World War I and the 1920s
Lesson 5 Government in the 1920s
Key Terms
Warren G. Harding Andrew Mellon Herbert Hoover Teapot Dome scandal
Calvin Coolidge Washington Naval Disarmament Conference
Kellogg-Briand Pact Dawes Plan
Academic Vocabulary
graft: making money in dishonest or illegal ways
incentive: something intended to encourage someone to take action or work
harder
mediate: to bring about the settlement of a dispute between two parties
prudent: careful; showing good judgment
resort: doing something because there is no other choice
Lesson Objectives
1.
2.
3.
Analyze how the policies of Presidents Harding and Coolidge encouraged
economic growth and prosperity in the 1920s.
Discuss the effects of political scandals, including Teapot Dome, on
Harding’s presidency.
Explain the role that the United States played in the world during the 1920s.
The Harding Administration: Text
1.
Analyze Interactions Among People and Events What political sentiment
did President Harding’s election reveal? Explain.
2.
Draw Inferences What message did Harding send when he appointed
Andrew Mellon as Secretary of the Treasury? Did Mellon’s actions match
Harding’s message?
3.
Summarize What were the positive and negative aspects to Harding’s
laissez-faire approach?
Interactive Reading Notepad • Lesson 5
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4.
Determine Central Ideas Use the graphic organizer below to record the
central idea and supporting details in the last two sections: “Some Officials
Betray the Public Trust” and “The Teapot Dome Scandal Comes to Light.”
Economic Prosperity Under Coolidge: Text
5.
Analyze Style and Rhetoric The text argues that saying “the business of
America is business” oversimplifies Coolidge’s views. After reading an
excerpt of the speech, do you agree? How would you summarize this
speech?
6.
Cite Evidence How have the policies of Harding and Coolidge influenced
today’s politicians? Give an example, citing evidence from the text and in
current policies.
America’s Place in a Changed World: Text
7.
Explain an Argument Why did some Congressmen advise forgiving the
war debts?
8.
Draw Inferences Why did diplomats work on the Kellogg-Briand Pact if they
believed it was “unenforceable”?
9.
Assess an Argument Did the Dawes Plan solve the problem of war debt?
Why or why not?
10. Summarize How did the tariff and lending policies of Harding and Coolidge
affect the world economy? Use information from all of the texts in this lesson.
Interactive Reading Notepad • Lesson 5
Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc., or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.