Goal 9 Part 1

Postwar Trends

Communism

Biggest threat after WWI

Communism: the economic

system in which economics /

politics are based on a single-party government, ruled by a dictatorship

Example: Soviet Union after WWI (Lenin)

* Communism = government ownerships of businesses and personal lives of citizens (extreme version of socialism)

The Red Scare

Panic in the U.S. beginning in 1919

(after WWI) Communists formed a political party in

America! (70,000 / some from IWW - socialist)

Bombs were mailed to businesses American Hero: A. Mitchell Palmer

– would try to combat the Communists!

The Palmer Raids1919-1921

Purpose: To hunt down suspected Communists, socialists, anarchists and labor union leaders

Attacked people’s Civil Rights Jailed suspects without allowing them legal

counsel and some immigrants were deported without trials (6th amendment)

Outcome: no evidence! (some thought Palmer had a political agenda)

Shipping off “suspected” communist

Sacco and Vanzetti

NATIVISM- Two of the most famous victims of nativism were Sacco and Vanzetti (Italian immigrants; both evaded the draft in WWI)

Story: Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested and charged with robbery and murder of a factory managerWitnesses: “They LOOKED Italian”

Nativism caused the judge and the jury to find them guilty (VERY SHADY) and sentenced them to death!

Sentence: Death by electric chair…both died on August 23, 1927Main result: PROTESTS and OUTRAGE!

Limiting Immigration “Keep America for Americans” Limits occurred because America had fewer unskilled labor jobs!Before 1890 – open arms…After 1890 - closed arms** Emergency Quota Act (1921)**1919-1921 – Congress limited immigration from Southern and

Eastern Europe (NEW IMMIGRANTS)Sets up a “QUOTA SYSTEM”

established the maximum number of people who could enter the U.S.

Main goal: cut immigration from Europe!Main result: discrimination against other countries!*LATER ENDED BY THE IMMIGRATION ACT of 1965 (LB

Johnson)NATIONAL ORIGINS ACT (1924) (same as above / but eliminated

ALL Asian immigrants

The KKK rise again!

How??? 2 Excuses

(1) Red Scare (2)Nativism Claimed the KKK were “100% American” Main goals: a return to white, native-born

supremacy (American supremacy) Main enemy in 1920s: immigrants Main enemy in Reconstruction: African

Americans

NEW PRESIDENT

Warren G. Harding (1920-1923) Republican

Ohio Senator (corruption) How did he win?***** “RETURN TO NORMALCY” *****In order to do that: put down the guns / get back to

ISOLATIONISM / NEUTRALITY(Washington Naval Conference and the Kellogg-Briand Pact)

Boston Police Strike

Started during WWI Denied the right to unionize

Clayton Anti-Trust Act

Massachusetts Governor = Calvin Coolidge (later to become president) sends in National Guard

Strike ended – new policemen were hiredCoolidge saves Boston from anarchyCoolidge becomes Harding’s Vice President

Harding has a “HARD” time (struggling for peace after WWI)*Washington Naval Conference*

- put together by Harding, but Charles Evans Hughes: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court suggested:(1) no more war ships be built for the next 10 years!(2) 5 major naval powers of the world – U.S.,

Britain, France, Japan, and Italy should “DISARM”

Result: it worked – first time in history

Kellogg – Briand Pact (1928) Result of the Washington Naval Conference Purpose of Kellogg – Briand Pact:

15 countries sign this pact or “promise” to denounce war as national policy / international support!

MAIN PROBLEM: If you use war as national policy…. NO MEANS OF ENFORCEMENT

High Tariffs and Reparations

After WWI – Britain and France had a debt to America ($10 billion)

Two ways to repay it:(1) Sell goods to the U.S.(2) Collect reparations from Germany

So, American passed the

Fordney - McCumber Tariff (1922) – raised taxes on imports by 60%.

* This made it almost impossible for Fr and Br to repay by selling goods – so they HAD to collect reparation from Germany (American plot to humiliate Germany???)

Germany’s reaction

Germany failed to repay the money (suffered from terrible inflation) French reaction: troops marched in! American reaction: American banker Charles G. Dawes was sent to negotiate!*** Dawes Plan ***

- U.S. will loan Germany $2.5 billion to pay France and Britain…so France and Britain can pay us

*We are getting paid with our own money!

OVERALL GOAL OF U.S. – AVOID WAR!Note: DO NOT get Dawes Plan and Dawes Act mixed up!

*France and Britain are upset with the U.S.U.S. escaped paying for war debts / Europeans lost their lives

Scandal Hits Harding’s Administration Harding’s Cabinet:

Known as the “Ohio Gang”, the President’s poker-playing “buddies”

Harding’s Cabinet = CORRUPTION!!!!! GRAFT: the illegal use of political influence for personal

gain

**** TEAPOT DOME SCANDAL ****

Teapot Dome Scandal

President: Warren G. HardingStory: The federal government set aside oil-rich

land in Teapot Dome, Wyoming for “NAVAL PURPOSES”Problem: Albert B. Fall became greedy!

(secretly leased the land to oil executives and got caught, tried and was found guilty)

*First Cabinet member to be convicted of a felony while holding office

Teapot Dome Scandal

Warren G. Harding’s Death

“I have no trouble with my enemies…but my friends, they are the ones that keep me walking the floors at night!”

1923..died of a heart attack or stroke Vice President Calvin Coolidge took over… (Boston Police Strike) Main agenda: hopefully to get the Republican

party past the scandal!

Assignment

(A) List 10 significant events from these slides and show their impact on Postwar American culture

Event Impact