EFFECTS OF THE WAR19.4

OBJECTIVES

Describe the problems Americans faced immediately after the war.

Analyze how these problems contributed to the Red Scare.

Understand how the war changed America;s role in world affairs

KEY PARTS

America Adjusts to Peace The Red Scare Americans Embrace Normalcy

INTRODUCTION

Read 19.4 Answer Critical thinking questions 4&5

AMERICA ADJUSTS TO PEACE

World War I produced significant economic, social, political, and cultural changes in America.

Another big issue was in 1918 influenza virus was originally a bird flu that mutated to spread to humans.

This virus spread like wildfire and killed millions worldwide.

The virus took hold right at the end of the Great War.

CONT.

Women and African Americans made significant advances during the war.

However after the end of the war also spelled the end of wartime economic opportunities for both groups.

The post war recession created a competitive job market.

Also race riots began in the cities in one city the white rioters burned down 35 African American city blocks to the ground.

CONT..

During the war inflation or rising prices had been held in check.

After the war Americans began to buy more consumer goods rather than war bonds. The scarcity of these goods coupled with widespread demand caused inflation.

Industrial workers felt the pain of this because their wages no longer bought as much.

In 1919 4 million or 20% of the work force went on strike.

THE RED SCARE

The emergence of the Soviet Union in 1917 and the ideas of Vladimir Lenin of spreading revolutions and putting and end to capitalism and rise to communism gave a scare to the people.

The Red Scare was a thought that there was going to be a communist uprising in the United States.

CONT.

Authorities discovered bombs mailed to important industrialists and government officials.

Radical political groups exploded bombs across several cities in the United States.

The leading Law Enforcement Official Palmer, mounted several raids to put an end to this radical movement. (Palmer Raids)

With these raids there were several mistrials that were based almost solely on race. (Sacco and Vanzetti)

AMERICANS EMBRACE NORMALCY

With Warren G. Harding running for president after Wilson, the Wilsonian Ideas were put to an end.

He didn’t want any more progressive reforms or foreign crusades, he wanted to return America to how it was before Wilson was President.

He won the 1920 election by a landslide with this concept.

CONT.

The only problem with this concept was that The United States had become an economic giant, it was the richest and most industrious country in the world.

European countries counted on American production of goods and often had to borrow money from the United States just to buy US goods.

We became the largest creditor nation.