AMERICANS STRUGGLE WITH
POSTWAR ISSUES
(CHAPTER – 12 / SECTION -1)
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's
armed forces from combat-ready status.
The last possibilities for peaceful resolution were lost because
belligerent nations' leaders believed that, once mobilized, their
large and unwieldy armies could not be successfully demobilized
without a dangerous loss of momentum.
Which could prove fatal if negotiations were to fall through or if
another nation reneged upon the agreement.
Back in the US, despite their protest many women were forced out
of their factory jobs by government officials and union leaders.
By 1920 women working outside of the home had dropped to prewar levels further leading to unemployment and a recession.
Postwar Trends
With the country facing economic hardships the people responded
by addressing fears. One of which was the fear of outsiders or
Nativism which is the prejudice of foreign born people.
The other fear was the spread of Communism. Which is a
single-party government ruled by a dictatorship. Private property
ownership would end placing all under the control of the
government.
The term "Red Scare" was characterized by heightened
suspicion of communists, the fear of widespread infiltration of
communists or radicals in the U.S. government and the fear of the
influence of communists on U.S. society.
These fears spurred aggressive investigation and jailing of persons
associated with communist ideology or political movements.
During this time, the Espionage Act was extended with the passing
of the Sedition Act in 1918. The latter law made it illegal to speak
out against the U.S. government as well as giving the Postmaster
General power to deny mail of citizens suspected of being
dissenters (i.e., censorship of communist, socialist, and anarchist
related mail).
While United States Congress later repealed the Sedition Act in
1921, major parts of the Espionage Act remain law.
After WWI, many Americans
feared that Communists would
take over the country.
How did the Justice Department
under Mitchell Palmer respond to
this fear?
Palmer Raids
Anarchist means the belief that all forms of ruler ship are
undesirable and should be abolished. That the notion of freedom as
being based upon political, economic, and social equality.
The Palmer Raids were a series of controversial raids from
1918 to 1921 on suspected American citizens and immigrants in
the U.S., that were communists, socialists and anarchists.
The crackdown on dissent had actually begun during WWI, but
accelerated significantly after the end of the war.
 The Russian Revolution of 1917,
 In 1919, the U.S. House refused to seat Socialist representative
from Wisconsin, Victor Berger, because of his socialism,
German ancestry and anti-war views.
 In June of 1919, a number of bombs were detonated in eight
American cities, including one in Washington that damaged the
home of Palmer and another one reportedly detonating near
Franklin Roosevelt.
 With strong support from Congress and the public, Palmer
clamped down on political dissent.
 The raids were launched against In January 1920, 6,000 foreign
aliens caught were deported.
Why did Palmer eventually lose his
standing with the American public?
 Most of which they were never really charged with or were
done so with very little evidence. The raids looked foolish when
they failed to turn up evidence of a revolutionary conspiracy.
 Many of the radicals were deported to the USSR became loyal
citizens there until Stalin had most of them shot, as potential
traitors, in the 1930s Soviet purges; others were quickly
disillusioned by what they found in Russia and left.
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Sacco & Vanzetti
 Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested for robbing and murder. Both
were anarchists that had lied to authorities for fear that they
would be deported.
 Much of the evidence against the two was weak. In fact they
had witnesses that placed them in another town at the time of
the crime. The two men were found guilty and sentenced to die.
 Thousands of people protested the verdict. Leading the way was
the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU
was formed to protect aliens threatened with deportation, and
U.S. nationals threatened with criminal charges for their
communist or socialist activities.
 The verdict was unchanged and the two were put to death in
August of 1927.
Limiting Immigration
In the summer of 1919, called the “Red Summer”, racial tensions
exploded into race riots. The worst of the riots took place in
Chicago, IL.
Several incidents took place regarding black’s attempting to break
the racial barriers. The result was several cities broke out with race
riots with several black people were lynched across the U.S.
How did the Ku Klux Klan respond to
this fear?
Why did the Klan eventually lose
popularity and membership?
The KKK Rises Again
The KKK responded to the fear by harassing any one unlike
them. This would include African Americans, immigrants,
Catholics, Jews, union members and intellectuals.
By 1924 the KKK membership had grown to some 4.5 million
members.
The downfall of the group was when members would use racial
violence and criminal activities to further their cause.
The Quota System
The growth of immigrants into the country from 1919 to 1921 had
risen some 600%. In response to growing fears Congress
established the Emergency Quota Act of 1921.
