CHAPTER 33 REPUBLICANS GALORE • The 1920s see three GOP presidents • Warren Harding was elected in 1920 – Scandal, scandal, scandal – Sec. of State - Charles Evans Hughes – Sec. of Treasury - Andrew Mellon – Sec. Of Commerce - Herbert Hoover – Sec. Of Interior - Albert Fall Election of 1920 End of Progressivism • The reforms largely end after WWI • Taft is the new Chief Justice – very conservative – Adkins v. Children’s Hospital • reversed the Mueller decision • Took away minimum wage for women and special treatment for women in jobs - why? Aftermath of the War • Corporations did what they wanted and no one stopped them • Labor unions continued tough times – 1919 Steel Strike – 1922 - RR workers suffered a 12% wage decrease • 1921 - Veteran’s Bureau created – Built hospitals and provided rehab for vets • American Legion founded - benefits for vets Return of Isolationism • The U.S. sent “observers” to the L. of N. • Did sign a big deal that gave us rights to some oil in the Middle East • Isolationism returns – Still looking for a way to avoid future wars – “Disarmament” became a major focus Washington Conference • all countries except the U.S.S.R. invited • Agreed to a 10 year “naval holiday” • Five Power Treaty – 5:5:3 ratio agreed upon b/n the U.S., G.B. and Japan – G.B. & the U.S. agreed to not fortify possessions in the Far East Washington Conference • Four Power Treaty – Bound the U.S., Japan, France, and G.B. to preserve the status quo in the Pacific • Nine Power Treaty – Formalized the Open Door to China • Failures – No restrictions on small warships, U.S would not agree to intervene to maintain the Four Power Treaty Kellogg-Briand Pact Frank Kellogg • AKA the Pact of Paris • Signed by 62 nations • Agreement to not use war as an instrument of foreign policy – Said nothing about “defensive war” – No enforcement mechanism Aristide Briand Tariffs in the 1920s • Americans had lots of $ and U.S. business wanted it spent on their goods • Fordney-McCumber Tariff (1922) – tariffs were almost doubled – Included tariffs on farm produce - bad – Allowed the Prez to adjust if needed • Harding & Coolidge okayed 32 increases, only 5 reductions • Really hurt Europe - needed $ to rebuild and pay us back Harding Scandals • Col. Charles Forbes - Veteran’s Bureau – stole about $200 million • Teapot Dome - U.S. oil reserves – Naval oil reserves transferred to the Interior Dept. (Albert Fall) – The land was then leased to 2 private businessmen for a $400,000 bribe • Fall convicted, “bribers” acquitted • Attorney General Daugherty resigned Calvin Coolidge • Became President upon the death of Warren Harding • Honest, moral, incredibly short with his words • Brought dignity back to the White House Farmers in the 1920s • Made lots of $ during WWI – Feeding the armies and citizens of the countries at war • After the war lost certain markets and protections from the U.S. govt. – Had increased their production so now had a surplus (prices fell) • Technology improved and made it more expensive to farm Farm Bankruptcies in the 1920s Election of 1924 • GOP nominated Coolidge • Democrats were split on a # of issues – wet v. dry, urban v. rural, fundamentalist v. modernist – Nominated John Davis • Progressives still lingering – Nominate Robert LaFollete – Got 5 million votes (farmers, socialists, AFL) Election of 1924 - Results Coolidge & Foreign Policy • Isolationism (except Latin America) • WWI debt was a big issue – Other Allies didn’t think they should have to pay • Paid in loss of life, war was responsible for an economic boom in the U.S. • Took it out on Germany - $52 billion in reparations • Dawes Plan (circle of debt) Election of 1928 • GOP nominates Herbert Hoover – Very popular – Success story – Great for business • Made his own $ and thought govt. should stay out of the way • Dems nominate Al Smith – wet, urban, accent (radio didn’t help), abrasive – Catholic - lots of religious undertones Election of 1928 Hoover’s Presidency • Despite prosperity, was signs of trouble • Farmers still hurting – Agricultural Marketing Act • Created the Federal Farm Board • $ to form cooperatives (bought equipment and storage facilities) – Had promised to call for and agricultural tariff • Hawley-Smoot Tariff – Started out good, – ended up being largest in our history (Depression) – Made the Depression worse Stock Market Crash • Oct. 29, 1929 - major sell off – $40 billion lost in 2 months – By 1930 were 4 million without jobs • Tripled in 2 years – Those who had jobs lost hours and were paid lower wages – Made worse by mass bank closures Stock Market Crash Causes of the Great Depression • Overproduction – Were making more than the market needed • Income gap – All the$ was concentrated in the hands of the rich • Credit • Problems in Europe – Were being made worse by U.S. policies Hoover & the Depression • He took a lot of blame – Hoovervilles, Hoover blankets, etc. • Hoover refused the kind of govt. help that was needed – “rugged individualism” – Idea of “direct relief” not too popular – Eventually tried to help - too little too late • Top down help - not popular Hoover’s Actions • Public works projects - provided jobs – Ex. Hoover Dam • Reconstruction Finance Corporation – $500 million in loans to RRs, insurance companies, banks, state and local govts. – Good, but not enough • Did more than any other President before him - still not enough Bonus Army • WWI vets were supposed to get a bonus in 1945 - needed it now • 20,000 veterans converged on D.C. to lobby Congress – “Bonus Expeditionary Force” • Congress said no and Hoover orderd them to leave – They didn’t and were a few incidents including a small riot – He used the army to get rid of them - MISTAKE! League of What, Kellogg-Briand Who? • 1931 - Japanese invade Manchuria – Alleged it was defensive - needed iron – Knew no one would stop them- why? – League of Nations did nothing • Stimson Doctrine – Henry Stimson – Sec. of State – U.S. would not recognize territory gained by force - oooooohhhhh! Good Neighbor? • Hoover did improve relations with Latin America • Went on a goodwill tour as part of his new “Good Neighbor” policy • Withdrew U.S. troops from Nicaragua and Haiti – Saved us money.