Americans struggle with postwar issues coupled with divide from League of Nations and Progressive Era

Normalcy:

1. Renewed isolationism

2. Nativism- suspicion of foreign-born

3. Political conservatism

• After Russian Revolution the newly formed Communist party in the U.S. attracts some members (1/10 of 1%)

• Communist wanted to control a nation’s government and plan all its economic activities

The Red Scare:

• government hunts down suspected, communists, socialists, anarchists

Sacco and Vanzetti:

• anarchists and Italian immigrants executed for crimes they may not have committed

• led to worldwide protests

• The Ku Klux Klan

• used anticommunism as excuse to harass ethnic and religious minorities

• inactive since 1870s but blossomed in early 20s (4.5 million)

Goals:

1. Keep blacks “in their place”

2. Destroyed saloons

3. Opposed unions

4. Drive Catholics, Jews, and foreigners out of country

Conflicts in labor and management post Civil War…

• 1919- over 3,000 strikes but fear of communism turns public against strikers…

Labor union membership declines in 20s…

1. Work force was immigrants (had not choice but to work)

2. Language barrier led to difficulty in unions organizing them

3. Farmers used to relying on themselves

4. Most African Americans were excluded from unions

• Harding vows to return to U.S. to simpler days before progressive era reforms• most of world’s nations (64) agree to disarm and sign Kellogg-Briand Pact…• but there was no way to enforce against any nation that violated it• Harding administration pursued isolationist foreign policy but not retreating from its stand on war debts

Britain and France owed U.S. $10 billion which they could pay back in 2 ways…

1. Exporting more goods to U.S.

2. Reparations (German payments to allies)

Results:

…neither worked- Highest tariff level ever (60%) so French and British demanded money from Germany

French sent troops to Germany…to avoid war U.S. loaned Germany $2.5 billion

$

Limiting Immigration… since need for unskilled labor decreased after WWI…

Congress sets up a quota system (1921)…• limited Europeans to 2% of its nationals living in U.S. in 1890• discriminated against East and South Europe (Catholics and Jews) since most came after 1890…(later changed year to 1920)• law also totally excluded Japanese• Law never applied to western hemisphere

Scandal hits Harding administration:

• Harding appoints some of his (poker playing) friends to cabinet (Ohio gang)

• they use offices to become wealthy

• as a result of his poor judgment, administration is plagued by scandals

Teapot Dome (WY) Scandal:

• set aside oil- rich public lands for Navy Land then put under Interior Dept.

• Sec. of Interior Albert Fall secretly leased land to 2 private oil companies…(got $325,000 in bonds and cash, ranches and prize livestock)

• “I have problems with my enemies…but my damned friends…”

• Harding avoids disgrace but dies in office following a goodwill tour

Calvin Coolidge:• was vice president and president in 1924 on his own• “Silent Cal” very reluctant to speak• a dinner partner bet a friend that she can get him to say more than 2 words…Coolidge said to her “you lose” and kept his mouth shut the entire evening• when he died a writer asked, “How can they tell?”

The Business of America

• Coolidge was pro-business

• the automobile affected everyday American life

• paved roads, garages, driveways, gas stations, repair shops, motels, and shopping centers

• Holland Tunnel- 1927 1st underwater

Airplane Industry began by carrying mail for government 2 most popular (Ford and Lockheed Co.) carried 6 and 10 passengers respectively

Electricity transformer carried to suburbs well-to-do families cooking ranges and toasters

Business started to rely on advertising…many bought on credit with nothing down