Politics of the Roaring Twenties

Americans Struggle with Post War Issues

Post War Trends: Nativism- prejudice against foreign-born

people Isolationism- policy of pulling away from

involvement in world affairsFear of Communism Communism- economic and political

system based on a single-party government ruled by a dictatorship

Post War Trends The Palmer

Raids: August 1919 Attorney General Alexander Palmer and they hunted down suspected Communist, socialists, and anarchists (people who opposed any form of government).

Post War Trends

Sacco and Vanzetti: Arrested and charged with robbery and murder of factory pay master. The only witness said he saw two Italians. The judge made prejudicial remarks and the jury found them guilty and sentenced them to death although they had alibis and the evidence was circumstantial.

Limiting Immigration “Keep America for

Americans” The Klan Rises Again: 100%

Americans and liked no one else. 1924 the Klan had 4.5 Million members. Klan dominated state Politics but decreased in power by 1930

The Quota System- B/t 1919-1921 the number of immigrants had grown 600%. The Emergency Quota Act

of 1921: System established a maximum number of people who could enter the US (max number 150,000 per year)

A Time of Labor Unrest

Labor and Management Conflict During war AFL (American Federation of

Labor) pledged to avoid strikes 1919 more than 3,000 strikes (4 million

workers walked off)

The Boston Police Strike The Boston Police strike: No

raise since WWI, Not allowed to Unionize, Asked for a raise and were fired! Calvin Coolidge Mass governor called the National Guard and many people thanked him for saving Boston. Coolidge then became VP to Warren G Harding in the 1920 election.

The Police were not allowed to return to their jobs

The Steel Mill Strike Workers wanted shorter working hours,

better wages, the right to unionize, and collective bargaining rights.

September 29th 1919- Steel Corporation refused to meet with Union reps and 300,000 workers walked off the job.

Hired strike breakers but ended in a deadlock and Wilson made a written plea to negotiators.

Strike ended 1920 and steel companies agreed to an 8 hour work day but workers remained without a union.

The Coal Miners Strike John L Lewis- leader of United

Mine Workers (UMW) proposed higher wages and shorter work days and went on strike

Wilson appointed an judge to put an end to the dispute and the coal miners received a 27% increase in wages but not a shorter workday.

John L Lewis became a national hero!

Labor Movement Loses Appeal 1920’s hurt the labor movement badly Union membership declined by 1.5 million

members Immigrants willing to work in harsh conditions Language barriers with in Unions and

organization Farmers used to relying on themselves when

moved to work in the factory in the city Most Unions excluded African Americans

Section 2: The Harding Presidency

Warren G Harding was described as a good-natured man who “looked like a president ought to look”. 1920-23

Harding struggles for Peace: Problems surfaced

relating to arms control, war debts, and the reconstruction of war torn countries

Washington Naval Conference Charles Evans Hughes: Sectary of State

urged that no more warships be built for 10 years.

Russia was left out of conference because of Communist Government

The five major Naval Powers (Italy, United States, France, Great Britain, and Japan) scrap many of their largest warships

Kellogg Briand pact- pact renouncing war as a national policy 15 countries signed but it was futile and

provided no means of enforcement

High Tariffs and Reparations France and Britain owed US 10 Billion

dollars 1922- Fordney-McCumber Tariff-

raised taxes on imports to 60% (highest ever)

France turned to Germany to give them money and when that failed Charles Dawes sent out negotiation loans to avoid world conflicts

Scandal Hits Harding’s Administration

Hardings OHIO GANG (Poker-playing buddies) were in the cabinet

Harding did not understand many of the issues and his administration and friends were corrupt. Charles R Forbes (head of Veterans

Bureau was caught illegally selling government and hospital supplies to private companies

Colonel Thomas W Miller (head of Office of Alien Property) was caught taking a bribe

THE TEAPOT DOME SCANDAL “teapot dome” refers to an oil rich field with a

mound shaped like a teapot”

THE TEAPOT DOME SCANDAL: Oil-rich lands set aside for the US Navy in Wyoming. Albert B Fall (Secretary of Interior) secretly leased the land to private oil companies and received more that 400,000$.

Shortly after Harding died of a Heart Attack or stroke Aug 2nd 1923!

The Public lost respect for the Republican Party and the Presidency

Section 3: The Business of America

American Industries Flourish:Calvin Coolidge (new president) favored low taxes and high business profit in the US

Coolidge often placed high tariffs on foreign imports to keep to help American Manufacturers.

The Automobile

The automobile changed American landscape through paved roads (Route 66) and development of tunnels

Urban Sprawl- spreading of cities Automobile Industry- provided jobs

The Young Airplane Industry

Airplanes were first used as a mail carrying service

Transatlantic flights by Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart helped promote cargo and commercial airlines

Standard of Living Increases

Income rose 37% from 1920-29 Electric households including light,

refrigerator, toasters, ranges, vacuum, washer, sewing machine, etc

Advertising boomed- used psychology to study what appealed to people’s desires

Superficial Prosperity THE GROWING ECONOMY Producing great quantities of goods which

drove prices down. BUYING ON CREDIT- installment plan-

buying goods over an extended period of time while paying a low interest rate “You furnish the Girl, we’ll furnish the

home” DO YOU SEE A PROBLEM WITH THIS???