The US would allow each European nation 2% of its living
nationals that had arrived prior to 1890. This impacted mostly the
Eastern and Southern immigrants.
As an example of its effect, in the ten years following 1900 about
200,000 Italians immigrated every year. With the imposition of the
1924 quota, only 4,000 per year were allowed. At the same time,
the annual quota for Germany was over 57,000.
The Japanese were insulted by this move in part because they had
abided to the Gentlemen’s Agreement.
The quota system did not apply to immigrants from the Western
Hemisphere and in turn some 1 million Canadians and nearly
500,000 Mexicans entered the country.
Public opinion turned against labor
unions as many Americans came to
believe that unions encouraged
communism.
Why was the strike by Boston police
unpopular with the public?
Boston Police Strike
Poorly paid and poor working conditions a strike was called
because the Boston police wanted to form a union.
The police strike became unpopular with the public when its safety
was threatened and the move appeared to be an act of communism
or anarchism.
The question was asked that could government employees have the
right to strike?
Without any protection the city was ravaged by crime. Eventually
Governor Coolidge called in the state militia to restore order
making him very popular with the public because he saved the
nation from communism and anarchy.
The result was that all of the police force was fired and replaced
with workers that received the higher wages and better working
conditions that the strikers asked for.
Why did Massachusetts governor
Calvin Coolidge become so popular?
How did President Wilson respond to
the steel strike?
Steel Mill Strike
The U.S. steelworkers were dissatisfied with their low pay and
long hours of work. To bring about a change the workers formed a
union.
Their demands were eight hour work days, six day work weeks and
wage increases to make-up for the rising cost of living.
The steel industry refused to acknowledge the union or to meet
with the representatives. In Pittsburg, PA some 250,000 steel
workers walked off the job and by weeks end more than 350,000
were on strike. The steel industry was on the verge of being shut
down.
The press accused and the people believed the strikers of being
revolutionaries and anti-American radicals.
The companies used scabs to run the mills, tried to divide the
workers against each other through ethnic lines and there were
deaths among union and company hired police.
President Wilson responds by making a plea for peace between the
strikers and the steel companies.
The unsuccessful struggle had broken the union and union leaders
called off the strike.
Explain how John L. Lewis improved
the lives of coal miners
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The Coal Miner’s Strike
 In 1919 the Coal Miner’s Union elected a new leader, John
L. Lewis and in November of 1919 he calls the workers to
go out on strike due to low wages and long workdays.
 Attorney General Palmer gets a court order to send the workers
back to the mines.
 Lewis publicly states the strike is over, yet in private tells the
workers to continue the strike.
 The mines stay closed for another month and in turn President
Wilson appoints an arbitrator to settle the strike.
 The coal miner’s receive a 27% raise and Lewis becomes a
national hero.
THE HARDING PRESIDENCY
(CHAPTER – 12 / SECTION -2)
The Election of 1920
The Democrats were being blamed for bringing the U.S. into WWI
and for the economic problems the followed afterwards.
Republicans nominated Harding & Coolidge, who ran on the
platform of pro-business, immigration restrictions and aid to
farmers.
The Republicans were careful not to have Harding make too many
public appearances because he was not well informed of the issues.
Harding soundly defeated James Cox by a significant number.
Socialist Party candidate Eugene Debs received 900,000 votes
while still in prison.
Harding’s Administration
The initial beginning of President Harding’s term was filled with
the hope of creating a lasting peace and to re-heal as a nation from
WWI.
His first attempt was to broaden the rebuilding of the world
economic scene.
The first couple of attempts to maintain peace were at the
Washington Naval Conference.
Many world leaders believed that the key to peace was
disarmament.
Despite its lack of participation in the League of Nations, the
United States was at the forefront of extensive efforts at
disarmament during the 1920s and 1930s.
Second at the Five-Power Naval Treaty, Japan,
England, France, Italy and the U.S. (Russia was not invited
because they were a Communist government) agreed to restrict the
growth of naval tonnage and a ten year halt to building warships,
considered to be a key measure of military strength.
The treaties were to preserve peace during the 1920’s but are also
credited with establishing the rise of the Japanese Empire as a
naval power leading up to WWII.
The American delegations primary objective of the conference
was:
 Inhibit Japanese naval expansion in the waters of the west
Pacific, especially with regard to fortifications on strategically
valuable islands.
