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Politics in 1920s

Politics in 1920s. Ch. 14, Sec 1. The Red Scare. 1917-1920-Russian Revolution. Communists under Lenin overthrew Czar Nicholas II & took over Russia. Communism - Needs of the state took priority over rights of individuals. Gov’t owned all factors of production.

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Politics in 1920s

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  1. Politics in 1920s Ch. 14, Sec 1

  2. The Red Scare • 1917-1920-Russian Revolution. • Communists under Lenin overthrew Czar Nicholas II & took over Russia. • Communism- • Needs of the state took priority over rights of individuals. • Gov’t owned all factors of production. • Single political party ruled nation. • Americans did not like communism.

  3. Americans concerned that Communists infiltrating USA with immigrants. • Strikers and labor leaders termed “revolutionaries”, bombers mailed bombs to gov’t officials. • Fear of communist infiltration & takeover called “Red Scare”. • Court cases supported Red Scare & Communist crackdown. • Schenck v. USA-During WWI, Charles Schenck mailed letters to draftees, urging them not to report to duty. • Convicted of breaking Espionage Act, appealed on free speech. • Supreme Court stated that free speech can be suspended in case of national emergency.

  4. Charles Schenck

  5. Gitlow V. New York-Bernard Gitlow, Socialist, published letters urging overthrow of gov’t. • Supreme Court upheld conviction, affirmed that 14th Amendment also applied to states. • June 1919-bomb exploded at home of A. M. Palmer, Atty Gen. of USA. • Palmer believed radicals attempting to overthrow gov’t. • Set up Palmer Raids on Communist, Socialist, & anarchist groups. • Thousands arrested in 33 cities, 500 deported to home countries. • Had public’s support, but they turned on him when Labor Day passed without riots he warned about.

  6. A. Mitchell Palmer

  7. April 15, 1920-2 men robbed payroll of show factory in Massachusetts, killed guard. • 2 Italian immigrant anarchists arrested. • NicolsSacco & BartolomeoVanzetti. • Both found carrying guns. • Many believed Sacco & Vanzetti arrested for political beliefs. • Put on trial (trial was unfair). • Found guilty, executed by electric chair August 1927.

  8. Sacco Vanzetti

  9. Labor Strikes • Waves of strikes during Red Scare; many believed Communist agitators behind strikes. • Was actually due to inflation & lowered standard of living. • Boston Police Strike-Cops had no raises since WWI started. • Tried to organize union, 19 fired, cops struck. • Led to riots in Boston, state guard called in. • Steelworkers struck for shorter hours in Indiana. • Strikebreakers killed 18, injured hundreds. • Troops called in, strike failed.

  10. Coal miners struck for better pay. • Courts demanded miner work, miners refused. • Winter-coal shortage, strikers win, 14% raise. • Public did not like unions and strikes, saw them as Commie agitators hurting USA. • Union membership began to decline, led to sharp drop in strikes by mid-1920s.

  11. Warren G. Harding • Served 1921-1923. Republican. • Isolationist-no alliances with foreign nations. • Promoted disarmament-nations would voluntarily give up weapons; promote peace. • Raised import tariffs to highest ever. • Promoted American business. • Created Dawes Plan-payment schedule for Germany to pay off war debt. • Passed immigration quotas-limits to certain ethnicities.

  12. Harding’s presidency plagued by scandals. • No proof Harding was involved in them. • Worst-Teapot Dome Scandal. • Secretary of Interior Albert Fall secretly gave oil-drilling rights in Elk Hills, CA, and Teapot Dome, WY to two companies. • Received $300,000 in bribes for rights. • This and other scandals probably led to Harding’s death in 1923. • Vice-President Calvin Coolidge sworn in as new President.

  13. Albert Fall

  14. Calvin “Silent Cal” Coolidge • Not involved in scandals. • “The chief business of the American people is business.” • Laissez-faire business policy. • Lowered income taxes, higher tariffs. • Not all liked it, many Progressives felt gov’t should do more. • Continued isolationist policies. • Kellogg-Briand Pact-15, later 60 nations agree not to use threat of war in diplomacy. • Outlawed war.

  15. Coolidge refused to run for 2nd term as President. • Herbert Hoover nominated by Republicans to replace Coolidge. • Organized, pro-business, pro-Prohibition. • Won in 1928 by large margin.

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