Post World War I America Politics and Prosperity

“America's present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration; not agitation, but adjustment; not surgery but serenity; not the dramatic, but the dispassionate; not experiment but equipoise; not submergence in internationality, but sustainment in triumphant nationality.” Harding Speech

POLITICS

Normalcy meant creating a safe, isolated, and controlled environment after the chaos of WWI. How does the government make the American people feel safe again? Control Communism Control Labor Unions Isolationism Nativism

The Red Scare The “Red Scare” refers to America’s intense fear of Communism and other politically radical ideas. Why is it referred to as a “Red” scare? What about Communism caused fear and panic for Americans? How did the US protect itself against Communism and other radical ideas?

Why “Red”? The Russian Revolution Under Vladimir Lenin, Russia’s worker and peasant classes revolted against the beliefs of the oppressive, czarist government. They united under a red flag. In November of 1917, they were victorious. Made peace with Germany, left WWI, and put all privately owned businesses, transportation, and industry under government ownership.

Why “Red”? The Russian Revolution Those displaced by Lenin’s government, including former government officials, military leaders, and industry owners (labeled the “Whites”) fought against Lenin in a civil war until 1920 when the “Reds” won. The United States had supported the “Whites” due to economic investments in Russia. Therefore, Lenin’s “Reds” were the enemy of American economic and political interests in Russia.

Basic Communist Doctrine The government owned all land and property. No private ownership. Wealth was collected and then distributed by the government, evenly amongst all individuals A single political party controlled the government. The needs of the country superseded the needs (and rights) of the individual.

vs. Why do you think that both the government and the citizens of the United States would fear Communism coming to America?

How do we protect America against Communism?

Schenck v. United States Schenck opposed US involvement in WWI and actively encouraged soldiers to not fight. Represented radical ideas and defiance. The Supreme Court ruled that the government is justified in silencing free speech when there is a “clear and present” danger to the nation.

Censorship Activity Does censorship exist today? Should there be censorship of any type? If so, for whom? If so, for what? (movies, music, television, speech, internet, news, etc?)

Censorship Group Activity School Newspaper Censorship Group Activity

The Palmer Raids “Any movement, however cloaked or dissembled, designed to undermine the government, will be met with unflinching, persistent, aggressive warfare.”

The Palmer Raids Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer Campaign to find groups posing a “clear and present danger” Gov’t appointed taskforce arrested suspected “subversives” Thousands of arrests made without evidence, over 500 deported

Palmer Reading

Sacco and Venzetti After the guard and paymaster of shoe factory were murdered in April of 1920, two Italian immigrants (and anarchists !) were arrested, convicted, and electrocuted for the crime. Anarchy would not be tolerated !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3SuTTcj2u8 Sacco and Vanzetti Summary

Labor Strikes

There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anywhere, any time. Calvin Coolidge, 1919

With government crackdowns on anarchists and other revolutionaries, work stoppages in the US declined from more than 3,000 a year in 1919 to under 1,000 in 1929. Union members, deemed as radicals, dropped from five million in 1920 to almost three million in 1929.

Isolationism

Isolationism was America’s wish to avoid political or economic alliances with foreign countries. To free itself of relying on foreigners, the US: Actively engaged in world trade to increase the sale of US goods and increase wealth Raised tariffs on foreign goods to discourage imports and create more opportunities for American-owned business

Nativism

To further isolate and insulate themselves against the rest of the world, the US began to crack down on the influence of foreigners on American society.

The KKK and Americanism Reading Quotas – Numerical limits on immigration to the US National Origins Act 1924 – Based on the 1890 census, only 2% of each country’s total population in the US would be allowed entrance into the US The KKK and Americanism Reading