1920s – Republican Decade

The Russian Revolution Vladimir Lenin promised to end Russian participation in WWI Bolsheviks gain control in November 1917 Soviets placed property, industry, transportation etc. under government control Civil War Mensheviks vs. Bolsheviks Cold War begins - U.S troops helped Mensheviks Mensheviks lose – Soviet Union created

The Red Scare  Communism terrified Americans 1.Government owned all land & property 2.One political party controlled government 3.Individuals had no rights 4.Vowed to stir revolutions and spread  Red Scare – fear of communism spreading to the U.S  Gov’t sought out & expelled suspected communists  Schenck vs. The United States  Palmer Raids Red Scare returns after WWII

Palmer Raids June 1919—Bombs exploded in several U.S. cities Including one at the home of A. Mitchell Palmer, the Attorney General

Palmer Raids Palmer was convinced that radicals were trying to overthrow the gov’t He went on a campaign to root out anyone that posed a threat to the U.S. Targets included Communists, Socialists, & anarchists “Any movement, however, cloaked or dissembled, designed to undermine the gov’t, will be met w/ unflinching, persistent, aggressive warfare.”

Palmer Raids Jan. 2, 1920—Agents in 33 cities arrested thousands of suspected radicals w/o evidence –Most were immigrants –Many were completely innocent –500+ were deported Americans, including Palmer, expected the worst on May 1, 1920 (an annual Socialist holiday), but nothing happened & the press turned on Palmer

Labor Strikes Post-WWI Labor Unrest Myth - communists organized strikes Fact - doubling in the cost of living w/o wage increases Boston Police Strike – 1919 No pay increase since officers fired for union activity Police force went on strike causing riots Nat’l Guard sent to stop rioting & end strike Strikes ended as 1920’s boom began

Steel/Coal Strikes 350K workers walk off job at U.S. Steel Corporation (1919) –65 hr/week on average; wanted 8-hr day Blamed on Communists Private police force killed 18 strikers & injured hundreds African American workers brought in to break strike Strikers give up after 10 weeks

Strikes Decline Most Americans opposed strikes –Seen as un-American & likely to violence Distrust of labor unions Linked to radicalism and communism Union membership peaked in 1920, then dropped –5 million workers in (height of Red Scare) Economy improved over course of 1920s –Higher wages

Nativism Foreigners could never be fully loyal to the U.S. Slums, corruption & crime blamed on immigrants Workforce feared loss of jobs to lower paid immigrants Increase in: –Patriotism –Anti-Catholicism; Anti-Semitism –Fear of losing jobs –Red Scare & radicalism Quotas placed on annual immigration 350K foreigners per year Immigrants from SE Europe (Italy, Poland and Russia) had lower quotas Asian immigrants were banned entirely

Republican Leadership  Public turned to Republican Party amidst Red Scare, strikes, overseas revolution etc.  Republicans dominated all 3 branches of government  Republicans united in basic goals  Favored business & wanted economic growth  Desired social stability

Harding & Coolidge Presidencies  Isolationism  Avoid foreign political & economic alliances (no League of Nations)  Disarmament – call on nations to voluntarily give up their weapons  Laissez Faire approach to business  Government should not interfere & regulate business/economy  Approach fueled the business boom of the decade – The Roaring Twenties

The End