The Changing Political Environment 1917 - 1980 Flashcards
Why was Woodrow Wilson significant?
He was a democratic US President 1913 – 1921 who led America through the victory of WW1, as well as setting up the League of Nations to ensure world peace. He also ratified the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, giving the vote to American women.
Why was Warren G Harding significant?
He was a republican US President 1921 – 1923 who pledged a ‘return to normalcy’ following the events of WW1. After his death in office, his involvement in a number of scandals came to light, setting his successor Calvin Coolidge’s presidency in a bad light.
Why was Calvin Coolidge significant?
He was a republican US President 1923 – 1929 who made sure to restore integrity to the government, by firing those involved in the scandals, while continuing the conservative pro-business policies of his predecessor and leading the US through the Roaring Twenties, a post-war prosperity.
Why was Herbert Hoover significant?
He was a republican US President 1929 – 1933 who became the scapegoat for the crash of the stock market in 1929, the nation spiralling into the Great Depression. There was an 18-month long depression post WW1, so Republicans favoured leaving the economy to sort itself out, in which Hoover followed. People even named the shanty towns of homeless people ‘Hoovervilles’ after him.
“We in America today are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever before in the history of any land.” 1928
First World War
Despite the boost it had given the economy, many Americans were unhappy with Wilson involving them in international matters, solidifying the Republican value the next presidents gave importance to which was isolationism.
Unemployment 1919 – 1921
rose from 950,000 to 5,010,000
Return to normalcy
Harding narrowed down ‘normalcy’ as a stable, steady way of life – in which he planned to return by reducing taxation on the American people (set higher during the war), introduce tariffs, provide countryside radio, public welfare and the ‘race question’.
Tariffs
- Tariffs high taxes put on imports to encourage ‘buy American’, protecting US trade and industry. E.g Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act (most punitive protectionalist act) up to 40%
Isolationism
Harding expressed the views of many when he said the US should be supportive of other nations without getting ‘entangled’ with them.
1921 Emergency Quota Act
restricted immigration to 357,000 a year
The appeal of republicanism
The interests of republicans at the time was mainly characterized by their obsession with business, though a laissez faire approach, dissimilar to Wilson’s involvement with law-making.
Laissez faire
the action of minimal government interference, e.g not regulating business and not providing welfare for the poor.
The First Red Scare
1919 – 1920, a fear of communism sparked by the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, which saw the Russian monarchy overthrown
Anarchist uprisings
1919, more than 3,600 strikes, 1 in 4 workers on strike as well as bombs set off in several cities (June and September), said to be planted by ‘Red’ groups, January 1920, FBI raids in 33 cities, somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 arrests of Communists made and eventually 556 deported
Rugged Individualism
created by Herbert Hoover, based on Republican laissez-faire policy that focused less on inaction and more on allowing people to take responsibility for themselves, realising the American Dream. It spread key messages such as the need for isolationism and immigration restrictions, but the unneccesarity of government support and regulation in business.
