2. Postwar 1920's

3. Postwar Trends America was entering a period of difficult transition
Ex) Returning soldiers, cost of living doubled, economy suffered after war
Nativism- prejudice against foreign-born people
Isolationism- policy of pulling away from involvement in world affairs

4. Red Scare
Communism- economic an political system based on a single-party gov. ruled by a dictatorship
Americans feared of a communist revolution like the one in Russia
Communist Party started in US…dozens of bombs mailed to gov. and business leaders
“Red Scare” named after the symbolic red flag

5. Anarchy Anarchist- person who opposes any form of gov.
Palmer Raids- US Attorney General Palmer and J. Edgar Hoover hunted down suspected communists, socialists, and anarchists
Invasive and illegal to civil rights, the Palmer Raids were more of a witch hunt

6. Sacco and Vanzetti Italian immigrants; known anarchists; draft dodgers
May 1920, arrested for robbery and murder of a factory paymaster
Despite lack of evidence the two men were executed
Protests rang out because of the men’s double minority status (Italian/Anarchist)
Case represented America’s fears of the time

7. Immigration Issues
Ku Klux Klan (KKK)- rose again to 4.5 million members after red scare and nativist movement
Quota System (1921)- limited the number of immigrants to come over
European immigrants discriminated against (2% of nationals in US could immigrate)
Japanese immigration prohibited

8. The Birth of a Nation is, "like writing history with lightning
The Birth of a Nation is, "like writing history with lightning. And my only regret is that it is all so terribly true.”
-Woodrow Wilson

9. Labor Unrest
Boston Police Strike- Mass. Gov. Coolidge broke up police strike by hiring all new staff and was hailed as savior
Steel Mill Strike- 300,000 strikers; strikebreakers and troops combated strikers; strikers portrayed as “commys”
Coal Miners Strike- Led by John L. Lewis, negotiated deal to receive a 27% wage increase

10. Warren G. Harding Won 1920 presidential election as a Republican
Strong anti-war advocate
Charles Evans Hughes- Sec. of State urged countries to scrap their naval ships in avoidance of future conflicts
Fordney-McCumber Tariff- Raised tax on US imports to 60%, hindering France and Britain from paying off war debt

11. Harding Presidency Presidency shrouded in graft and corruption
Ohio Gang- Harding’s cabinet members who included his “poker playing cronies”
Teapot Dome Scandal- Oil rich lands set for Navy that were transferred to Interior Dept. then to private oil companies
More than $400,000 received illegally
VP Coolidge took over for what became to be known as the worst presidencies ever in 1924

12. American Business Flourishes
Coolidge favored lowered taxes to give Americans more money in their pocket
Ford started producing the Model A in 1927
Automobiles became backbone of American industry in 1920’s and this lasted until 1970’s

13. Impact of Automobile
Increased production and consumption of automobiles led to increase in road creations
Route 66- Legendary road from Chicago to Los Angeles
Finished in 1926; almost 2,500 miles long
Urban sprawl- Increase in urbanization and suburbanization based on automobile

14. Standard of Living Average annual income raised 35% ($522-$705/year)
Electricity contributed to this by making it easier for factories to run machines and for homes to utilize it
Advertising was used widespread to influence consumers
Psychologists were hired to find people’s desires for youthfulness, wealth, health, and beauty

21. Superficial Prosperity
Americans believed that this financial prosperity would never end
More big business mergers happened; major department stores like Woolworth emerged
Installment Plan- enabled people to buy goods over an extended period of time… “Enjoy while you pay”
Purchasing goods on credit led would later come back to haunt Americans