THE ROARING 20SUnit Overview

Organizing Principle The “Roaring Twenties” were an oddity in a

sense as they were ushered in on Warren G. Harding’s campaign slogan, “a return to normalcy.” On one hand, this decade is largely marked by isolationism and a McKinley style conservatism in the political realm. On the other hand, this period of introversion displays a radical cultural shift in the American identity that challenged rural American traditions. In this sense, the decade of the 1920s was largely a departure from normalcy.

The Red Scare Origins—“nativism” and isolationism

Exporting the Bolshevik revolution Immigration American Communist Party (tiny)

Instances The Palmer Raids

Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer Believed

6,000 people arrested—bombs galore Buford-Red Ark Labor crushed

“commie!” Sacco and Vanzetti

Italian anarchists

Ku Klux Klan Second manifestation

Discrimination against: foreigners, Catholics, blacks, Jews, pacifists, communists, bootleggers, evolutionists, gambling, adultery, et cetera…

Demographics WASPs—fundamentalists Midwest and Bible Belt

Tactics Burning crosses and violence

Downfall Corruption Violence

Stemming the Foreign Flood 1920-1921: 800,000 immigrants arrived

Lazarus taken literally Emergency Quota Act (1921)

3% of 1910 census from national origins Immigration Act (1924)

2% of 1890 census Discriminates against southern and eastern Europe

U.S. repeals Gentlemen’s Agreement No restrictions on Western Hemisphere

Canada, Mexico, and Latin America

Quota System

Labor Unrest Labor during WWI

Strikes were illegal Strike! Strike! Strike!

1919—over 3,000 strikes Labor movement painted red

Boston Police Strike Crushed by MA governor

Calvin Coolidge Steel Mill Strike

Crushed with violence Coal Miner’s Strike

John L. Lewis—success! 27% pay increase

Labor loses appeal in the 20s

The Ascent of Harding Harding’s character

Plus—friendly, statesmen looking Minus—mediocre in ideas, couldn’t say no

Cabinet The “Ohio Gang”

Harding’s poker playing cronies Best and Worst Minds

Splendid Isolation Geneva Health Convention

“unofficial observers” Middle East

“black gold”—exploited by American companies Washington Naval Conference (1921-22)

Wealthy don’t want to finance navy Naval disarmament—10 year “holiday”

5:5:3 Proceed with caution

Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) Outlaws war as a policy*

Economics of the 20s Andrew Mellon: Treasury Secretary

Tax policies encourage capital investment Increased productivity

Machines and energy Markets

Advertisements Need/Want confusion?

Buying on credit Installment plan

Superficial prosperity

Tariffs Republicans favor big business

Fordney-McCumber Tariff (1922) Raises tax to 38.5% Tariff Commission empowers president

32 upward changes Results

European war debts Britain and France cannot repay debts

Dawes Plan—loans to Germany Retaliatory tariffs

Exacerbated the international economic crisis

Harding Harangued Scandals

Charles R. Forbes—Veteran’s Bureau Steals $200,000,000 from hospital construction funds 2 years in jail

Teapot Dome Scandal Albert B. Fall—SOI—transfers oil rich lands to the

Interior Dept. Fall illegally leases land for bribes ($400,000)

Illegal sale of pardons and liquor permits

Harding’s death prevents full investigation

“Silent Cal” Conservative New Englander

Famed for breaking up a Boston Police Strike Supports big business Supports Mellon’s tax cuts Mid-Twenties boom

5 ½ years of prosperity

“After all, the chief business of the

American people is business.”