THE ROARING TWENTIES:

DOMESTIC AFFAIRS

Libertyville HS

20s Isolationism: The US Turns Inward

Impact of WWI & the disillusionment w/ the peace Treaty of Versailles

○ Unjust treatment of Germany○ War Guilt Clause○ Reparations○ Disarmament○ New Map of Europe

League of Nations○ Article X○ Enforcement?

Partisan fighting○ Henry Cabot Lodge v. President

Wilson

20s Isolationism: The US Turns Inward

Election of 1920Reaction to Wilson’s failing

health, progressive reformsRevolutions abroad, strikes

and dissent at homeTR died in 1919; no obvious

heir to progressive mvt Warren Harding (GOP) –

compromise candidate (“smoke filled room”)

James Cox (D) – OH gov., newspaper ed.

Harding’s “A return to normalcy” resonated w/ US

ResultsHarding 404 ECV / 16.1 millionCox 127 ECV / 9.1 million

Economic Isolation Tariff increased over the

1920s 1913 = 29% 1922 = 38.5% 1929: Smoot-Hawley =

59.1% (record high) Effects

Int’l trade stagnated Europeans unable to pay

debts to US US, a creditor nation,

developed bad feelings towards Europe

Key component causing Great Depression

A = Smoot Hawley enacted

Cultural Intolerance Isolationism compatible with

intoleranceGreat Migration led to…

○ Ghettos○ Rebirth of KKK

Scopes “Monkey “ TrialMay evolution be taught in

schools?Scopes (TN teacher) defended

by Clarence DarrowProsecuted by William J. Bryan

(anti-evolution)Verdict: guilty, fined $1Inherit the Wind: Hollywood

version

Prohibition 1919 Volstead Act

Banned the manufacture, sale transport of 0.5% alcohol

Exception: medicinal, religious purposes

Implemented 18th Am. “The Noble

Experiment”“Wet “= opponent“Dry” = supporter

Prohibition Was prohibition

successful?NO!!!Rise of organized crime

○ Al Capone (Chicago)○ “Speakeasies” (illicit bar)○ “Hooch” (illicit alcohol)

1928 Wickersham CommissionProhibition should be

continued, despite being a failure

1933: 21st Am. Repealed 18th Am (local option) Can morality be legislated?

Restrictions on Immigration CausesRejection of EuropeDomestic labor abundanceAmericanization very slowNon-payment of war debt

Legal restrictionsChinese Exclusion Act of

18821907 Gentleman’s

Agreement (US, Japan)○ No more Japanese

immigration○ No discrimination against

current Japanese residents

Restrictions on Immigration

Legal restrictions 1921 Emergency Quota Act

○ Total of 350k immigrants○ Each nation allowed 3% of the #

currently in the US, as of 1910 1924 Immigration Act

○ No Asians allowed○ Each nation allowed 2% of its 1890

base currently in the US 1929 National Origins Act

○ Total of 150k immigrants○ Each nation allowed 2% of its 1920

base currently living in the US

Impact of restrictions Huge waiting lists Immigration reduced to a trickle

Labor Strife 1919 – over 2000 major

strikesReaction to restrictions of

war Example

UMW strikeBoston Police strike“There is no right to strike

against public safety by anybody, anywhere, any time!” Gov. Coolidge

“Red Scare”

1920: Pres Wilson’s AG Mitchell Palmer identified a communist threat in USLed to “Palmer Raids”:

6000 immigrants detained, 566 deported

Five socialists expelled from NY Assembly

“Red Scare” 1921: Nicola Sacco &

Bartolomeo Vanzetti caseMurder case of a payroll

clerkLiabilities (against them)

○ Immigrants○ Anarchists○ Atheists○ Italian

Executed in 1927