WARM UPWARM UP

• Using your key terms and knowledge of the 1920s…

• List 5 ways that American’s showed their Nativist feelings during the 1920s.

• How do you think these influenced the politics of the 1920s?

1920S POLITICS1920S POLITICSMr. Goddard | PLUSH | February 2009Mr. Goddard | PLUSH | February 2009

1920S – THREE PRESIDENTS 1920S – THREE PRESIDENTS

• All Republican – Why?

CONSERVATIVE PRESIDENTS 1920 -1932CONSERVATIVE PRESIDENTS 1920 -1932

• People wanted return to normalcy • Protected BUISNESS and economy GREW• Government shouldn’t control economy: ANTI-

WILSON• Government limited role in Foreign Affairs: ANTI-

WILSON• Government shouldn’t act to protect individuals

THE HARDING PRESIDENCYTHE HARDING PRESIDENCY

• Warren G. Harding’s Foreign Policy

• Kellogg-Briand Pact which renounced war as a means of national policy (signed by 15 nations, but difficult to enforce)

• Dawes Plan which solved the problem of post-war debt by providing loans to Germany to pay France/Britain who then paid the U.S.

Harding 1920-1924

THE DAWES PLANTHE DAWES PLAN

• Big Issue – How to get money that the Allies owed the United States after WWI.

• Financial Merry Go – Round• U.S. Loans Germany money

since no one else would.• Germany keeps a little $ to re-

build but give most Allies as Reparations

• U.S. gives $2.5 B and gets $2.6 Billion back.

HARDING AND BUSINESSHARDING AND BUSINESS

• PRO-Business• Repealed wartime taxes on

corporate profits and reduced taxes for wealthy

• Approved High tariffs• Open Door Policy to China to

protect trade

SCANDAL HITS HARDINGSCANDAL HITS HARDING• Filled cabinet with

buddies – OHIO GANG• The president’s main

problem was that he didn’t understand many of the issues

• Several of Harding’s appointee’s were caught illegally selling government supplies to private companies

TEAPOT DOME SCANDALTEAPOT DOME SCANDAL• The worst case of corruption

was the Teapot Dome Scandal• The government set aside oil-

rich public land in Teapot, WY• Secretary of Interior Albert

Fall secretly leased the land to two oil companies

• Fall received $400,000 from the oil companies and a felony conviction from the courts

THE BUSINESS OF AMERICATHE BUSINESS OF AMERICA

• Harding Died• Where did Coolidge come

from?• The new president, Calvin

Coolidge, fit the pro-business spirit of the 1920s very well

• His famous quote: “The chief business of the American people is business . . .the man who builds a factory builds a temple – the man who works there worships there”President Calvin Coolidge 1924-1928

WHAT COOLIDGE WAS ABOUTWHAT COOLIDGE WAS ABOUT

• Cleaned up scandals• Elected again in 1924• Big Stick Latin America• No help for farmers• Allowed business mergers• Corporate profits grew

but farmers and some industries suffered

• Did not run for re-election

President Calvin Coolidge 1924-1928

KEY POINTS TO THINK ABOUT…KEY POINTS TO THINK ABOUT…

• The 1920s was about Republican governments helping business. It was a decade of dramatic expansion in business, finance, and trade for the United States

• Foreign Policy was different than before. We wanted to get paid and not have another war. We occasionally used the “BIG STICK” in Latin America.

• American farmers, as a rule, did not share in the prosperity of the 1920s.– A vicious cycle of overproduction to meet demands continually

lowered market prices of produce, forcing many farmers into the poorhouse

NOW ORGANIZE THE INFORMATIONNOW ORGANIZE THE INFORMATIONCategory Wilson Harding Coolidge

Party: Democrat

Domestic: Tried to keep us out of the warMobilize America

Economy: Government control for WWI Production

Labor/Business: Tax Businesses and Rich

Foreign Policy: World ViewLeague of Nation

Government Protection for People:

Progressive – rights for women and whitesWartime Espionage Acts

Other Points: