Transcript Ch 12.2 The Harding Presidency

Ch 12.2 The Harding Presidency
• Tired of the struggles of Progressivism &
WWI --American turns to simpler times,
simpler leaders and tries to find
– “Normalcy”
– With Warren G Harding
• Scandals & corruption follow
The Drive for Peace:
•1921- Washington Naval Conference–10 yr moratorium on building ships
•US, GB, J, Fr, It scrap many warships
•1925 Locarno Pact- outlawed war
–Spirit of Locarno- Pactomania
•1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact: to renounce war
as policy- 28 signed
•No means for enforcement!
Repayment of war debts
• Fordney- McCumber Tariff- raised rates to 60%,
highest ever, to protect US businesses.
– European nations, unable to sell goods, could not pay
us back
• Dawes Plan: Charles G. Dawes– US banks loan money to Germany
– Germany uses $$$ to pay back France & Britain.
– France & Britain pay back US loans to them.
• Bitter that US insists on payback.
Harding Scandals:
• Ohio Gang- Harding’s poker playing
friends
– Charles Forbes (Veterans Bureau) caught
selling gov & hospital supplies to private
companies
– Albert B Fall (Teapot Dome) caught selling
nations oil supply to private companies
– Harding dies on trip to Alaska- August 1923