Chapter 23 “ Politics of the 1920 - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Chapter 23

“

Politics of the 1920

”

Slide2

3 trends common to America in 1920’s

Renewed

isolationism

: U.S. began to pull away from involvement in foreign affairs. EX. Wouldn

’

t join League of Nations

Resurgence of

Nativism

: suspicion of foreign-born people

Political

conservativism

: return to laissez-faire philosophy. Opposite of active gov

’

t during Progressive Era

Slide3

Postwar Problems in Am. 1919-1923

Red Scare: 1919-1920. An intense fear of communism. Fear that

“

reds

”

or communists would take over America

WHY did we have a Red Scare?

Slide4

RED SCARE

Bolshevik RevolutionLed by Vladimir LeninSeized power from Czar NicholasEstablished communism in Russia

Slide5

The Communist Manifesto

Karl MarxClass struggle between “haves and have nots”Struggle between the owners and workersWorkers would seize power and overthrow the CapitalistsCommunist party would control govt, land , property

Then only one politcal party

Individuals would have no rights

Govt. would even out society (no rich or poor)

Only 70,000 members of Communist Party in U.S. (1/10 of 1%)

Slide6

What is a “manifesto”?

Slide7

What Fueled the Red Scare?

A. Mitchell Palmer

Demagogue

Spread fear that

“

reds

”

were going to take over America.

What evidence did he have to convince people?

Slide8

1919 Strikes in America

3,000 strikes

4 million workers

High costs, low wages

Many believed communists were behind numerous strikes

Slide9

Three Famous Strikes

Boston Police Strike

1919: no raise since 1914. $21.00 week. 75% of police force on strike. Gov. Coolidge called off the strike. Replaced all workers.

Steel Strike

1919: 350,000 walked off job. Wanted shorter hours/higher wages. Company hired scabs. 18 killed. 100

’

s injured

Coal Strike

1919: low wages/long hours. Ordered to return to work. Did get a raise.

Slide10

FBI created

J.Edgar Hoover appointed to head FBI

Hunt down suspected communists, socialists, anarchists

Conducted

“

Palmer Raids

”

to rid Am. Of radicals

Nov 1919-Jan.1920 6000 arrests; 500 deported

Slide11

Palmer Raids

Emma Goldman

Anarchist, political activist, well known for her writings/speeches

Came to Am. 1885

Deported back to Russia

Slide12

Red Scare

Palmer Raids failed to turn up any evidence to support a communist conspiracy in Am.

Died out after May 1, 1920 --Why??

Palmer predicted a national strike to occur on that day, signaling a communist plot to overthrow the government.

What happened??

Slide13

Effects of Red Scare

Xenophobia

Nativism

Two most famous victims of the Red Scare:

Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti

Italian immigrants, anarchists, draft dodgers, poor (represented everything Ams. Hated)

Slide14

Sacco and Vanzetti

Braintree, Mass. 1920

2 men shot, killed

$15,000 payroll stolen

Arrested Sacco and Vanzetti 3 weeks later

Had alibis; circumstantial evidence

Found guilty; sentenced to death

Slide15

Slide16

Rising Racial Tensions

1910-1930 Black population more than doubled in the north (Great Migration)

Job competition following WWI.

Led to renewal of KKK

1924--4.5 million members

Devoted to 100% Americanism

Slide17

KKK March on Washington, D.C.

Slide18

Racial Problems

Race riots common in Am. Cities in 1919

No longer limited to the south

25 cities had riots

Chicago Race Riot-6 days, 15 whites and 23 blacks killed, 500 injured

Gov

’

t. did nothing to stop activities of hate groups like KKK

70 reported lynchings in 1920

Slide19

Lynching Photo

Slide20

President Warren G. Harding

Slide21

Election of 1920

Republicans had the advantage. Why?

Warren G. Harding: Senator Ohio, Rep.

VP Running mate: Calvin Coolidge, Gov. Mass. Remember him?

