U.S. History
The Roaring Twenties
Chapters 31 and 32
A Return To Normalcy
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World War I ends & America
wants to forget.
Warren Harding elected as
President. His platform:
“Return to Normalcy”.
Results in the following
  Renewed isolationism.
  Resurgence in
nativism.
  Political conservatism
(turning away from the
governmental activism
of the Progressive Era.)
The Red Scare
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A new threat to ‘normalcy’
after the end of the WWI…
communism.
Russian Czar (Tsar) Nicholas
II was overthrown in March of
1917. This government that
replaced the monarchy would
then be overthrown by Lenin
and the Bolsheviks (“the
majority”) in November of
1917.
What Caused the Red Scare?
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In 1848 Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels write The
Communist Manifesto.
History of the world is a
constant class struggle
between the capitalists (the
“haves”) and the workers (the
“have nots”). They would
push for workers to organize
and overthrow capitalism
through violent revolution.
Attorney General Palmer and the
“Palmer Raids”
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The Attorney General
of the U.S. was A.
Mitchell Palmer. He
decided to take action
against the “Reds”.
(Mainly to build a
name for himself)
A. Mitchell Palmer
Palmer Raids
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Palmer would appoint J. Edgar
Hoover to lead the new antiradical division of the Department
of Justice (later the F.B.I.). Their
job…hunt down communists,
socialists and anarchists.
Warrant-less searches
Suspects were jailed for weeks
without a lawyer, and those who
came to visit them were often also
arrested.
Alien radicals would be deported
without a trial.
The “Red Ark” leaves port
J.Edgar
Hoover
IWW offices
End of Palmer
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Palmer would warn
Americans of a
Communist plot to
overthrow America on May
1st of 1920 (May Day and
the international workers
holiday).
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When nothing happened,
the American people had
had enough.
The Trials and Tribulations of
Sacco and Vanzetti
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Sacco and Vanzetti were
anarchists who would
become the poster children
of the ‘Red Scare’ in the
United States.
Accused of murdering and
robbing a paymaster, they
would be convicted and
executed
Their execution caused
worldwide protests (because
of concerns about the
fairness of their trial).
Opposition to Labor Unions
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During WWI no large scale
strikes by labor unions.
After the war this changes
alleged influence of radicals
in some unions
Isolationist Economic Policy
(Read- Do Not Write)
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Tariffs and war debts – Britain and France owed
the U.S. some $10 billion from American bankers
during W.W. I. US banks refused to forgive the
loans
Britain and France were forced to pay up. They
could raise money by either exporting more goods
to the U.S., or through reparations from Germany.
In 1922 the U.S. raised to 60%! Results?
Britain and France force reparations - Germany
lacked the resources pay and defaulted
Dawes Plan
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American banks made $2.5 billion in loans to
Germany.
Germany pays Britain and France
Britain and France then took the money and
made payments on its loans to American
banks.
Fordney- McCumber Tariff act
  1922
  High
increase on tariffs
  European
exports to US fell dramatically
1920 Election (again)
  Harding
(Rep) defeats James Cox
Anti-Immigrant Feelings
  The
Emergency Quota Act of 1921 would
set up a quota system that would
establish a maximum number of
immigrants from any one country.
Immigration Act of 1924
  Each
European nation was given a quota of
2% of the # of its nationals living in the US
in 1890
  Discriminated against E and S Europeans
  Said Japanese were inelegible for
citizenship
Nativism and the KKK
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Called for 100%
Americanism
By 1924 the Klan would have
some 4.5 million members
Klan “family values”
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Protecting America from the
evils of modernization
Opposition to new roles and
attitude of women
Supporting anti-evolution
laws
keeping blacks “in their
place”
destroying saloons and
enforcing prohibition
opposing unions
Ant-Catholics, anti-Jew, antiforeigner
Political Leaders of The 20’s: Warren G.
Harding & The Ohio Gang
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While Harding made some very good appointments but his
administration will be most remembered for the many scandals.
Such as:
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The head of the Veterans Bureau allowing the government to
be overcharged some $250 million.
The selling of stolen patents for below face value.
Teapot Dome – The Sec. of the Interior would secretly lease
public land to oil companies. (Albert Fall)
Harding would die in August of 1923 and Vice President
Coolidge would become President would then be elected in
1924.
Urbanization
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1920- 51% of US
population lived in cities
1922-1929- 2 million
people each year left rural
areas for cities
Changing Role of Women
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Women’s Suffrage
The 19th Amendment
is ratified in 1920
Leaders:
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Susan B. Anthony
Alice Paul
Lucy Burns
Alice Paul
Changing Role of Women
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The “Flapper”
Emancipated Women
  Margaret
Sanger- Birth Control
  Nellie Ross- Director of US Mint
  Jeannette Rankin- US House of Rep’s
  Florence Kelly- Child Rights
Prohibition - The Noble Experiment
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Prohibition was mostly supported by the rural
areas of America.
