The Roaring Twenties
Post War America »WWI – 1914 – 1918 »After the war many Americans wanted to return to what President Warren G. Harding described as “Normalcy” »Three trends exist in post-war America »Isolationism »Resurgence of Nativism »Political Conservatism
The Russian Revolution »1917 – conditions in Russia had become desperate »WWI had devastated Russia mainly because of the great loss of population and resources »March 15, 1917 – Czar Nicholas II abdicated his throne »This new communist party-led by Vladimir Lenin- vows to overthrow capitalism around the world »Communism – one party system in which the state owns all property and most of business; there is no political freedom in communism
The Red Scare »70,000 radicals joined the newly formed Communist Party in the US »1/10 1% the population »yet, communism frightened America »The US panics that the “Reds” would take over America »Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer decided he was going to combat this “Red Scare”
Palmer Raids »August 1919 – Palmer appointed J. Edgar Hoover to head a new division of the Justice Department, The Federal Bureau of Investigation »Palmer sent government officials to hunt down communists, socialists, and anarchists »These agents began to infringe on America’s civil rights »They invaded private homes, meeting halls, and offices without search warrants-jailed suspects without letting them see a lawyer »The US deported hundreds of foreign born radicals without trying them in a court »Palmer predicted there would be an attempt for communists to take over the US; It never happened
Sacco and Vanzetti »The Red-Scare ruined many immigrants lives »Most famous was Nicola Sacco and Bartalameo Vanzetti »Both were Italian immigrants & they were also known anarchists who evaded the draft of WWI
Nativism or Murder? »April 1920 – South Braintree, Mass. »Two men shot and killed a factory paymaster and his guard. They stole $15,000 and made a getaway »Witnesses said that the suspects appeared to be Italian »3 weeks later police arrested Sacco and Vanzetti All evidence in this case was circumstantial, and the accused provided alibis »The judge was prejudice making remarks throughout the trial »A jury sentenced them to death »On August 23, 1927 both men died in the electric cha ir
The resurgence of the KKK »anti-immigrant feelings gave rise to hate groups in America »By 1924 the KKK had 4.5 million members »They believed that African Americans should not be allowed to seek equality »They opposed saloons, Catholics, Jews, foreign born citizens »Members started to dress in hoods and robes »Used violence to voice their opinions »1923 – Rosewood, Florida »1923 – 60,000 Klan members marched on Washington D. C.
Returning to Normalcy »1920 – summer in Chicago Republican nominate their presidential candidate »American public was tired of the Progressive Movement »Warren G. Harding of Ohio »“looked like a president ought to look.” »Harding runs with Governor of Mass. Calvin Coolidge »They easily defeat James Cox and running mate Franklin D. Roosevelt »Harding’s Campaign slogan Return to Normalcy – Promote simpler days prior to progressives
Foreign Policy of Harding »Kellogg – Briand Act »- Harding supported the disarmament of large military countries »- convinces 64 nations to renounce war as an instrument of National Policy »- No way to enforce this act »- Harding supported isolationism »- Harding was having a hard time retrieving the $10 billion loaned to Britain and France during WWI
Fordney-McCumber Tariff »raised taxes on imports to highest level ever – 60 % »- this hoped to protect American Businesses »- Britain and France could not sell goods to US because of this tax »- therefore they could not raise money to payoff loans »- France and Britain force Germany to pay its war reparations »- Germany is unable to pay »Dawes Plan - America loans Germany money to pay England and France then they would have money to pay the US »- this was highly criticized
Limiting Immigration »Nativism running wild in the US »- anarchists, communists, labor disputes »- job demand decreases after WWI »- Nativists want fewer immigrants in the US »1919 – 141,000 immigrants in the US »1921 – 805,000 immigrants in the US »Emergency Quota System – limits the number of immigrants from each foreign nation »- 2% of foreign nationals living here »- excludes Japan »- Western Hemisphere not affected
Scandal in the White House »Harding opposed government intervention in business »- disapproved of social reforms »- Harding’s cabinet contained the Ohio Gang ? »Included: Attorney General Harry Dougherty and Albert Fall »- Harding’s Friends from Ohio
Teapot Dome Scandal »Teapot Dome, Wyoming and Elk Hills, Ca »- Oil rich lands set aside during the progressive movement »- Albert B. Fall Sec. of the Interior »- secretly leased the land to private oil companies »- Fall becomes very rich gaining about $325,000 in bonds and cash »- claimed it was in the best interest of the US »Aug. 2, 1923 Harding dies »- Calvin Coolidge becomes President »- Elected in 1924