Download America In The Twenties

America in the Twenties
I. Court Cases
A.
Schenck v. United States 1919
 During WWI, the Socialist Party in the United States was
arrested under the Espionage Act for distributing anti-draft
leaflets.
 The Espionage Act: Outlaws any obstruction to military
registration through materials handed out or in the mail.
(You may also not utter, print, or publish disloyal or
profane language about the government, its flag or armed
forces.)
 The Supreme Court headed by Justice Holmes upheld the
constitutionality of the law stating that free speech was
never an “absolute” right.
 The Court ruled that if words by someone could cause a
“Clear and Present Danger”, Congress and the government
have the right to prevent certain types of speech.
II. The Red Scare
B.
Sacco and Vanzetti
 The “Red Scare” dealt with American fears over the
spread of Communism, and the fear of overthrowing the
democratic government in the United States.
 To combat the “Red Scare” Attorney General A. Mitchell
Palmer, ordered the deportation of suspected radicals,
raided homes of supposed communists, and arrested
hundreds for their social, economic, and political views.
 Sacco and Vanzetti were two Italian immigrants who
were socialists/anarchists. They were accused of
murdering a paymaster and guard.
 Strong dislike of socialists and immigrants fed the heat of
the trial and the two were convicted under “blind
patriotism”.
III. The Election of 1920
C.
The “Return to Normalcy”
 The Republican candidate for the Presidency was Senator
Warren G. Harding from Ohio.
 Senator Harding promoted the idea of a “return to
normalcy”, where there would be “less government
intervention in business, and more business involvement
in government.”
 The Democratic Candidates were Governor James M.
Cox of Ohio and the Assistant Secretary of the Navy,
Franklin D. Roosevelt.
 Harding’s running-mate was the Governor of MA, Calvin
Coolidge.
 Harding and Coolidge won the Presidency with 60% of
the popular vote and 404 electoral votes.
IV. Reconversions
D.
The Fordney-McCumber Tariff
 A month after being elected President Harding called
Congress into special session to pass legislation to pass
higher tariffs, reduce taxes, and provide a bonus to war
veterans.
 The Fordney-McCumber Tariff was designed to keep
foreign goods out of the United States. This tariff hurt
business when European countries passed their own
tariffs on American goods.
E.
The Esch-Cummins Act
 Returned the railroads to private control by businesses.
F.
The Jones Merchant Marine Act

G.
Authorized the sale of government built ships to private
operators.
Tax Reduction
 Congress passes Harding’s plan for reducing the income
tax and government spending.
 Two new government agencies were created; the Bureau
of the Budget and the General Accounting Office.