2. Politics and Prosperity The conclusion of the Roarin’ Twenties

3. A Republican Decade Warren G. Harding, winner of the Election of 1920, called for a return to “normalcy.” “Normalcy” was very appealing to the American people but the 1920’s proved to be anything but normal. WWI was still a very fresh concept in the minds of American’s as was the fall of Russia to the Bolsheviks.

4. The Red Scare During WWI, Russia experienced 2 revolutions. The first with the fall of Czar Nicholas II from this autocracy into the hands of Alexander Kerensky. Kerensky vowed to keep the Russians in the war; however, workers and peasants were weary of war. Thus they fell into more Radical hands- those of Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

5. The Red Scare The Bolsheviks overthrew the Russian Republican government in November, 1917. Civil War breaks out almost immediately because of the establishment of a communist government. The Reds and the Whites would battle for 2 years before the USSR was formed. USSR= Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

6. The Red Scare Lenin made communism the official ideology of Russia. Communism meant: The Government owned all the land and all the property A single political party controlled the government The needs of the country always took priority over the right’s of individuals.

7. The Red Scare Lenin believed the only way communism would survive is if it spread. Lenin would pass away in 1924 and his successor, Joseph Stalin would terrorize the nation. American’s were very alarmed by Lenin’s desire to spread communism especially since American’s did not trust Europeans and with them entering the country in great masses, American fear reached new heights.

8. The Red Scare United States legislators began passing laws to ease the fears of communism in America. Schenck v. U.S.- Charles Schenck was convicted of breaking the Espionage Act during WWI. The Supreme Court upheld the ruling that it is ok to silence 1 st amendment rights when there is a “clear and present danger”

9. The Red Scare Gitlow v. New York- Bernard Gitlow was convicted of “criminal anarchy” after having his freedom of speech and press stomped. The Palmer Raids- In 1919 A. Mitchell Palmer, the Attorney General, was the victim of a bomb that was sent through the mail. Later that year, Palmer set up a special force that would conduct raids and arrest suspected “subversives.”

10. The Red Scare Sacco and Vanzetti

11. Labor Strikes A wave of labor strikes helped fuel The Red Scare. In March 1920, there were about 370 labor strikes nationwide and many felt that the communists ideals were the cause for the labor unrest. The real cause was way more simple than that. They wanted Higher Wages. They wanted to keep the standard of living they had grown accustomed to during WWI.

12. Labor Strikes The Boston Police Strike- The Boston police force had not received a raise since the beginning of WWI. 19 officers were fired for union activity to gain higher wages; so the rest of the force walked off the job. The city of Boston went into complete riot mode. Future President and Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge would make national headlines for his firm response to the strike.

13. Labor Strikes Steel and Coal Strike- Worked an average of 65 hours per week. They were backed by the AFL (American Federation of Labor) when the workers requested an 8 hour workday and 48 hour work week. Most Americans viewed strikes unfavorably saying that they are un-American and often resulted in violence.

14. Republican Leadership The Harding Administration Foreign Policy: Harding favored Isolationism and opposed membership in the League of Nations and wanted worldwide peace and stability. He also called for Disarmament. He would also pass high tariffs on all imports to discourage American buyers from foreign products.

15. Republican Leadership The Harding Administration Domestic Issues: Americans became nativists. Nativism is a movement that favored native-born Americans over immigrants. This occurred for several reasons:  Patriotism, Religion, Urban Conditions, Jobs, and the Red Scare.

16. Republican Leadership The Coolidge Administration Coolidge was the Vice President under Harding. Harding would die in office and Coolidge was sworn into office at 2:30 in the morning by his father who was a justice of the peace. He would finish out Harding’s term in office and win the election in 1924 with the slogan “Keep cool with Coolidge!”

17. Republican Leadership The Coolidge Administration He took a Laissez Faire approach to business in the 1920’s. He felt that the government should leave business alone and watch it grow! Coolidge continued Harding’s approach to international issues signing the Kellogg-Briand Pact. Under this pact 15 nations agreed not to declare war on one another. 60 nations would eventually join the pact but it was unrealistic because it had no provisions for enforcement!

18. Republican Leadership In the Election of 1928, Coolidge opted not to run for a second term. The Republican’s would nominate Herbert Hoover and he would win against Alfred E. Smith of New York. Smith was the first Catholic Candidate to run for the Presidency and he opposed Prohibition. Hoover supported it. This would be the first time in a Presidential Election that women would make a strong impact on voting.

19. Business Boom The 1920’s became a consumer economy – One that depends on consumer spending- for a variety of reasons: Higher Wages Clever Advertising New Products at lower cost Widespread availability of CREDIT!

20. Gross National Product GNP is the total value of goods and services a country produces annually. GNP is a measure of productivity which rose greatly due to new technology such as Henry Ford’s Assembly line.

21. Henry Ford and the Model T

22. Henry Ford To “democratize the automobile” Ford adapted the assembly line. He did not create it only made it more efficient. The workers would stand in place while the automobile moved to them. Each employee specialized in one aspect of car making. Critics of Ford’s factories said that the assembly line strained workers both physically and mentally. Ford insisted that his employee’s enjoyed what they did.

23. Henry Ford With the efficiency of the assembly line, Ford was able to mass produce his Model T and offer it a price that most people could afford. His success came partly because of Vertical consolidation in which he owned the means of production. His empire was built with the profits he made on the Model T

24. Industrial Growth Because of the popularity and affordability of the automobile, many other businesses arose to serve the industry. Garages, Car Dealerships, Gas Stations, Motels, Campgrounds, and Restaurants all owed their success to the automobile. The Housing industry also got a great boost in that people could now commute from the suburbs. Aviation expands, as does movies, radio, and publishing all flourished in the 1920’s.

25. Bypassed by the BOOM Unskilled laborers, African Americans, and Farmers experienced devastation as opposed to prosperity. AA and unskilled laborers kept the same low wages, and unsafe working conditions as before WWI. Many farmers were devastated by low or no profits on top of the debt they had already accrued due to WWI.