Please pick up the handout on the table

THE 1920’S EXAM THURSDAY

a. Sickly during the 20s due to stroke suffered in 1919 while on a speaking tour trying to promote the League of Nations directly to the US people

i. Wilson’s wife Edith unofficially took over the reigns of power

ii. Wilson died 3 years after leaving office in 1924

b. 1920 Electioni. (D) James Cox, Wilson’s choice, with VP

running mate F. Rooseveltii. (R) Warren Harding and VP running mate

Calvin Coolidge

c. Harding’s win suggested that:i. Isolationist desire was strong!!!ii. The League of Nations was dead

a. Backgroundi. Small town, rural Ohio; former teacher &

newspaper editorii. Lt. Governor 1902, US Senator – average

politicianiii. Described as trusting (to a fault),

honest, and handsome

b. Accomplishments/Strengthsi. Promised a return to “normalcy” =

peace + prosperityii. Signed a separate peace treaty with

Germany in July, 1921iii. 1st to limit US arms through treaties

(1921 Washington Naval Conference)

iv. Signed strict immigration quota law

c. Controversy/Weaknessesi. Had a loose leadership management style and a

poor public speakerii. Choose some corrupt cabinet members – his “Ohio

Gang”1. His Secretary of the Interior, Albert B. Fall was

responsible for the “Teapot Dome Scandal” (illegal sale of gov’t oil)

2. Fall became 1st Cabinet member to go to jail3. Charles Forbes, head of the Veteran’s Bureau, stole $$4. “It’s my friends that keep me walking the floors all

night”

c. Controversy/Weaknessesiii. Supported high tariffs, making it difficult

for allies to pay war debtsiv. Never controlled Congress like strong

presidents do

d. Died in office – stroke (1923)i. He was genuinely mourned; the

scandals surfaced later1. Died popular2. Remembered now as a failure and disgrace

(friends ruined him)

ii. VP Calvin Coolidge took over the office

a. Backgroundi. Poor from Vermont was a self-made manii. Lawyer – politician – Governor of

Massachusetts; made famous through his actions in the Boston Police Strike (broke the union)

b. Accomplishments/Strengthsi. Industrial prosperity is priority #1 –

believed in laissez-faire policy1. Called the 20s the “Business Decade”2. Equated business and religion3. Believed in the “Trickle-Down” Economic

Theory (take care of the “top” and they’ll take care of the “bottom”)

ii. Kellogg-Briand Pact – outlawed war (eventually signed by 62 nations)

c. Failure/Weaknessesi. Ignored farmers & labor (working class)ii. Poor public relation skills; “Silent Cal”iii. Anti-progressive; failed to regulate the stock

market and industriesiv. Lazy; “Snored as America headed toward

the Great Depression”

d. Declined his party’s offer for nomination in 1928 (Did he foresee problems ahead???)

a. Backgroundi. Iowa farm boy; orphaned at age 8 (poor)ii. Stanford College (engineer); Headed

WWI hunger relief in Belgiumiii. Self-made millionaire by age 40;

nickname “Boy Wonder”iv. Served as Harding’s Secretary of

Commerce

b. Won the Election of 1928 (won 42 of 48 states)

i. (R) Hoover = rural, conservative, dry, protestant

ii. (D) Alfred Smith = urban, liberal, wet, catholic

c. Accomplishments/Strengthsi. Created Federal Farm Board –

coordinated crop productionii. Positive thinker; spoke often of

prosperity (even after the “crash”)

d. Failures/Weaknessesi. Timing – stock market crashed 8 months

into presidencyii. Appeared inactive & insensitive during

Depression; Poor PR (newsreels)iii. Preached “Rugged Individualism” – “No

Government Handouts” (relief)

e. Served until 1933 – ended “Republican Era” (next elected (R) = Eisenhower in 1952)