How did the political environment change, 1917-33? Flashcards
Which president took the USA to ww1, despite not wanting to, what year?
Despite the boost for the US economy, what did many Americans feel about the war?
What did the president do that they disliked in the years that followed the war?
Woodrow Wilson
They felt involvement had been a mistake
Tried to involve the USA more closely in international affairs
What did pres Warren Harding promise the American people in 1921?
A short economic depression caused unemployment to rise from ___,___ in ___ to _,___,___ in ____
What did this create?
What did Harding define his promise as?
What 6 things did Harding say that the government had to do right away?
A return to “normalcy”
950,000 in 1919 to 5,010,000 in 1921
social discontent, protests, strikes and riots
a stable, steady way of life with focus more on the USA again
balance the government’s books, reduce taxation on the American people, introduce tariffs to protect US trade/industry, provide countrywide radio, produce a committee to study “the race question” and how to solve it, Look after the least well-off
What did isolationism suggest?
What was a key phrase used referring to isolationism
Name three things isolationism included (other than immigration restriction)
In 1921, what did the Emergency quota act restrict immigration to?
In 1924 how many was this revised to and how was it changed?
Between 1935 and 1939 what did Congress pass?
Other than helping Europe rebuild economically, what did the USA broker between 1921-1922 (what did this do) that showed that the USA wasn’t entirely isolationist?
What may have happened if the Wall Street Crash hadn’t occurred in 1929?
America should be supportive of other nations but not become entangled with them
“buy American”
Introducing trade tariffs to favour US businesses, not joining the League of Nations, not setting up colonies
357,000 per year
150,000, quotas within this number for different countries
A series of Neutrality Acts which restricted the help that the USA could give to other countries if war broke out
The Washington Conference (set limits on navies)
The USA may have become more internationalist
Name a tariff on imports that encouraged people to buy American
As well as the prosperous economy, what two things allowed booming consumerism and suggested that Republican policies were working?
the Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act
New technology- produced goods more cheaply, hire purchase-allowed people to buy goods over a period of time
How many democrats had there been (including Wilson) since the American civil war (1861-65)?
Despite campaigning to keep out of the war, Wilson took America into it. He also didn’t consult Congress about promoting the League of Nations. What did this make people feel that the president was becoming?
What did Wilson also believe?
What did this come close to breaking?
Only 2
too involved in government decision making
Presidents should be involved in law-making
The separation of powers principle
What were the two key reasons for Americans to turn to republicanism?
What was Harding’s slogan?
What did Laissez-faire politics suggest that the government should focus on?
What was the “party of big business” (republicans) not willing to do?
Harding was not a president who interfered, what was, however, an issue with his presidency?
WW1 & its effects, Wilsons behaviour as president
“less government in business and more business in government”
Its own spending, rather than the economy or social problems
Control wages, working hours or prices
He gave jobs to those who were corrupt which made the administration look corrupt
Why was a democrat not elected after Harding?
What did people believe that Calvin Coolidge would do?
What did Coolidge do in terms of congress?
What did people begin to feel about republicanism under Coolidge?
What became clear to many people when Herbert Hoover was elected?
What did Hoover’s election campaign state, despite this?
They could not agree on a candidate
Restore their faith in the party after the Harding years
he let them go their own way
It was working- prosperity etc
the USA had growing social and economic problems
That the republicans had eliminated poverty, encouraged equality and restored the economy, while the Democrats would ruin all of this
Between what years was the first red scare?
When was the Russian monarchy toppled and replaced by a communist government?
How did this affect many people in the capitalist USA when workers went on large strikes?
1919-1920
1917
Created fear towards worldwide communist revolution
After which worldwide event did workers begin to strike in the USA?
Name two communist parties which were founded after this period?
What group of people distributed pamphlets in many cities, urging revolution?
In ____ there were _,___ strikes with / workers (about _ million people) on strike
On the __ January ____, __,___ shipyard workers went on strike in Seattle
On the _ February, this escalated to a general strike of __,___
Police and strikers did not clash, what, however, became national news?
What began to break out because of this?
WW1 The Communist Party of America (CPUSA) & the Communist Labor Party of America (CLP) Anarchists 1919, 3,600, 1/4, 4 million 21st January, 1919, 35,000 6th, 60,000 rumours of a communist revolution Red hunting
Name some events leading up to the first red scare
Who did some businesses sack as anti-communist feelings escalated?
Who did violent groups such as the KKK begin to target?
Of the thousands arrested as suspicious, how many people were actually deported once their cases were considered?
Who predicted a “Red revolution” (which didn’t occur) and for what date?
What happened after this?
see separate deck Employees with left-wing views Those they considered "Un-American" 556 Attorney General Palmer, 1st May 1920 The government, Media and most people began to react to communism in a more balanced way, the anti-communist feeling never completely went away
What pamphlet did Hoover write in 1922 which focused on people taking responsibility for themselves?
By the year of his election campaign, what theory had this evolved into, what year was this?
What did this theory suggest?
American Individualism
Rugged Individualism, 1928
People who could look after themselves would make their own way in the world and prosper, realising the American dream
Name three things that people who believed in rugged individualism felt
- All people (including poor and homeless) were weakened by government support because it sapped their self-reliance
- The USA should isolate itself from other countries
- The USA should restrict immigration; most immigrants were moving to improve their lives rather than to bring wealth to the country
What were the two key reasons for the 1929 Wall Street Crash?
What was one reason why Republicans (and Hoover) favoured leaving the economy to sort itself out?
underlying problems with the ‘boom’, out of control share trading
The depression after the first world war lasted for just 18 months
What did Hoover persuade Congress to create in 1929, why?
Despite noticing that Lassez-faire wasn’t working, what did Hoover believe should be done?
What did Hoover set up in 1930, what happened?
What did he encourage businessmen to do?
What did Hoover first begin to do 1930?
what did he then do towards the 1932 federal elections, what did many people think of this/what happened?
In the last year of his presidency, how much did he put the government in debt?
Despite Hoover’s attempts to change peoples perspectives on welfare provision, what was a sign that many disliked him?
-To set up the Federal Farm Board, farmers found it difficult to sell goods abroad because of isolationist tariffs
-Private charities set up by businesses and wealthy to help people on a local, personal level- felt that the government should just encourage people to do this
-The President’s Emergency Committee for Employment, It was overwhelmed
-Invest in the economy by setting up similar organisations
-Federally advised states, gave them some money to fund the projects
Asked Congress to pass laws to give direct federal help, they weren’t happy & many were rejected
$3 million
‘Hooverville’ shanty towns
What year did the US government give a bonus to those who fought in the army -what happened to any of the money above $50?
What month/year did the bonus army march to Washington to demand their bonus’ early?
Between how many veterans were estimated to have camped on various sites around the city (including within sight of the white house)?
What happened at first?
On what date were troops sent in and what equipment did they have?
What did reports later state to make the incident seem less blameworthy?
What did Hoover try to do, (but still lost popularity as a result of how the bonus army was treated)?
1924, It went into a fund to be paid out in 1945
June 1932
Between 150,000 & 200,000
Police tried to break up camps with little success and violence on both sides.
28th July, tear gas, bayonets, Cavalry, tanks and machine guns (only tear gas and bayonets used)
That many of those in the camps were communist agitators and criminals
Urge the commander of the 12th infantry to use restraint
