1920 s Politics Wilson Harding Coolidge Hoover Russian

1920 s Politics Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover

Russian Revolution leads to Red Scare in US • Attorney General = A. Mitchell Palmer • Palmer Raids: – J. Edgar Hoover head of antiradical division in the Justice Dept, later FBI – Hunts suspected Communists, socialists and anarchists – What did the gov’t find? – May 1, 1920, May Day = suspected Comm. Plot to overthrow the gov’t; What happened?

What similarities do you see of this in today’s society? • Anthrax? • Profiling? • Patriot Act?

KKK • “ 100 percent Americanism” • Enforce prohibition, oppose unions, and drive Catholics, Jews and foreign-born out of the country • Kleagles kept $4 out of every $10 initiation fee for ea. Member they recruited = kleagling

• Why was there a resurgence in the KKK in the 1920 s? • Why did the Klan’s power decrease significantly by the end of the 1920 s?

Klan Wedding Washington State (1926) • Membership of the NJ branch of the KKK was +50, 000 w/ thousands more sympathetic to the Klan's mission. W/ this support, they’re ready to take over Protestant control in the state. They would openly attack corrupt politicians and take on the rumrunners

1915 Hollywood film: “The Birth of a Nation” Re-invigorated the KKK

Sacco and Vanzetti Trial

Labor Unrest (pg 594 -595) Strike Boston Police Strike Steel Mill Strike Coal Miners Strike Problems Results

Strike Problems Results Boston Police Strike 1919 Steel Mill Strike 9/1919 Not had a raise since start of WWI, 1914 cost of living x 2; everyone fired/went on strike Coolidge called National Guard, police off strike; new police hired; can’t strike against public safety 12 hr days, difficult/ dangerous work; US Steel hires strikebreakers uses force, 18 killed Broken Jan 1920; 1923 report published showing conditions in steel mills, shocking, est. 8 hr days; no union Coal Miners Strike United Mine Workers head Lewis protest Nov 1, 1919 long hrs, low wages; Palmer sent members back 2 work Lewis quietly gave word to continue strike, mines closed +1 month; won 27% wage increase, Lewis gained fame

• Overall, what can you conclude about labor unions in the 1920 s? Were they successful? • Why did membership in labor unions decline in the 1920 s?

Labor unions declined b/c… • Much of the work force consisted of immigrants who had to work in poor conditions • Immigrants spoke different languages = hard to organize/communicate unions • Farmers who moved to cities for factory jobs hard to unionize b/c used to relying on themselves

1920 Presidential Election • Harding and Coolidge vs. James Cox and FDR • Harding promoted a “return to normalcy” – America before the progressive reforms

Harding’s Return to “Normalcy” • Isolationism • Nativism • Political Conservatism • New threat to all this = Communism

Domestic and Foreign Policy • Kellogg-Briand Pact Isolationist foreign policy • Fordney-Mc. Cumber Tariff • Dawes Plan • Emergency Quota Act of 1921/Quota system

Harding’s Administration and Scandal • Secretary of State = Charles Evans Hughes • Secretary of Commerce = Herbert Hoover • Secretary of Treasury = Andrew Mellon (one of the wealthiest men to try and reduce debt) – fell by 1923 by 1/3 • Ohio Gang: – Interior Secretary = Albert Fall

Teapot Dome Scandal • Oil-rich public land set aside by gov’t in Teapot Dome, Wyoming and Elks Hills, CA under US Navy • Fall got reserves transferred to interior dept. • Secretly leased land to 2 private oil Co. ’s; Fall became wealthy • Harding died on Aug. 2, 1923, Coolidge becomes President and is reelected in 1924