 Their secondary objectives were intended to ultimately limit
Japanese expansion and,
 Third, to have the Japanese officially accept a continuance of
the Open Door policy in China.
______________________________________________________
Describe how each nation, person, or
group felt about the following
issues
The fourth attempt at world peace was through the KelloggBriand Pact, it is an international treaty "providing for the
renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy."
It failed in this purpose. The pact was proposed as a bilateral treaty
between the U.S. and France outlawing war between the two
countries.
Kellogg wanted to avoid any involvement in another European
War, and so was indifferent towards the proposal.
However, if Harding opposed the treaty he would be attacked in
both Congress and the press by Americans which were happy and
optimistic on the agreement.
High Tariffs and Reparations
A conflict arose between Britain, France and the U.S. when it came
time for the two European countries to repay the 10 billion dollars
they had borrowed from the U.S. during WWI.
 However in 1922, the United States adopted the FordneyMcCumber Tariff, raising taxes on U.S. imports to
60%. This was to protect business in the U.S. from foreign
competition.
 This tariff made it difficult for Britain and France to sell goods
in the U.S. and thus made it difficult to repay war debts to the
U.S.
 To get money to repay the debts France and Britain demanded
reparations from Germany, and then sent in troops from France
into the Ruhr, an industrial region of Germany.
 To avoid another war the U.S. adopted the Dawes Plan.
Under this program investors from the U.S. made loans to
Germany.
 Germany used the money to repay war debts to France and
Britain.
 France and Britain then used the same money to repay war debts
to banks in the U.S.
 In effect, the U.S. was repaid with its own money.
 This process was not very popular with France, Britain and the
U.S.
 Britain and France considered the U.S. cheap for not helping
pay a fair share or the war costs
 France and Britain believed that the U.S. had financially
benefited from the defeat of Germany
 The U.S. considered Britain and France to be financially
irresponsible.
 Britain and France were extremely bitter and angry over
the Dawes Plan.
Political Scandals
As president, for the most part, Harding proved to be a poor
manager of the federal government. He delegated authority to his
cabinet officials.
These men became known as the “Ohio gang,” because they
supposedly were a gang of thieves from Ohio. In reality, most of
the men linked to the Ohio gang were not from Harding’s home
state.
Unfortunately for Harding and the country, many of the president’s
cabinet officials proved to be unscrupulous due to their taking of
bribes or selling off government properties for personal profit,
caused a great deal of distrust among the American people of their
government officials.
It is unclear, however, how much Harding knew of his
subordinates’ actions.
Perhaps, the worst scandal of Harding’s administration was the
Teapot Dome Scandal. Secretary of the Interior
Albert B. Fall, a Kentuckian, rented government lands to
oil companies in return for personal loans.
Fall was found guilty of this illegal action and was sentenced to
prison in 1931.
At this same time, it became known that Harding commonly drank
alcohol in the White House, although this was a direct violation of
Prohibition.
The American people also began to hear rumors of extramarital
affairs in which Harding engaged, including one with a friend’s
wife, Carrie Fulton Phillips, and another with a neighbor, Nan
Britton. Britton claimed after Harding’s death to have conceived a
daughter with Harding while he was a senator.
While these various scandals were becoming public knowledge,
Harding left Washington, D.C., to travel across the country and to
meet with typical Americans.
Harding wanted to address the American people personally and
educate them about his policies. Harding also hoped that a trip to
the western coastline of the United States might assist his ailing
wife.
While on this trip, Harding contracted pneumonia and died. It
remains unclear as to whether Harding died from pneumonia or
from a heart attack or from a stroke. He died on August 2, 1923.
Yet with all of the scandals Harding was still able to maintain a
sense of respect or acceptance and understanding from the
American people.
THE BUSINESS OF AMERICA
(CHAPTER – 12 / SECTION -3)
Coolidge Becomes President
Not being associated with the corruption and having a reputation
for honesty Calvin Coolidge was elected president.
The success of Coolidge was due favoring low taxes, low interest
rates on loans and the belief in pro-business, with very little
governmental interference.
Describe how the inventions & trends
of the 1920s changed American life.
Write the name of a related company
or product that contributed to the
boom of the 1920s.
American Industries Flourish
Automobiles
Henry Ford wanted to create a car that was durable, reliable, fairly
inexpensive and easy to repair. The Ford Model T (also
known as the Tin Lizzie) was produced by the Ford Motor
Company from 1908 - 1927.