Ran against James Cox, Gov. Ohio, Demo. And Eugene Debs, Socialist, in prison

Harding

’

s campaign slogan

“

Return to Normalcy

”

Slide22

Election of 1920

Slide23

Women Vote in first national election

Slide24

Harding’s Cabinet

Appointed some wise, able men

Andrew Mellon (Sect. of Treasury)

Herbert Hoover (Sect. of Commerce)

Charles Evans Hughes (Sect. of State)

Some positions filled by incompetent, dishonest men from Ohio.

What was their nickname??

Slide25

Harding’s Presidential Highlights

Isolationism: foreign policy reflected our desire to avoid political and economic alliances with foreign countries.

Disarmament: give up our weapons and get other countries to do the same.

Washington Naval Conference

: got 5 nations to scrap many battleships

Kellogg-Briand Pact

: 64 nations agreed to outlaw war

Slide26

Harding’s Highlights

Fordney-McCumber Tariff: raised tax on import to highest level ever (60%). Designed to protect Am. Businesses. Many European countries could not pay back war debts to U.S.

Slide27

Harding’s Highlights

Limiting Immigration: Nativism growing in Am. (strikes, Red Scare, job competition)

1919-1920: 1 million immigrants came to Am.

1905-1907: peak years of immigration. 11,000 a day entering through Ellis Island

1920

’

s called for strict new immigration laws

Slide28

Immigration Laws 1920’s

Emergency Quota Act: yearly immigration set at 350,000 year and quotas set on immigrants from each country

National Origins Act: 150,000 per year. No Asians, strongly discriminated against Southern and Eastern Europeans. Why?

Quotas remained in place until 1960

’

s

Slide29

Scandals under Harding

1923 country began to bounce back from recession. Economy growing.

Multiple scandals broke out in 1923 involving bribery, fraud, stolen govt. funds.

Harding died in office Aug. 2 while vacationing in Alaska; some suspected suicide

Was Harding involved in the scandals??

Slide30

Scandals

Veteran Affairs Scandal: V.A. hospitals overcharged govt. 250 million.

Att. Gen. Harry Daugherty used his position to protect men who violated prohibition

Teapot Dome Scandal: U.S. naval oil reserves in Wyoming and California leased to private oil companies by Sect. of Interior. Received $325,000

Slide31

Slide32

American Prosperity of 1920’s

Calvin Coolidge becomes the new president following Harding

’

s death on Aug. 2, 1923.

Coolidge ran in Election of 1924 and won by a landslide.

“

Keep Cool with Coolidge

”

-- campaign slogan

Very conservative:

“

gov

’

t. works best when it governs the least

”

Slide33

Slide34

Prosperity of the 1920’s

Number of millionaires in Am. Rose from 4,500 in 1914 to 11,000 in 1926.

Low interest rates for borrowing money

Construction booming

Electricity reaching more Americans

New inventions (technology boom)

Consumer goods replacing capital goods

Slide35

Prosperity of 1920’s

Consumer Goods:

Electric

refrigerator washing machine

Electric

range electric irons

Toaster sliced bread

Vacuum

Cleaner canned/frozen food

Air

conditioner deodorant

Radio phonograph

Slide36

Reasons for Prosperity

Emphasis on materialism:

Rise in standard of living (indoor plumbing, central heat)

Installment plan -- buying on credit. Allowed people to live beyond their means

40% of U.S. families had incomes under $1500 a year (poverty range)

Advertising and marketing

Slide37

Chief reason for prosperity:

The automobile (nation

’

s biggest industry by the end of 1920

’

s)

Landscape, roads, driveways, garages, steel, rubber, glass, gas stations

Liberated rural families

Mass production (assembly line so good, by 1925, made 9,000 cars a day)

Slide38

Impact of the Automobile

1922- 2million autos

1929-5 million autos

1910- $750.00

1914- $490.00

1915- $390.00

19290 Avg. 1 car per every family

Slide39

Clash of Cultures

Old Culture:Emphasized productionCharacterScarcityReligionIdealized the pastLocal culturesubstance

New Culture

:

Emphasized consumption

Personality

Abundance

Science

Looked to the future

Mass culture

image

Slide40

Clash of values

Scopes Monkey Trial (evolution vs. creationism)

Women’s dress (rebellious vs. conservative)

Jazz Music (new rhythm, beat vs.

soft tempo)

Prohibition (drinking is a sin; drinking is part of one’s culture)