Politics of Boom and Bust
APUSH
I. Republican Reactionism
A. Warren G. Harding
1. Charming exterior/weak interior.
2. Ohio Gang
A. advisors that were corrupt (that used their power for
their own benefit.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Charles Evan Hughes – Secretary of State
Andrew W. Mellon – Secretary of Treasury
Herbert Hoover- Secretary of Commerce
Albert B. Fall – secretary of the Interior
Harry M. Daugherty – Attorney General
Harding
I. Republican Reactionsim
A. Warren G. Harding
2. Ohio Gang
B. Goal was to bring back laissez faire and business
should help guide business to profit.
C. Anti trust laws were ignored
D. Supreme Court was used to do so
1.
2.
3.
Axed progressive legislation
Killed child labor laws
Adkins v Children's Hospital – overturned Muller v Oregon
(women no longer need special protection)
I. Republican Reactionism
A. Warren G. Harding
2. Ohio Gang
E. Esch- Cummins Transportation Act of 1920 –
encouraged private consolidation of railroads
F. Merchant Marine Act - sold 1500 ships to private
shippers, decreased navy
G. With these policies, labor movement would suffer
Ohio Gang
I. Republican Reactionism
A. Warren G. Harding
B. WWI Vets
1. Veterans Bureau – hospitals and vocational rehab
2. American Legion
3. Veteran Benefits
I. Republican Reactionism
B. Foreign Policy
1. American Isolationism
A.
B.
C.
D.
Agreed to a joint resolution to end the war.
Left Europe to fend for themselves
Middle East
Disarmament
A. Five Power Treaty: set up 5-5-3 ratio of ships
B. Four Power Treaty: required Britain, Japan,
France, and US to keep Status quo in the Pacific.
C. Nine Power Treaty: kept open door policy with
China
I. Republican Reactionsim
B. Foreign Policy
1. The Terrible Tariff
A.
Fordney-McCumber Tariff: increased tariff from 27 to 38.5%,
authority given to executive to fluctuate tariff to 50%
B. Problem: Europe owed money to US and needed to
export, but tariff crippled exports. We weren’t getting
paid back
I. Republican Reactionism
D. Harding Scandals
1. Forbes’ Veteran Bureau Scandal – looted over $200
million from the government bribes for pardons and
liquor permits. Never convicted though much
evidence supported.
2. Teapot Dome Scandal – (1921) – Albert Fall (Sect. of
Interior) transferred naval oil reserve lands in
Wyoming and Calif. to Dept. of Interior. He then
leased these to Sinclair and Doheny in exchange for
$400,000.
3. Investigation of Attorney General Daugherty –
illegal sale of pardons and liquor permits.
Tea Pot Dome Scandal