1. Chapter 12 Notes

2. Americans lash out at those who are different while they enjoy prosperity and new conveniences produced by American businesses

3.  After WWI, Americans responded to stressful conditions with Nativism and Isolationism  Threat of Communism: to equalize wealth and power, Communists put an end to capitalism and private property  Began in 1919 with Bolshevik Revolution in Russia—Vladimir Lenin  RED SCARE

4.  U.S. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer took action against the Red Scare  Palmer Raids—hunted down suspected Communists, socialists, and anarchists  Invaded private homes and offices  Jailed suspects without allowing legal counsel  Eventually Palmer’s raids failed to turn up evidence and people dismissed his accusations

5.  Red Scare fed people’s suspicions of foreigners and immigrants  “Keep America for Americans”  After WWI, demand for unskilled labor decreased, but immigration increased  Groups formed that supported “100% Americanism”—Ku Klux Klan  By 1924 KKK membership reached 4.5 million  Symbolized American’s fear of change

6.  Congress decided to limit immigration  Emergency Quota Act, 1921  SACCO and VANZETTI  Italian immigrants put on trial for robbery and murder in 1921  Found guilty despite lack of solid evidence  Verdict called the nation’s attention to the unfair treatment of immigrants

7.  During WWI the government would not allow strikes  People who went on strike were associated with Communists and Anti-American

8.  Became President, 1921  Arranged a peace conference  Proposed 10 year halt to ship building  Proposed disarmament  Urged passage of Kellogg-Briand Pact  Fordney-McCumber Tariff—raised tariffs to 60%  Hurt other countries’ economies  Germany unable to pay reparations  Dawes Plan— American investor loaned Germany money to repay France & England…Who then repaid U.S.

9.  Appointed friends to Cabinet (Ohio Gang)  Teapot Dome Scandal—Albert B. Fall transferred oil-rich land, reserved for Naval use, to Interior Department and leased to private oil companies  Received more than $400,000 in loans….  Convicted of felony  Removed from office

10.  Calvin Coolidge becomes President, 1923  Keep government interference to minimum & allow private enterprise to flourish  Rise in new technology & productivity  Cars, Airplanes, Electricity, Advertising

11.  Construction of paved roads  Route 66—From Chicago to California  Towns settled along major highways  Houses equipped with garages & driveways  Gas stations, repair shops, etc…  Liberated the isolated rural family

12.  Superficial Prosperity  Credit—installment plans  Growing gap between workers and management  Key industries suffered losses (RR, Iron, Farm)