United States HistoryChapter 22:

A Turbulent Decade

Postwar Troubles

After World War I, American industry took a major hit› Goods for the war effort were no longer needed› Thousands of returning troops needed work

Prices fell and unemployment skyrocketed, causing a major recession

As European farming improved, the need for American farm goods fell, causing problems for farmers

Overall, the years after the Great War was a dire time for Americans

Labor Strikes

As a result of demobilization, many workers were angry, leading to many strikes› Seattle General Strike: shipbuilders in Seattle struck in 1919; peaceful

strike, but led many to believe it was the beginning of a Bolshevik revolution› Boston police strike: cops in Boston demanded better pay and working

conditions and struck after 19 cops were fired for joining a union (1919) Riots erupted in the street with no police to control the city State militia was called in to restore order Police reluctantly returned to work, but Gov. Calvin Coolidge stated that it was

illegal for them to strike and threaten public welfare› Steel strikes: PA steel workers calling for better pay and conditions (1919)

Workers were replaced with new workers when the union wasn’t recognized Strikers were beaten and jailed for the strike, returned to work shortly

thereafter› United Mine Workers Strike: demanded better pay, working conditions, and a

six hour day (1919)

Red Scare

The Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 scared many Americans The strikes of 1919 fueled the idea that Communism could

become a reality in the United States› Eugene Debs ran for president 5 times as a Socialist Party member,

a precursor to the Communist Party› Many, especially immigrants, came under suspicion as Communists

A series of bomb scares through the mail to various government officials also fueled the Scare› Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer’s home was damaged when a

bomb did explode› Palmer ordered raids on suspected radicals from November 1919 to

January 1920› As a result, hundreds of immigrants were deported, even though

very little evidence was found against people By the summer of 1920, Communist hysteria had died down

Sacco and Vanzetti

Hostility towards immigrants and radicals persisted after the Red Scare

A very prominent trial of the 1920s involved Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti› The two Italian immigrants with radical political views were

charged with murder during a 1920 robbery in Boston› Witness testimony proved their innocence, but the trial judge

dismissed it › A guilty verdict sentenced the two to death› They were executed on August 23, 1927

Many were enraged over the violation of civil liberties, but others rejoiced the punishment of their radical beliefs

In recent years, evidence has turned up that at least one of them were involved, but a fair trial was not granted at the time

Vanzetti (left) and Sacco (right)

A Republican Decade

The Election of 1920 ushered in a decade of Republican policy sandwiched between the presidencies of Democrats Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt› Harding was a senator from Ohio that ran a pro-business platform and a

“return to normalcy”› He wanted to eliminate government from business, slash spending,

lower taxes and promote economic growth› By 1923, his policies appeared to work, with low unemployment and

great growth in most of the economy Businesses boomed, and many mergers took place, but not

everybody enjoyed this success› Workers wages were stagnant› Farmers suffered from low prices and high debts› Unions were weakened when the government repealed many of the

Progressive policies› The American Plan supported union-free open shops, shrinking

membership drastically

Warren G. Harding 1921-1923

Women’s Movement

Women had achieved the right to vote in 1920 as a result of the 19th Amendment

Feminists pointed out that it did not give women equal rights with men

In 1923, an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was proposed to Congress› Proposed by Alice Paul of the National Women’s Party› Many, including women, opposed the amendment› It was thought that it would actually hurt women more

than help The amendment failed to win support, but was

reintroduced in the 1960s, only to be defeated

Harding and Corruption

Harding’s presidency was full of scandals and corruption› Charles Forbes, a friend of Harding’s, had pocketed millions

in gov’t money through corrupt schemes › Attorney General Harry Daugherty was accused of taking

bribes to ignore corruption› The Teapot Dome scandal was the most notorious

Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall gained control of the Navy’s oil reserves in CA and WY

He leased the reserves to his friends in exchange for cash, loans and cattle

President Harding died in August 1923› He is not thought of participating in any of the scandals› However, he is seen as the worst president in our history for

not keeping better tabs on his gov’t appointments

Coolidge’s Presidency

When Vice President Calvin Coolidge took over after Harding’s death, he had to restore the reputation of the presidency› He fired the people involved in the scandals› However, “Silent Cal” as he was called, was vastly different than

Harding’s outgoing personality › He continued to support the Republican pro-business platform

because of the booming economy Coolidge was more conservative than Harding

› He supported tax cuts for the rich and business› He cut spending and vetoed many bills that would have increased

spending or “interfered” with the economy› He easily won reelection in 1924, and probably would have again

in 1928› However, he refused to run again in 1928, choosing to retire and

relax for the rest of his days

Calvin Coolidge 1923-1929

Election of 1928

After Coolidge declined the nomination of the Republican Party, Herbert Hoover was nominated

He ran against Democrat Alfred E. Smith› His reputation was harmed because he was Catholic

and he was connected to the corrupt Tammany Hall Hoover ran on a pro-business platform that had

carried Harding and Coolidge He also had a strong reputation as Secretary of

Commerce Hoover won the presidency, but Democrats were

hopeful for the future based on Smith’s showing in the election

Herbert Hoover 1929-1933

Black Migration

Many southern blacks moved from the South to Northern cities during the 1920s› People left for jobs and a hope of less discrimination› However, violence erupted in many cities as blacks

came to cities looking for work The Ku Klux Klan made a revival in the 1920s

after it had disappeared in the 1870s› The group was very similar in its message› They carried out violence and killings against blacks

and supporters of equal rights› Membership was in the millions in the early 1920s,

but quickly dwindled to a few thousand by 1929

Ku Klux Klan Rally

African American Movement

The NAACP worked to end violence against blacks› An Antilynching Committee was formed in protest to the

Klan lynchings The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters formed in

1925 to fight discrimination in the workplace Universal Negro Improvement Association (1914)

› Formed by Marcus Garvey› Hoped to unite blacks around the nation and world› Also hoped to form separate black businesses that

segregated whites and a African-American nation in Africa › This upset leaders like W.E.B. du Bois, who preached

integration› However, Garvey was jailed in 1925 for mail fraud and his

movement died

Immigration and Minority Groups

Many feared the nation was being taken over by immigrants in the 1920s› Immigration Act of 1924: limited how many immigrants could

enter the US in a year› Asians were barred, set the rest of the world to about 153,000

people/year Mexicans poured into the Southwest, taking farm jobs and

other jobs› Greatly increased the size of cities like Los Angeles and El Paso

Native Americans continued to fight for rights and their lands› The Dawes Act previously had taken much tribal land away› The government finally granted citizenship to Natives in 1924› However, this did not eliminate the extreme poverty that Native

Americans continue to live in today