President Fact Files 1917-45

Question 1

why was Woodrow Wilson elected/re-elected

Answer 1

• America’s population growing and wanted to equally share the economic boom
• social equality
• interfere in society
• anti-military, he kept us out of war
• he was a pacifist, but goes to war in 1917

Question 2

what domestic policies did Woodrow Wilson put in place

Answer 2

• all women are given the vote by the 19th amendment in 1920 putting women on the map with political power and aiding the female suffragette movement
• 21st amendment introduction of prohibition
• prohibition cleaned the streets, improved lifestyle, religious and increased back alley sales

Question 3

what foreign policy did Woodrow Wilson put in place

Answer 3

• he kept America out of the war in Europe in his second year of presidency, just supplied arms to allies to get money and not lose men
• German U-boats began sinking US ships and he negotiates with Germans and got them to limit their naval programme in 1917
• Zimmerman telegraph crisis, Germany encouraged Mexico to invade, essentially a declaration of war
• Wilson’s fourteen points were his attempt to end all wars through international co-operation and disarmament leading to the creation of the league of nations

Question 4

what was the style/personality of Woodrow Wilson

Answer 4

he had a poor legacy:

• economic problems and war
• lost the trust of the democrats and tarnished their reputation
• he suffered a stroke at the end of his presidency and didn’t do much, his wife ran the white house
• democrats didn’t have chance to get new democratic candidate in time for re-election
• TV and radio not really popular so style not needed
• presidency seen as an aristocratic and well-educated role

Question 5

why was Warren G Harding elected/re-elected

Answer 5

• promises to return to normalcy
• promises isolationism
• promises to lower taxes, restore the economy, jobs for everyone, money for everyone
• promises to look into race issue and improving their lives so gets African-American votes
• strays from Republican beliefs and helps poor promise

Question 6

what domestic policies did Warren G Harding put in place

Answer 6

• reduce tax
• upholds prohibition
• high tariffs on foreign goods, less trade but tariffs raised back at America, but no money in America. People buy American goods, jobs and money
• laissez-faire
• less government in business, more business in government
• emergency quota act, reduce immigration, 1/2 million people a year to reduce overpopulation, they only want rich, self-sustaining people. Don’t want immigrants taking jobs from America, stop communism rising, shut it away. It made him popular

Question 7

what foreign policies did Warren G Harding put in place

Answer 7

• not interested in it
• isolationism
• if there is war not many allies
• trade not as easy
• run out of people to sell to or trade with, once you buy a car you don’t buy a second
• global trade network is necessary

Question 8

what was the style/personality of Warren G Harding

Answer 8

• gives out radios for free to disadvantaged families, boosts US industry and expand communication, spread his ideas on radio

Question 9

why was Calvin Coolidge elected/re-elected

Answer 9

• Harding did all the hard work for him and people had already bought into Republicanism
• No capitalism
• America prosperous
• Lassiez-faire

Question 10

what was the domestic policy that Calvin Coolidge put in place

Answer 10

• radio licensing act, regulates radio stations, stops communist channels etc.
• keeps taxes low
• isolationism
• lassiez-faire
• keeps Republican ideas

Question 11

what was the foreign policy that Calvin Coolidge put in place

Answer 11

• isolationism

Question 12

what was the personality/style of Calvin Coolidge

Answer 12

• silent cal

- arguably responsible for wall street crash as everyone got into debt and he didn’t regulate banks or stock markets