A.
Transition from
war
a. Spanish Influenza – following “the great
war” an outbreak of an especially virulent flu epidemic killed tens of millions
of people around the world. Contrary to
the name, the flu probably started in the US Midwest, was caught by soldiers on
both sides and then spread around the world.
i.
More people died from the flu than from the war
b. Return of soldiers led to a temporary increase in unemployment.
i. Inflation rose dramatically as people spent money saved during the war (by 1920 prices had more than doubled over pre-war levels).
ii. Race riots developed in many northern cities as returning soldiers faced a shortage of housing.
b. Labor loses
i. Pres. Wilson did not back labor in the spate of strikes following the war – striking workers were associated with communism and other radical groups
ii. Following the war many strikes broke out – workers had been unable to strike during the war.
iii. Seattle – a general strike was called on behalf of shipyard workers – Mayor Hanson called for troops to break up the strike
iv. Boston – police could not afford price hikes – they went on strike that led to rioting and looting. Governor Calvin Coolidge called in the National Guard to break the strike.
v. Coal miner’s strike – John Lewis the leader of the United Mine Workers demanded a wage increase, a 6-hour day, and a 5day week. As they prepared to strike, Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer ruled that a strike would be illegal since technically we were still at war.
c. Red Scare
i. Soviet leaders let the world know that their goal was domination of the world, and they made gains in territory along their eastern border.
ii. Mail bombs were sent to 38 prominent Americans during April 1919. Al but 1 was intercepted. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer (who was also a target) blamed the bombs on communist sympathizers.
1. He and the new Federal Bureau of Investigation attacked aliens and radicals.
2. Many Russian immigrants were arrested, beaten, and many were deported.
3. Few people spoke up to protest, a new group was formed to protest Palmer’s actions – The American Civil Liberties Union.
4. People eventually tired of Palmer’s warnings when little that he said developed
iii. Nativism – the evil side of Nationalism.
1. Ku Klux Klan was reformed in Georgia to attack Blacks and Catholics. At one point in the early 1920’s they had over 5 million members.
2. Sacco and Vanzetti – 2 Italian Americans were accused of killing 2 people in a shoe factory – despite the fact there was no evidence against them they were found guilty and executed.
B. Republicans take over – Pledge a return to “normalcy”
a. Election of 1920 – Americans were tired of war, flu, strikes, and Progressivism in general
i. Republicans nominated Warren Harding from Ohio because he was handsome (this was the first election in which women could vote) and manageable.
ii. Democrats went with James Cox from Ohio (his VP was Franklin Roosevelt) as an anti prohibition, progressive candidate.
iii. Harding wins easily – 404 – 127 in the Electoral College
b. President Harding
i. Stated immediately that the US would not join the League of Nations
ii. Signed a separate peace with Germany in 1921
iii. Signed an apology to Colombia so that US oil companies would be allowed to do business there.
iv. Charles Evans Hughes – Secretary of State does a great job of negotiating a treaty with other military powers.
1. 4 power treaty – US, Great Britain, Japan, and France would respect each others possessions
2. 9-power treaty – all powerful nations would leave the China independent and allow everyone to trade there.
c. Harding’s Cabinet
i. Andrew Mellon – Pittsburgh banker. He felt government should be run like a business. As Secretary of Treasury he tried to reduce spending as much as possible. He wanted to reduce taxes on the wealthy so that they would be able to invest more into new business. He felt that the middle class should pay the brunt of the tax load.
ii. Tariff of 1922 – reinstated many tariffs from the 19th Century. The result actually hurt the US by limiting how much European countries could spend in the US – these countries owed the US money and could not afford to borrow to buy expensive US materials
iii. Most Progressive gains were done away with (Taft was now chief justice of S.C.)
1. Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918) Supreme Court ruled that child labor was o.k.
2. Adkins v. Children’s Hospital – S.C. ruled minimum wage was unconstitutional
iv. Scandal – Harding’s cabinet was known as the Ohio Gang
1. Harding liked to drink (during prohibition) and play poker
2. Head of Veterans Bureau stole money earmarked for veteran’s hospitals
3. Attorney General Daugherty sold his influence on important cases
4. Teapot Dome scandal – Secretary of Interior Albert Fall leased public land to oil companies for $400,000. He was sent to jail for 1 year.
v. Harding dies on August 2, 1923 from a heart attack
C. President Calvin Coolidge
a. Coolidge was considered extremely honest – he was what the US needed after Harding
b. Coolidge said, “The business of America is business” and little else.
c. Coolidge returned to a type of Social Darwinism – “a man is worth the wages he can earn”
i. Since poverty is a sin, gov’t should not tax the virtuous to assist the unworthy
ii. Gov’t should do very little, and spend even less
d. Economic conditions – most Americans were doing well during the 1920’s
i. Wages were up, but did not go up as fast as corporate earnings
e. Scientific Management and the assembly line – invented by Frederick Taylor and used by Henry Ford. This increased the productivity of labor, but made their job even more tedious.
i. The Ford Motor Company was able to lower the price of the Model T, and pay its employees more money.
ii. As the economy got larger, trusts and big business were unable to corner as many markets.
D. Election of 1924 ends Progressivism
a. Coolidge is reelected over Democrat (and Catholic) Al Smith and Progressive Robert LaFollette
E. Other issues of the time to be somewhat familiar with
a. Scopes Monkey Trial
b. Prohibition
c. Charles Lindbergh
d. Harlem Renaissance
e. Rise of professional sports