1920s:Politics & the Economy

Immigration• Many Americans associated immigrants w/ radicalism

(socialists, communists, etc)• Red Scare (1919-20): Fear of communism• Nativists: Favor native-born citizens & against immigrants

(Know-Nothing Party)• Sacco & Vanzetti: Executed (victims of nativism)• Palmer Raids: Deported suspected radicals (immigrants)• Quota Acts of 1921 & 1924: Limited immigrants from each

country. Banned all Asians (1924)• KKK: Membership grew to 4.5 million. Targeted AA,

Catholics, Jews, & immigrants.

1920s Economic Policy

• US returns to isolationism• Laissez-Faire: Limited gov’t regulation of

business. • Wages & union efforts decreased• No trust-busting• Smoot-Hawley Tariff: Meant to protect US

businesses, but prices increased & trade decreased.

1920s Presidents

• Pro-Business• Warren G. Harding

*Teapot Dome Scandal: Took bribes to allow companies to drill for oil on gov’t lands.

• Calvin Coolidge: “The business of America is business”

• Herbert Hoover: President during 1929 Stock Market Crash