Republican Government of 1920s Warren G. Harding ( ) Calvin Coolidge ( )

Republican Ideals Support corporate interests Believe the national gov’t should intervene in national life as little as possible Gov’t promoted business to assure private economy (business) was in full production. Less regulation of business

Warren G. Harding Won the Election of 1920 as a Republican promised to restore “normalcy” after WWI Harding lowered taxes and raised tariffs to protect American business from foreign competition

Harding and the Republicans Selected Charles Evans Hughes as Sec. of State, Herbert Hoover as Sec. of Commerce, and Andrew Mellon as Sec. of Treasury Republicans controlled the presidency and Congress Rep supported corporate interests, business, and less gov’t intervention Restore conservative American ideals

Harding’s Scandals The corrupt “Ohio Gang” caused many problems for Harding Appointed many of his “Ohio Gang” friends to top positions  bad decision Poor choices: Albert B. Fall, Sec. of Interior and Harry Daugherty as Attorney General

Ohio Gang and Scandal Used their offices to enrich themselves Teapot Dome Scandal—Albert Fall allowed wealthy businessmen to use government- owned lands with natural reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming in return for loans of money to Fall The corrupt “Ohio Gang” caused many problems for Harding

Harding’s Programs On Aug. 2, 1923 during a trip out West Harding died suddenly Singed the Fordney-McCumber tariff to protect American industrial goods from European competition Results: Overall negative  Europe couldn’t sell their goods overseas nor did they want American goods

Calvin Coolidge Won in 1924 with “Keep cool with Coolidge” “The business of America is business” Economy soared; many critics felt “big business” was running the U.S.

Economic Outlook Harding and Coolidge supported unregulated business  major issue leading to the Great Depression 1920s were truly “Roaring” in terms of the economy up until 1929

U.S. Foreign Affairs (p. 584) U.S. Foreign Policy Isolationism League of Nations Five Power Treaty Nine Power Treaty Four Power Treaty Washington Conference

Election of 1928 Coolidge did not want to run again Herbert Hoover (Rep) v. Al Smith (Dem) Smith was a Catholic  no Catholic was ever President Majority of U.S. is Protestant Hoover wins, but will not experience success for long.

Sum It Up Read the sections, “The Harding Administration” and “The Coolidge Administration.” Based on the short readings create a 5-6 sentence summary on the presidencies of Harding and Coolidge