The 18th Amendment prohibited the
manufacture, sale or transportation of alcoholic
beverages. It’s results:
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Speakeasies
Bootleggers
Organized crime
Increased taxes
21st Amendment
  Repealed
the 18th Amendment
The Roaring 20s!!
Mass Media
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Radio
Movies
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Al Jolson starred in the
“Jazz Singer”
Business tacticsadvertising
The Automobile & America.
Henry Ford and the Model T
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Some of the changes that
occurred because of it are:
Road construction, Traffic
signals
Gas stations, repair shops
Shopping centers
Motels
Urban sprawl
Changed family relationships
as well as social standards.
How?
Popular (pop) Culture
Babe Ruth, Louis Armstrong, Knute Rockne,
Charles Lindbergh, Jack Dempsey
Black Leaders- 1920’s
* NAACP = Founded by W.E. B.
DuBois. Urged blacks to
aggressively protest racial
violence
  UNIA = Founded by Marcus
Garvey. Helped to promote
black-owned businesses and
would promote a back-to-Africa
campaign.
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Booker T Washington
  Blacks should learn vocational
skills and live a quiet life in the
country
  Avoid competition and strife
with whites
Harlem Renaissance & The Arts
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Langston Hughes - World
famous poet.
Paul Robeson - Son of a runaway slave who starred in
college sports and became a
famous dramatic actor.
Louis Armstrong - Jazz trumpet
player.
“Duke” Ellington - Jazz pianist
and composer led a renowned
orchestra at the Cotton Club,
often they were all white crowds
Bessie Smith - Leading blues
singer, and the highest paid
black artist in the world.
American Fundamentalism
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Fundamentalism: a Protestant movement grounded in a
literal interpretation of the Bible. The belief that the
Bible was inspired by God, and that all the stories and
details in the Bible are true.
Results of the growth of fundamentalism would be:
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skepticism of scientific advances
rejection of Darwin’s theory of evolution
Monkey Laws- (laws to outlaw the teaching of evolution.)
The Trial of John Scopes
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In 1925 Tennessee passed the
nation’s first law banning the
teaching of evolution.
The American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU) promised to
defend any teacher who would
challenge the law.
John Scopes defended by
Clarence Darrow
William Jennings Bryan was
brought in as a special
prosecutor to argue the
fundamentalist view.
Trial broadcast live on radio
nationwide
Scopes Trial continued
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There was no question of Scope’s guilt or innocence, the trial
was about evolution and the roles of science and religion in
public schools.
Darrow would call Bryan to the stand as an expert witness on
the Bible. The trial was moved outside to a “stage”
Scopes was found guilty and fined $100.
Election of 1924
  (Rep)
Coolidge
  (Dem) John Davis
  (Progressive) LaFollette
  Coolidge-
cautious
shy, silent, honest, frugal,
Silent Cal Coolidge
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Sec. of Treasury was
Andrew Mellon
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Trickle Down Theory
Wealth would trickle down
to lower and middle
classes wages and there
would be more jobs if the
taxes of upper classes
were cut
(Revenue Act of 1921)
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Balanced the Budget
Election of 1928
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(Rep) Herbert Hoover
(Dem) Alfred Smith
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Catholic
KKK against him
Supported repealing
prohibition
Big city background
Terrible speaking skills
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Plus-Supported labor
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Hoover- The Great Engineer
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Rugged Individualism
Humanitarian
Did not believe in government intervention
Did not believe in direct aid to people
Said should give federal aid to banks and businesses
Keep faith in the industrial system
Chief strength: Talent for picking able people in his
administration
Causes of Depression
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Decline in new housing
People were not buying
Prices down
Demand for staple crops down
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Main causes:
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Uneven distribution of income
Easy credit
Unbalanced foreign trade (Hawley Smoot Tariff)
Mechanization
Overproduction by farms and factories
Stock Market crashes
Stock Market Crash
  Oct.
29, 1929
  Black Tuesday-the event that clearly
showed that the economic boom had
ended
  Stocks
on Margin-purchasing stock with a
small down payment
Relief
  No
federal system of relief
  All at local level (YMCA, etc)
Reconstruction Finance Corp.
(RFC)
  Made
federal loans to businesses, banks,
and state and local governments
  Set up under Hoover’s administration
Bonus Army
Bonus Expeditionary force
  Veterans
of WWI
  Set up shacks outside DC
  Wanted their bonus that was promised to
them for serving in WWI
  Hoover’s image was damaged by the
handling of this event (important!)
  1932- MacArthur was sent to disperse the
people and make them leave
Stimson Doctrine
  Declared
that the US would not recognize
any territorial gains achieved by force
1920s- Overview
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A decade of economic prosperity
Fear of radical foreign ideas and un-American
lifestyles
Isolationism
Immigration restrictions
KKK-reaction against the forces of diversity and
modernity that were transforming American
culture
A period of increased tariffs
1920s- Overview continued…
  Cars,
radios, etc. contributed to the
standardization of Am. life
  Jazz music developed by Am. blacks
  Marcus Garvey “Black is beautiful”