U.S. History 1U.S. History 1

The Roaring Twenties Part 1: The Roaring Twenties Part 1: Postwar Economic Downturn, Red Postwar Economic Downturn, Red Scare and the Republican DecadeScare and the Republican Decade

Postwar Economic DownturnPostwar Economic Downturn

Post-WarPost-War– War-time jobs War-time jobs

disappeardisappear Less jobs meant more Less jobs meant more

competitioncompetition– Racial/ class Racial/ class

tensionstensions Who lost their jobs as Who lost their jobs as

soldiers came home?soldiers came home?

Labor UnrestLabor Unrest 1919: 4 million workers 1919: 4 million workers

held 3,600 strikes (wage held 3,600 strikes (wage cuts, long hours, and no cuts, long hours, and no overtime pay).overtime pay).

State/ federal troops broke State/ federal troops broke strikesstrikes

Americans sympathized w/ Americans sympathized w/ employersemployers– Felt strikers were Felt strikers were

subversive Communists subversive Communists and radicalsand radicals

Most Americans felt unions Most Americans felt unions threatened U.S. stabilitythreatened U.S. stability

Russian Revolution Causes Concern Russian Revolution Causes Concern in the U.S.in the U.S.

Communist Russia, with Communist Russia, with Lenin in charge, becomes Lenin in charge, becomes the the Soviet UnionSoviet Union

Soviet Union is openly Soviet Union is openly hostile to American beliefs hostile to American beliefs and values (capitalism, and values (capitalism, freedom of speech)freedom of speech)

Lenin pledges to inspire Lenin pledges to inspire worldwide revolution worldwide revolution among the working classamong the working class

Red ScareRed Scare

Red ScareRed Scare = intense = intense fear of communism fear of communism and its potential and its potential spread throughout the spread throughout the U.S.U.S.

Americans felt Americans felt Communists were Communists were behind labor strikesbehind labor strikes

Palmer RaidsPalmer Raids Attorney General A. Attorney General A.

Mitchell Palmer’s Mitchell Palmer’s conducted conducted Palmer RaidsPalmer Raids on the headquarters of on the headquarters of suspected anarchists, suspected anarchists, communists, and socialists communists, and socialists across Americaacross America

Between 4,000-10,000 Between 4,000-10,000 suspected radicals were suspected radicals were jailed jailed – No formal charges No formal charges

made made – over 600 were over 600 were

deported.deported. Goal of raids was to Goal of raids was to

“purify” and restore peace “purify” and restore peace to the United Statesto the United States

American Civil Liberties UnionAmerican Civil Liberties Union

ACLU, formed in 1920, protested the illegal ACLU, formed in 1920, protested the illegal methods and prejudices targeted at methods and prejudices targeted at foreigners and radicals with the Palmer foreigners and radicals with the Palmer RaidsRaids

ACLU would represent the rights of both ACLU would represent the rights of both individuals and minorities whose rights were individuals and minorities whose rights were being violatedbeing violated

ACLU had ACLU had nono court victories by 1925 court victories by 1925

Republican DecadeRepublican Decade

1920’s1920’s– Republican Presidents Republican Presidents – Warren G. HardingWarren G. Harding– Calvin CoolidgeCalvin Coolidge– Herbert HooverHerbert Hoover

Friendly to big business Friendly to big business Laissiezz FaireLaissiezz Faire (Hands off) policy (Hands off) policy

Warren G. Harding (Rep. 1921-Warren G. Harding (Rep. 1921-1923)1923)

Campaign slogan = Campaign slogan = “a return to “a return to normalcy”normalcy”

IsolationismIsolationism = avoiding = avoiding alliances with foreign nationsalliances with foreign nations

Pushed for stronger anti-Pushed for stronger anti-immigration lawsimmigration laws

Tea Pot Dome ScandalTea Pot Dome Scandal = = corruption involving some of his corruption involving some of his Cabinet members’ in abuse of Cabinet members’ in abuse of power and misuse of federal power and misuse of federal fundsfunds– Sec. of Interior illegally sold oil Sec. of Interior illegally sold oil

reservesreserves

Calvin Coolidge (Rep. 1923-1929)Calvin Coolidge (Rep. 1923-1929)

““The business of the The business of the American people is American people is business”business”

Government should Government should interfere as little as interfere as little as possible with American possible with American businessesbusinesses

Policy of isolationism Policy of isolationism continuedcontinued

Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

Most Americans Most Americans expected the good expected the good times of the 1920s times of the 1920s would continuewould continue

Stock Market reached Stock Market reached an all-time high in an all-time high in 19291929

Value of wages had Value of wages had risen by more than risen by more than 40% since 191440% since 1914