twenties social studies
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- normalcy
- in 1920, the republican nominee for president, warren harding of ohio, promised a return to "normalcy". it was what the public wanted. he won by a landslide.
- teapot dome scandal
- the biggest scandal centered on Teapot Dome, Wyoming, a government-owned oil resource. the secretary of the department of the interior, Albert b. fall, secretly leased the land and its reserves to an oil man. fall recieved a bribe of $400,000. after the scandal broke, fall was tried and convicted. he was the first cabinet member ever sent to prison.
- recession
- coolidge's prospects were helped by the prosperity of the mid-1920s. the postwar recession was over, and the economy had rebounded. the 1920s had begun to "roar", and the voters wanted to keep the republicans in power.
- red scare
- the fears reached a fever pitch in the spring and summer of 1919, when a series of bombing occured. the bombings were the work of anarchists. during this red scare, thousands of anarchists and communists, or "reds", were hunted down and arrested. amny were deported, or expelled from the country
- 4. How would the Kellogg-Briand pact be enforced if it outlawed war?
- it is difficult to determine because if you physically punish them, it may lead to war if it is too harsh. it had no punishments back then.
- emergency quota act of 1921
- an emergency immigration law was passed by congress in 1921. it limited the number of people admitted from eastern and southern europe.
- communism
- in the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, communism had taken power in Russia. they created the Soviet "Union, the world's first communist state. communism is an economic and political system in which the state owns the means of production and a single party rules. in the soviet union, the communist party crushed all opposition
- 2. Coolidge said that the business of American is business. Explain how the economic events and political appointments of the 1920s support that phrase. Give examples of the economic growth during this period.
- harding was a firm supporter of business. he filled his administration with like-minded men. for secretary of treasury, he chose andrew mellon, a banker and indistrialist. mellon was one of the nation's richest men. he got congress to lower taxes on businesses and the wealthy. he also helped slash the federal budget. coolidge believed that the government had a right to intervene in foreign matters that effect american business. in 1920, a revolution broke out in Nicaragua. coolidge sent in troops to protect american business interests there.
- 5. What does the textbook give as the reasons for the Red Scare? Do you think there are other reasons? Explain.
- it is basically the fear of communists and anarchists who are foreigners. the textbook reasons are they often caused mischief like bombing. i believe there are no other reasons. this is shown in the court case of sacco and vanzetti. they were prosecuted and killed even though there wasnt much evidence.
- disarmament.
- throughout the 1920s, the US participated in international conferences intended to promote world peace and encourage disarmament, or the reduction or limitation of miliary armament.
- 6. Why was communism feared in the United States?
- alarm about communism affected not only american foreign policy but also events at home. the post war strikes that rocked the US made some americans afraid that a revolution was beginning. americans feared that communists, were behind the labor unrest as well.
- kellogg-briand pact
- in 1928, the US joined France in sponsoring the Kellogg-briand pact. the pact condemned miliary agression and outlawed war. however, it imposed no punishment on a country that acted aggressively, so it was ineffective in precenting war.
- national origins act of 1924
- in 1924 and 1929, congress imposed even more restrictions on immigrants. in addition, the US completely prohibited immigration from Asia.
- isolationism
- world war I had made the US an international power. still, most americans did not want their nation to play a leading role in world affairs. this sentiment is known as isolationism. it didnt mean cutting off contact with the rest of the world.
- 3. Look up the Washington Naval Agreement and decide if you think it was a fair agreement and for whom it was fair.
- the restrictions were less on the US and britain. because of the 1902 agreement between britain and japan, however, if the US and japan entered into a conflict, britain might be obliged to join japan against the US. by ending the treaty and creating a four power agreement, the countries involved ensured that none would be obliged to engage in a conflict, but a mechanism would exist for discussions if one emerged.
- 1. Harding's friends were known as the Ohio Gang because they tended to be from that state. What problems did the Ohio Gang cause?
- some of harding's friends saw their government jobs as opportunities to make personal fortunes, legally and illegally. harding's presidency was marred by several major scandals involving these men. in one case, charles forbes, the head of the Veteran's bureau, was convicted of taking bribes totalling about $200 million.
- sacco and vanzetti
- in may 1920, at the height of the red scare, 2 italian immigrants, NOcola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were arrested. they were charged with robbing and murdering two pay roll employees in MAssachusetts. at the trial, little evidence was presented that Sacco and vanzetti were guilty of the charges. rather, the prosecution focused on the fact that both defendants were foreigners and anarchists. sacco and vanzetti were convicted in 1921 and executed in 1927.