1. Chapter 12 Section 2 Notes The 1920 Election Wilson didn’t run again
Wouldn’t have gotten elected anyway.
Why?
Even though we won, blamed for WWI
Deaths and Injuries
Economic Problems after war
High unemployment, High prices on products
Economy needed time to shift to peacetime products
Fear (communism) and Strikes around the country

2. 1920 Candidates

3. 1920 Election Results Harding Wins
Campaign Promise – Return the U.S. to “normalcy”
WHY? See 1st Slide

4. Harding’s foreign policy goal
Keep Peace around the World after WWI
HOW?

5. Washington Naval Conference
5 major naval powers (U.S., England, France, Italy, Japan)
U.S. represented by Sec. of State Charles Evans Hughes
Agreed to
not build any new war ships for 10 years
Get rid of some existing ships (1st disarmament ever!)
Didn’t include enough countries
Russia, Germany (no navy… but still)

6. Kellogg-Briand Pact Signed by 15 major countries.
Said they would never go to war
Sounded good… but no way to enforce it
Didn’t last very long

8. Europe after WWI England & France owe U.S. $$$ 2 possibilities
How will they pay it back?
2 possibilities
1. Sell stuff to us.
Fordney-McCumber tariff
60% tax on imports
Done to help out U.S.
businesses and farms
*** SEE CARTOON for explanation
Makes #1 hard to do.
2. Collect war $$$ they are owed
Germany is broke and destroyed
No way to pay it back
France & England close to starting
another war with Germany
#2 can’t happen either

9. Dawes Plan Done to avoid war So, Germany owes U.S. $$$ instead
Am. Banks lend $$$ to Germany
Germany pays England & France
England & France pays us back
So, Germany owes U.S. $$$
instead
Does U.S. ever get it all back?
YES…
IN OCTOBER OF 2010!!!
92 years after war ended

10. Harding’s advisors Some were good Most were bad Hughes – Sec. of State
later became Sup. Ct. Judge
Hoover – Sec. of Commerce
later became Pres.
Mellon – Sec. of Treasury
reduced national debt
Most were bad
Ohio gang
Group of Harding’s friends
Not qualified
appointed them anyway
Called patronage
Used their positions to become wealthy (graft)
Some caught, others just suspected

11. Biggest of many scandals
Teapot Dome Scandal
Biggest of many scandals
U.S. govt. protected some land in
the Western U.S. that had oil.
Albert Fall (Sec. of Interior)
Decided since it wasn’t being used,
he’d lease the land to private oil
companies and get paid.
The land wasn’t his… it was
owned by the U.S. Govt.
convicted of felony bribery
1st Cabinet member ever
to go to jail.

12. Harding Dies 2 and a half years into his presidency
Country begins to return to normal… scandals didn’t help
Exhaustion, Heart attack, suicide, or murder?
Nobody knows for sure
May have been prosecuted for
involvement in Teapot Dome
if it didn’t happen
Clip on website