POLITICS OF THE ROARING TWENTIES U.S. HISTORY MR. ALLEN

SECTION 1 – Americans Struggle with Postwar Issues America’s economy had boomed as a result of WW1 The economy was in a state of adjustment Returning soldiers faced unemployment or took jobs away from women and minorities

Many Americans responded to the stressful conditions by becoming fearful of outsiders Nativism – Prejudice against foreign born people swept the nation

FEAR OF COMMUNISM! Communism – An economic system based on government control of resources and equal distribution of wealth Not a political system The Red Scare – Began in 1919 after revolutionaries in Russia overthrew the Czar

The Palmer Raids A Communist party formed in the U.S. with 70,000 radicals joining. Public feared communists were taking over The Palmer Raids – Agents hunded down suspected communists and anarchists

Sacco and Vanzetti Red Scare fueled suspicion of foreigners and immigrants Two most famous victims were anarchists arrested on murder charges Despite circumstantial evidence and alibis, jury found them guilty of murder.

“Keep America for Americans” After WW1, need for unskilled Labor decreased, which increased competition for jobs. The Quota system – Established athe maximum number of people who could enter the U.S. from each foreign country The system was set up to discriminate against Catholics and Jews, Southern and Eastern Europe. Chart on page 417

LABOR UNREST Strikes weren’t allowed during the war 1919 saw more than 3,000 strikes Boston Police Strike Steel Mill Strike

Labor movement loses appeal Immigrants were willing to work under poor conditions Spoke too many languages, had difficulty organizing Most unions excluded African Americans

Section 2 – THE HARDING PRESIDENCY The Harding administration appealed to America’s desire for calm and peace after the war, but resulted in scandal The Govt must guard against scandal to merit the public trust

Harding Struggles for Peace In 1921 Harding invited several major powers to the Washington Naval conference Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes urged that no more warships be built for 10 years In countries signed the Kellogg-Briand pact, which renounced war as a policy

High Tariffs and Reparations When it came time for Britain and France to pay back the 10 Billion they owed. They could either sell us goods or take reparations from Germany The Fordney-McCumber Tariff which raised taxes on U.S. imports to 60% made reparations the only option The Dawes plan

SCANDAL! The Ohio Gang-The president’s poker playing cronies in the cabinet Harding’s Corrupt friends used their influence to become wealthy through graft Thomas W. Miller caught taking a bribe

Teapot Dome Oil rich lands at Teapot Dome and Elk Hills, CA Albert Fall, a close friend of various oil executives got the lands transferred to his department Fall secretly leased the lands to 2 private oil companies. He suddenly received more than $400,000 in loans, bonds and cash.

LECTURE THE BUSINESS OF AMERICA Consumer goods fueled the business boom of the 1920s as America’s standard of living soared The new president, Calvin Coolidge, fit the pro-business spirit of the era well

THE AUTOMOBILE Automobiles literally changed the landscape, most visibly with paved roads Liberated the isolated rural family, which could now travel to the city for shopping and entertainment Created an urban sprawl, because workers could live miles from their jobs

Electrical conveniences – Electric power allowed wide distribution of power letting communities spread. Refrigerators and toasters Dawn of modern advertising-companies hired psychologists to study how to appeal to people’s desire for youthfulness. Listerine, makeup, flowers.

LISTERINE ADVERTISEMENT “She was a beautiful girl and talented too. She had the advantages of education and better cloths than most girls of her set. She possessed that culture and poise that travel brings. Yet in the one pursuit that stands foremost in the mind of every girl and woman--marriage--she was a failure”

SUPERFICIAL PROSPERITY Most Americans believed prosperity would go on forever National income had grown form $64 Billion in 1921 to $87 in 1929 Gap between workers and managers growing Buying goods on credit (Installment plan)

INSTALLMENT PLAN Banks provided money at low interest rates Americans bought more than they could afford Little warning as to what was to come for most Americans