aug. 23, 1927 Eco and poli system based on single party gov ruled by dictatorship End private property and put gov in charge Response to 1919 Russian Revolution 70k join

The Ku Klux Klan Rise of nativism & communism gives them power By 1924 – 4.5 million members Supported prohibition – opposed unions Hated Roman Catholics, Jews, foreigners Believed in 100% Americanism Eco and poli system based on single party gov ruled by dictatorship End private property and put gov in charge Response to 1919 Russian Revolution 70k join

The Ku Klux Klan

Limiting Immigration Emergency Quota Act (1921): establish minimum number of immigrants from any one country EQA discriminated against immigrants from southern/eastern Europe & Japan No discrimination against Western Hemisphere immigrants 1920s: 1 million Canadians – 500,000 Mexicans enter US National Origins Act (1924) set limit at 2% for each country

Emergency Quota Act

ISOLATIONISM

“Normalcy” and Isolationism Warren G. Harding: runs for president – motto becomes “return America to simpler days” Harding invites Great Britain, Japan, France & Italy to Washington D.C. – scrap military arms Kellogg-Briand Pact (1929): renounces war as an instrument of national policy Harding pursuing an isolationist policy

Kellogg-Briand Pact (1929) 15 nations dedicated to outlawing aggression and war as tools of foreign policy. Problems  lack of enforcement and gave Americans a false sense of security.

Reparations United States demanding Great Britain/France pay debts ($10 billion to U.S). G.B./France demand Germany (bankrupt) pay reparations U.S. banks loan Germany $2.5 billion to pay reparations to G.B. & France  Called the Dawes Plan (Charles Dawes – banker)

European Debts to the US

Hyper-Inflation in Germany: 1923

Dawes Plan (1924)

POLITICS

Poor President Harding President Harding: good man but surrounded by bad people (Grant – 50 years ago) Teapot Dome Scandal – oil in Wyoming/California – Harding’s friends pocket $400,000 in bonds

Teapot Dome Scandal Harding: “ I have no trouble w/ my enemies… But my damned Friends… They’re the ones that keep me walking the floor at nights!”

Unions and Labor Unrest Strikes not allowed during WWI 1919 – 3,000 strikes; wages not keeping up with prices Ex. – Boston Police Strike – The Steel Mill Strike – The Coal Miners Strike Many Afr. Am. from Great Migration were excluded from union membership 1920 – union membership was 5 million 1929 – union membership was 3.5 million

Boston Police Strike (1919) No raise since WWI Prohibited unionizing Coolidge used National Guard Hired new officers Labor strikes in 1919 3K with 4 mil walk off the job Strike began after workers fired for asking for a raise Strikers were not allowed to return and Coolidge was praised for saving Boston from communism and anarchy 21

Steel Mill Strike (1919) Sept. 1919 walked off job Said were commies Ended in Jan. 1920 1923: Got 8 hour workday Wanted shorter hours, increase in wage, union with collective bargaining Walked off after refused to meet with union Used strike breakers, police, military used force Wilson wrote a plea to the deadlocked negotiators in Oct 1919 Report on harsh conditions in the steel mills shocked the public and steel companies agreed to reduced hours but no union 22

Coal Miners Strike (1919) United Mine Workers elected John Lewis their new President. He organized a nationwide strike and was able to get a 27% wage increase, but could not win shorter hours. 1919: UMWA elected John Lewis as their new leader Protested low wages and long workdays Lewis declared it over but quietly told the workers to continue and stopped for another month Did not achieve shorter workday and shorter workweek until 1930 23

WEALTH

President Coolidge “The business of America is business.” 25

Rising Standard of Living President Calvin Coolidge favored government policies that kept taxes and business profit up Goal: limit government interference & allow private enterprise to flourish United States owned 40% of the world’s wealth

Superficial Prosperity National income grew from $64 billion to $87 billion by 1929 Three factors for superficial prosperity  income gap be/ workers & managers iron/railroad/farmers not doing well  installment plan: people buying on credit