It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, the car
which "put America on wheels"; this was due to some of Ford's
innovations,
 Assembly line production instead of individual hand crafting,
 Ford added the conveyer belt, and by 1916 production created
some 700,000 model T's --twice the output of all competitors
combined.
 The assembling of a car went from 22 hours to 2 hours allowing
Ford to make some 15 million model T's by 1927.
 The increased efficiency allowed Ford to cut prices by 50%,
selling the car for $360 in 1916 and $290 by 1924.
 Ford offered 8 hour days and up to$5 per day in wages to
discourage workers from forming unions or leaving for other
jobs.
 Complex safety procedures --especially assigning each worker
to a specific location instead of allowing them to roam about-dramatically reduced the rate of injury
 The combination of high wages and high efficiency is called
"Fordism," and was copied by most major industries
 With the increase in usage of trucks factories were able to locate
on the outskirts of cities and allowed more people to move to
the suburbs
 The new mobile society. increased the Oil and gas consumption
to where it had doubled between the years 1920 – 1929
 As well as the concept of paying the workers a wage
proportionate to the cost of the car, so that they would provide a
ready made market.
______________________________________________________
Automobiles more importantly helped in the following ways:
 The economy boomed
 Encouraged the building of paved roads, service stations and
garages.
 Gave people greater freedom to travel between the rural to the
city life and
 Gave Americans a new status symbol
In the international poll for the award of the world's most
influential “car of the twentieth century” was the Ford Model T. In
1921 Ford controlled 55% of the U.S. auto market and sold 1
million cars per year.
Airplane Industry
Over time the enhancement of air travel brought new options for
businesses and personal traveling. Some of the inventions that
helped were:
 Development of weather forecasts
 Airplanes built with radios and
 Navigation equipment
The Lockheed Company produced a single engine plane
and it became the most popular airplanes in the late 1920’s.
________________________________________________
America’s Standard of Living Soars
From 1920 to 1929 the US owned 40% of the world’s wealth and
with that comes a change in lifestyles. Average income rose from
$522 to $705 per year.
Electrical Conveniences
Gasoline powered much the US industry; however, electricity
transformed the country into a new age of living.
 The development of alternating current made it possible to
distribute electrical power over greater distances.
 The electricity now was in the suburbs and allowing the use of
appliances.
 These new inventions also made it easier for women to perform
their daily chores and thus freeing them for other activities.
Household appliances such as irons, toasters, musical recorders,
washer/dryers and refrigerators became common within the homes.
 The US economy began to take off
The Dawn of Modern Advertising
The US growth created a new “consumer society”. People
were constantly being encouraged to by products that would help
their lives. To attract buyers to new products businesses would use
advertising.
The American businesses looked for ways to create greater
demand for their products and in turn greater profits. They would
hire psychologists to study how a phrase or image could stimulate
a person into purchasing.
They would turn items that were once luxury products and make
them into necessities. One example was Listerine mouth wash.
Without it one would develop halitosis, bad breath that would spell
disaster for any one.
The US economy again would see a great boom. The image of the
business owners was also increased due to their contributions to
many community organizations.
A Superficial Prosperity
Most Americans believed that this great prosperity would last
forever. Workers made more money, production was increasing,
US business owners were making huge profits and the stock
market was soaring to higher levels.
Producing Great Quantities of Goods
As the business world began to see its greatest growth in
production and sales there was a new movement emerging.
New mergers were created within the steel, electrical, chain stores,
utilities and auto companies. The US government allowed banks to
branch out across the country.
This rapid growth also created a greater gap between the workers
and the managers and owners. Some of America suffered with the
inventions. Farm workers lost jobs to new machines and the over
production of food drove prices down.
Buying Goods on Credit
Outside of advertising the businesses used another tool to draw the
public into buying their products.
To make it easier to purchase a product companies would offer an
Installment Plan. A plan created for the ability to make
it easier to purchase goods.
The program allowed customers to buy goods by making a small
down payment followed by additional monthly payments with
interest.
This increased the overall cost of the purchase, but the plan was
convenient and popular. This allowed for the buying of more
goods in a shorter span of time. During the 1920’s nearly 60% of
all cars and furniture were purchased on credit. Automobiles were
the main product of choice in using this plan.