Chapter 22.1

Return to Normalcy

The 1920’s were a time of conflict, confusion,

excitement, and experimentation.

1. Explain this statement. Give examples.

2. Can this statement apply to the 2000’s?

Revolution in Europe• Revolts lead to upheaval in

Europe!• Russia = Revolution!

– Czar Nicholas toppled– Kerensky gov’t falls– Lenin is in charge

• America’s response– Sends troops to “stabilize”

government– Sends troops to stop spread of

Communism• Results:

– Russia doesn’t like the U.S.– The U.S. is scared of

Communism

Labor Strife• During war = labor peace• After, workers want more

benefits and wages…which leads to strikes

• Boston – NO COPS!– Coolidge calls in the National

Guard• U.S. Steel – 18 workers killed• Coal Strike – broken by the

courts– Wilson calls it “unjustifiable

and unlawful”• Unions are less popular and

weakened

Racial Riots• After war, anti-black

feelings increased!• Racial tensions begin to

rise, especially in the big cities– Fights over employment

• Lynchings rise in the South• Red Summer – 25 riots in

the summer of 1919– Worst in Chicago

• Atty. General Mitchell Palmer – It’s the Commies!

Bomb Scares• Domestic terrorism –

bombs go off around the country– Seattle – bomb mailed to

the mayor– Georgia – Senator’s maid

loses her hands– One explodes on Wall

Street– 36 found in all!– More sent a month later…

• Atty General Palmer – It’s the Commies!

Reaction• Atty. General Palmer – convinced it’s the work of

Communist revolutionaries• Palmer declares that there are “Reds” all over the

country…and they must be caught and thrown out!• Raids – on anarchists and Communist meetings,

many are deported from the country• Criticism – Who hurt America more?• Impact – Americans fear anyone that’s different– Immigrants, blacks, Jews, Catholics, reformers,

foreigners

Fear of Foreigners• Americans fear foreigners in

this country• That’s ironic…• Immigration Restriction

League– Immigrants must read– None from Eastern Europe!

• National Origins Act – set up quotas for immigrants allowed in– Based on who was here– No Asians!– Exempt: Canadians and

Mexicans

Re-Emergence of the Klan• They capitalize on these

new fears to increase membership

• Use violence and terror against newcomers as well as African Americans

• Wanted to intimidate anyone who was not a WASP

• Membership greatest in the South and West

Sacco and Vanzetti• Facts of the case.• Is there evidence?• What happens?• In context: Should

you be executed for your political beliefs in this country?

• The ultimate question – are they martyrs for democracy?

Disillusioned Writers• Some of America’s most

talented writers didn’t like what they saw

• H.L. Mencken – refers to Americans as “Booboisie”

• T.S. Eliot– describes postwar America as “The Wasteland”

• Sinclair Lewis, F. Scott Fitgerald, Ernest Hemingway

• Make their postwar criticisms clear in writing

Prohibition• Temperance movement – discourage intoxicating

liquors. Why?• World War I – Prohibition becomes a nat’l concern– Conserve grain– Boycott German breweries– Insure sober, clear-headed workforce

• War–time Congress – passes Prohibition– Ratified by ¾ of the states– Becomes 19th Amendment in 1919

• Many Americans had no intention of “going dry” • What was the effect?

SuffrageTell me about it.

Chapter 22.2The Good Old Days

Overview • After WWI, there was a

yearning for “the good old days”…

• Mood – turn within, take care of ourselves…

• And Americans did just that when they elected…

• Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge

• Quote p. 583

Harding’s Background• Was originally a newspaper

publisher• Entered and became

powerful in OH state politics• Elected as U.S. Senator from

Ohio for one term• Nominated for President…as

a compromise– Little training– But was friendly, likeable,

looked like a President, and had few enemies

The Harding “Dream Team”• He puts “the best minds”

to work for him in his Cabinet…

• Charles Evans Hughes = Sec. of State

• Herbert Hoover = Sec. of Commerce

• Andrew Mellon = Sec. of Treasury

• Henry Wallace = Sec. of Agriculture

• And he put some of his inexperienced buddies in office, too…

• Albert Fall = Sec. of the Interior

• Harry Daugherty = Atty. General

• They used their offices to help themselves

• They were known as…• The Ohio Gang

Foreign Affairs• Not a diplomat – out of

comfort zone• Wanted nothing to do with

the League of Nations• Stay out of international

entanglements• Wouldn’t even sign the

Versailles Treaty…• The U.S. had its own peace

treaty with Germany• Quote p. 584

Maritime Treaties• Harding was the first

President to have a disarmament conference

• Called for great maritime powers to stop building up their navies

• Five Power Treaty – no more forts or bases in the Pacific

• Nine Power Treaty – China remains open to all; no land or special privileges there

• Four Power Treaty – respect each other’s possessions; conflicts settled by conference

Domestic Agenda – Part II• 2. To protect businesses

from competition abroad, he raised tariffs

• Fordney-McCumber Act – tariffs against European goods

• Europeans angry – they needed $$$ to buy the goods that we ship

• They hit the U.S with tariffs• And it’s a TRADE DISASTER

Domestic Agenda – Part I• Post WWI = economic

downturn• Solutions= higher tariffs,

lower taxes, less spending• 1. Plan Federal Spending– asked Congress to check

money demands of each department

– Single budget for Congress review (and people to see!)

– Gets Congress to pass the Bureau of Budget and the General Accounting Office

Bonus Bill• Returning WWI vets get

benefits– $60.00– Hospital care for wounded

• They want a bigger bonus for protecting the nation

• Harding: It’s you’re patriotic duty to protect this nation

• He vetoes the bill• Sorry, guys…

War Debts• WWI Allies owe the U.S.

