1. A Return to Normalcy?
Unit 3
Lesson 1

2. Objectives
Identify major political, economic, and social changes the US faced after the war.
Examine Republican leadership during the “Roaring 20’s.”

3. Wilson After WWI (1918-21) End of Progressive Spirit Demobilization
18th / 19th Amend
Demobilization
End govt control = inflation
Cut back production = prices 
Surplus workers = wages 
Union strikes
Recession
Public Hysteria
Red Scare- fear of Communists
Fear of all foreigners
Anti-union
Progressive spirit disappeared as America focused on Treaty and League
Wilson fell ill and couldn’t provide leadership
18th Amend (prohibition) and 19th Amend (women’s suffrage) are last measures w/Prog influence
Demobilization- return to peacetime economy
Govt ended all wartime controls, industries scale back on production, causing rising prices and inflation
Return of 4.5 million military men led to surplus of workers, force women and Afro- amer into unemployment
Workers earnings drop while cost of living rises
million workers strike for higher pay- steelworkers, coal miners, Boston police force
Equate strikes as Communist attempt to take over US
Wave of anticommunist fear swept US- fuels fear and hatred of all foreigners
Attny Gen A Mitchell Palmer leads series of raid to rid US of subversives and radicals
Calms down by 1920, but damage done
A. Mitchell Palmer

4. Post-War Political Developments
Democratic Party Split
Eastern + Urban = Progressive
Southern/Midwestern, + Rural = Conservative
Republican Party
Pro-business, Prohibition
Win Presidential elections!
Women’s Vote
Not much impact, low turnout, vote like hubby’s

5. Return to Normalcy Warren G. Harding Ohio Sen 1920-1923
Economic growth
Social stability
Isolation
Ohio Senator with little understanding of national problems.
Dark-horse candidate hand picked by political bosses after convention couldn’t decide. (6 convention ballots, secret mtg, won on 10th ballot)
Campaigned against Dem James Cox from his front porch…elusive about foreign and domestic policies…
Kept promising a “return to normalcy”, return to simple days before progressive days and international involvement (war)
Ignored Progressive Era dvpts…Policies favored
Less govt- reduced fed spend, restricted use of Pres powers
Pro-business- higher tariffs, lower taxes, laissez-faire regulations
Isolation from world affairs

6. Harding’s Accomplishments
Domestic Legislation
Emergency Quota Act
National Origins Act
Veterans Bureau Act
Fordney-McCumberTariff Act
Foreign Affairs
Reject League
Dawes Plan –
GRM payment of war debts
Washington Naval Conference
Naval disarmament
Chinese independ
Quota Act 1921 severely restricted immigration by set max # on people who could enter the US from each nation
Amended 1924 further limits esp on immigrants from eastern and western Europe
Vet’s Bureau 1921 created single agency to administer vet’s benefits
Fordney McCumber Tariff 1922 provided for high tariffs
Saw election as nation’s spirit to reject Leauge and return to isolation
Signed a separate treaty with Germany
War Debts- Allies tried to get debts cancelled (spend $ for US materials)… US said no…
Brit and France can’t sell enough goods to repay war debts, GRM can’t pay reparations so no money from that well
Almost start another war with GRM to get payment…pass Dawes Plan and Young Plan to schedule payments
Wash Conference- US, GB, FRA, ITL, JPN
Stop building large naval warships for 10 yrs, limit current fleets to ridiculously low numbers (5 per US, GB)
Also agree to support equal trading rights in China, respect independence

7. Harding’s Failures- Scandal
Ohio Gang- pals appt to Cabinet
Vet’s Bureau- Forbes stole govt $
Attorney Gen Daugherty- kickbacks
Teapot Dome
Albert Fall, gets $ and gifts for leasing govt oil reserves…jail
1923 Sudden Death
Ohio Gang- surrounded himself with friends who abused powers
House on M Street- poker, alcohol, prostitutes in DC
Vet’s Bureau- Charles Forbes pockets millions through various shady deals
1925 sentenced to prision
Attny Gen Harry M Daugherty and other Harding patrons invovled in substantial kickbacks following rigged sale govt property
One man commits suicide, one goes to jail, Daugherty saved twice by hung jury
Teapot Dome (Wyoming) and Elk Hills (CA)- Albert Fall, Sec of Interior
Secretly gave private businessmen liberal leases to govt oil reserves…in return, received “loans” and gifts
Leases cancelled, Fall sentenced to jail
1923, Scandals become public…Harding suffered sever illness and died…sudden and oddd, some think his wife may have poisoned him!
VP Calvin Coolidge succeeds him…

8. Staying Cool with Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
Gov Mass, VP
“Business of America is Business”
Deregulation
Stock market spec.
Cut govt spend
No govt aid to farmers
Low taxes
Began as Gov of Massachusetts- won national attn by using Natl Guard to settle Boston police strike
received VP nomination, called up to serve when Harding died
Served remainder of Harding’s term then won (re)election in 1924
3 party race- Rep keep cool with Coolidge, Dem nom lawyer John Davis, 3rd party Progressive’s nominate Robert LaFollette
LaFollette concentrated on issues and won more votes than any previous 3rd party, but still lost by 10 million votes
Cleaned house, prosecuting those involved in scandals, restores respect for Repub Party and national govt
Focused on supporting growth of industry, did not intervene in econimc matters
Prosperous but brought on Depression

9. Cal’s Accomplishments
Domestic Legislation
Immigration Act
Soldier’s Bonus Act
Foreign Affairs
Kellogg-Briand Pact
Outlaw war
Immigration Act – tightened immigration restrictions
Soldier’s Bonus Act- passed over Cal’s veto provided WWI vets with paid-up life insurance policies
when $ doesn’t come to them, march on DC demanding payments
Kellogg Briand- US Sec of State and French Foreign Minister propose plan to settle all disputes peacefully
Most nations, including GRM, JPN, and ITL sign
In 1928, Cal announced he wouldn’t be seeking re-election

10. Election 1928 Republican Democrat Herbert Hoover Sec of Commerce
Businessman
Democrat
Alfred E. Smith
NY Gov
Irish, Catholic!
BOTH: Pro-business, reform immigration laws, protect farmers, maintain isolationism
DIFFERENCE: Hoover “Dry”, Smith “Wet”

11. Hoover Administration 1929-1933
Herbert Hoover
Sec of Commerce
“Rugged Individualism”
Big govt endangered econ progress and personal liberty
High tariffs
Free enterprise
Balanced budget
This philosophy would be his, and America’s, downfall when the Depression hit…

12. Hoover’s Administration
Domestic Legislation
Repeal Prohibition
“Noble Experiment”
Prosecute Capone
National parks
Native Rights (BIA)
Native VP
Lack action onset Depression…
Foreign Affairs
Hoover-Stimpson Doctrine
No territories taken by force
Immigration Act – tightened immigration restrictions
Soldier’s Bonus Act- passed over Cal’s veto provided WWI vets with paid-up life insurance policies
when $ doesn’t come to them, march on DC demanding payments
Kellogg Briand- US Sec of State and French Foreign Minister propose plan to settle all disputes peacefully
Most nations, including GRM, JPN, and ITL sign
In 1928, Cal announced he wouldn’t be seeking re-election

13. Closure
What were the three shared beliefs of the 1920s Republican Presidents?
Economic growth: laissez-faire
Social stability
Isolationism

14. Homework