11/1/12Return to Normalcy: Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover 1920-1932Major characteristics of this periodPolitical conservatism-Progressivism as a movement came to an end-People desired to return to the “good old days”-Called the “return to normalcy”-Warren G. Harding-Red Scare-A. Mitchell Palmer – Attorney General: arrested alleged radicals and agitators, violating their constitutional rightsEconomic conservatism-Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover all favored close relations between business and government, but also laissez faire and rugged individualism “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps”Boom and bust-Time of unparalleled economic growth and prosperity-Farmers and unskilled workers were not included in this successCultural Change-The Jazz Age-The Harlem Renaissance-Rebellion against traditional standards -New forms of cultural expression-Important advances in science and thoughtMotion Pictures-The Jazz Zinger-Starring Al JolsonCommercial Radio-KDKA in Pittsburgh came on air broadcasting the 1920 general election returnsMixed Foreign Policy-Isolation-International cooperation-U.S. did not join League of Nations-U.S. helped to sponsor Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928-Pact to outlaw warWarren G. Harding, 1921-23-Republican -From Ohio-Ran against James Cox with running mate FDR-Harding won by a landslide, winning Tennessee’s electoral vote and breaking the solid south for the first time since reconstruction-Not a good judge of character – a running joke was that the difference between George Washington and Harding was that Washington could not tell a lie and Harding could not tell a liar-Now considered one of the least effective Presidents, neck in neck with GrantAchievements-Veterans’ Bureau created in 1921 (today known as Veterans’ Administration)-Immigration restrictions-Bureau of the BudgetCorruption-Director of Veterans’ Bureau Charles Forbes was found guilty of waste and misconduct and was sent to prison-Alien Property Custodian Thomas Miller was found guilty of cheating the government by illegally selling liquor permits-Attorney General Harry Daughterty was accused of favoritism towards employees and of selling pardons and was forced to resign-Interior Secretary Albert Fall involved in the Teapot Dome ScandalCalvin Coolidge, 1923-1928-Finished out Harding’s term and then was elected in his own right-Defeated John Davis with running mate Charles W. Bryan (William Jennings Bryan’sbrother)Achievements-Reduction in taxes-Reduction in national debt-Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928,Herbert Hoover, 1929-1933-Defeated Al Smith in this election-Favored a minimum of government involvement in business, rugged individualismAchievements-Agricultural Marketing Act, 1929-Congress made an attempt to purchase farm surpluses to help farmers-Hawley-Smoot Tariff, 1930-Raised the tariff on over 20,000 imported goods to record levels-Highest tariff ever in U.S. history-In the opinion of most economists, this measure is responsible for or at least worsened the Great Depression and is the greatest policy blunder-Stock Market Crash, 1929-Hundreds of thousands of Americans were buying securities on credit-Prices of stocks and bonds dropped very quickly to low levels-Great Depression followedThe Great Depression-Hoover kept saying, “Prosperity is just around the corner,” but it only grew worse and he was forced to accept the doctrine that the welfare of the peoplein a time of a national depression was the direct concern of the federal government.-Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) loaned money to businesses-Public Works Program-New taxes-Growing public resentment of Hoover for doing too little too late – almost guaranteed a democratic
View Full Document