$9 million• Allies: It should be

cancelled because it was used to protect the U.S.

• Harding: Absolutely not.• They were paid in

installments• Here’s the madness• Fact: The money is never

fully paid back…

Germany

U.S. Europe

Scandals!• Colonel Charles Forbes

– Head the Veterans Bureau…and loses $250 million

• Jesse Smith– Sells his influence in the Justice

Department• Thomas Miller

– Oversaw property taken from Germany after the War…and sells it for profit

• Albert Fall– Teapot Dome Scandal– U.S. sets aside oil fields as

reserves– He leases two for personal

profit (“loans” and “gifts”)

Chapter 22.3Keeping Cool With Coolidge

Assuming the Presidency• Coolidge at his father’s

home in VT when he hears of Harding’s death

• His dad, a justice of the peace, administers the oath by kerosene lamp

• Coolidge = not a DC “insider”

• Spent most of his time in MA and VT.

Coolidge – What a Guy…• Quiet, serious, few expressions

of emotion • Not really into extensive

publicity, disliked having to appear in public

• Rumor: He had also died• Response: How would you

know?• “The business of the American

people is business”– Republican ideal (all the way from

Jefferson)– Gov’t is best that governs least

• And he restores integrity to the Presidency

Election of 1924• Americans liked the idea of less

government (rations in WWI)• Republicans: keep him on the

ballot• Note: Bob La Follette (WI) – tried

to be a spoiler– Angry about farmers– Broke from Republicans– Ran as a New Progressive

• Democrats divided– Conservatives: rural voters (South

and West)– Progressive: NE and G. Lakes– Deadlock at convention

• Compromise = John W. Davis– Appeals to nobody

Women Vote!!!• Americans stay with the

status quo• Only 35% of women vote• Why?• Discouraged by family• Couldn’t get out (# kids)• Didn’t think they should• Some success…– 2 governorships– Jeanette Rankin (MT) = first

Representative in House

Ideals• Gov’t = stay out as much as

possible– “If it disappears, you shouldn’t

know it for a while”• Free enterprise – freedom of

business from gov’t rules• Regulatory agencies (FTC,

FRB) – run by pro-business appointees

• Supreme Court – backed his ideals (pro-business)– Allows monopolies (USX)– Allows price setting by

conglomerates

Farm Problems• Everyone was better off…

except the farmers• Farm prices dropped

– Producing more for less money

– Famers demand help• Congress – tried to use U.S.

funds to buy surplus– Keep prices up– See surplus to Europe

• Coolidge – vetoes bill every time

• Why?

Election of 1928• Coolidge – chooses not to

run for reelection• Republicans - choose

Herbert Hoover• Democrats – choose Alfred

E. Smith– Problem: He’s a Catholic– The Pope will rule the U.S.!

• America was still prosperous…

• And Americans stayed with the Republican ticket

Chapter 22.4The Jazz Age

The Roaring Twenties• Time of radical social

transformation• Industry – pumping out

products• Ideas – questioning the

ideas and ways from before• Arts – Loosening of

standards, blossoming of creativity

• Daily Life – new ways to spend your time

• Welcome to the Roaring Twenties!

Automobiles• They began to mass

produced• Normal to see them, paved

roads for them…• And Americans could

AFFORD them!• Impact – Americans could

now live, work, and play at greater distances

• Wow – first shopping center built in Kansas City in 1922

• http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?video_id=S4KrIMZpwCY

Movies• Nickelodeons – for a nickle, you

watched moving pictures for a few minutes

• Now, movies are all the rage!• Pop. = 125 million• Tickets sold per week = 100 million• Talkies – movies without sound• Stars = Greta Garbo , Lillian Gish,

Charlie Chaplin• Major way to spend your new free

time!

Radio• Before the 1920’s – few

Americans owned radio’s– Handmade, – Used for 2-way communication

• Frank Conrad – engineer for Westinghouse, sends music and baseball scores over the radio

• Leads to regular broadcasts – Americans buy in record numbers

• NBC – creates the first network by joining stations together

Jazz Music• Started as ragtime and

blues (from NOLA and Memphis)

• Improvised, syncopation – sign of the times

• Hugely popular in the 1920’s

• Radio’s spread its popularity

• Some people against it• Harlem, NY – center of

jazz, with mixed jazz clubs

Let’s Listen to Some Jazz…

Health and Education• The nation, as a whole, was

healthier and living longer – let’s celebrate!

• Diseases were coming under control– Measles– Tetanus– Diptheria

• More people were educated– Free through high school– Movement to the cities =

better literacy

What a Crazy Time…• Flappers – new type of

women• Bootleggers and speakeasies• New social acceptance of

women– Working– Smoking– Drinking

• Jazz Music• Jazz Spirit – in other art forms• National Heroes• Sporting Events = big business

Advertising

• To sell more products, you need to ADVERTISE!

• Spending triples – from $1 billion to $3 billion

• Buying on credit – buy now and pay later in installments!

• Hoover – was reelected because people thought the good times would continue

• Early problem = factories produced too many goods to buy

Industrialization• Goods were mass produced –

lots to buy• Electricity – new type of

energy contributed to production

• Efficiency – employers invested time to prevent waste (– Frederick W. Taylor = “scientific

management”)– Conveyer belt– Assembly line– Henry Ford – used these ideas to

make cars more affordable– 14 hours to 93 minutes