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Boom & Bust. Lecture 32. Republicans Return. Warren Harding wins election of 1920 End of Progressivism; return to laissez-faire (gov hands off) Anti-Trust laws ignored; labor unions attacked Muller AND Adkins cases: women don’t need protective laws USA becomes isolationist
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Boom & Bust Lecture 32
Republicans Return • Warren Harding wins election of 1920 • End of Progressivism; return to laissez-faire (gov hands off) • Anti-Trust laws ignored; labor unions attacked • Muller AND Adkins cases: women don’t need protective laws • USA becomes isolationist • Refuses to join League of Nations • Disarmament Treaties give false sense of security • Kellogg-Briand Pact outlaws war (except in self-defense) • Higher tariffs keep out European Goods
Harding’s Scandals • Worst President since Grant • Col. Charles Forbes – Head of Veteran’s Bureau • Embezzles $200 million • Teapot Dome • Albert Fall: Head of the Dept. of Interior • Sells Gov’t oil reserves after taking $100,000 bribe • Attorney General – Nation’s Cop • Selling pardons
“Silent Cal” • Harding dies of pneumonia • VP Calvin Coolidge becomes 30th POTUS • Continues pro-business policies and isolationism • Cleans corruption from the White House • Frustrated Farmers • Had seen prosperity during WW1 • Overproduction leads to falling prices • Coolidge vetoes laws that would help farmers
International Debts • USA loaned $10 billion to Allies • USA wants repayment of war loans • GB & France say already paid in “Wall of flesh” • Cycle of Debt • USA wants repayment from GB/France • GB/France wants reparations from Germany • Germany allows hyperinflation to pay reparations • Dawes Act: reschedules German reparation payments • Allows USA to loan money to Germany to stabilize economy
Election of 1928 • Candidates • Dem: Al Smith, Governor of New York • Catholic, “wet”, liberal • Reps: Herbert Hoover (Who but Hoover?) • Protestant, “dry”, conservative • Radio influences campaign • Helps Hoover more than Smith
Boom & Bust • Black Tuesday – Oct 29, 1929 • Stock market crashes; loses $40 billion in paper profits • Causes of the Crash • Massive speculation in stock market • Overexpansion of credit & Overproduction of farms/factories • Hawley-Smoot Tariff prevents foreign trade • Effects of the Crash • Massive unemployment (1 in 4) • Business & Bank failures • Wages/Hours cut • Breadlines, Soup Kitchens, Hoovervilles
Hoover battles depression • Hoover believes Gov’t should be hands-off • Gov’t hand-outs would destroy America • Eventually forced to change in policies • Focused on relief to banks/business; not people • Bonus March • 20,000 WW1 veterans march to D.C. • Demand early payment of their WW1 bonus • Hoover order the army to evacuate the veterans • Violence erupts; Hoover’s popularity plummets
War on the Horizon • Japan invades Manchuria, China - 1931 • USA shocked but refuses to get involved • League of Nations protests but powerless without USA • Stimson Doctrine – Paper Bullets • USA will not recognize territory acquired by force • Japan bombs Shanghai - 1932 • USA boycotts Japanese goods • Will not get involved in armed intervention