FOR THE RECORD - I'm writing and posting this BEFORE the 2024 US Election. I don't, at the time of this writing, know who won (or who is winning) the election.
Sometimes when I'm writing about the circumstances and situations of the 1920s, I forget that the time period is 100 years ago. Maybe because I'm a child of the sixties, and my grandfather was born in the 20s, and it didn't seem that far away back then. Time is a funny thing, isn't it?
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*I'm not an expert at political history, so I turned to the internet for information. The bold font is mine to highlight key information for those of you who like to skim.
I asked: In the US and UK in the 1920s, what were the significant elections that brought good or bad changes.
ChatGPT said:
The 1920s in both the US and UK saw elections that set significant political and social changes in motion. Here’s a rundown of some of the most impactful elections of the decade:
United States
1920 Presidential Election (Warren G. Harding and running mate Calvin Coolidge win)
Context: After World War I, the United States was weary of international involvement and the idealism that characterized Woodrow Wilson’s presidency.
Outcome: Harding ran on a "return to normalcy" platform, promising to focus on domestic concerns. His presidency marked a conservative shift, scaling back progressive reforms and embracing pro-business policies.
Impact: Harding’s administration was marred by scandals (notably the Teapot Dome* READ TO THE END if you want to more about what this is), which damaged public trust in the government. However, his policies encouraged the economic boom of the Roaring Twenties, albeit at the expense of long-term economic stability.
1924 Presidential Election (Calvin Coolidge re-elected)
Context: Harding's sudden death in 1923 led to Vice President Coolidge assuming office. Known for his laissez-faire approach, Coolidge represented stability.
Outcome: Coolidge won the election with a message of limited government interference in business, appealing to those benefiting from the booming economy.
Impact: The pro-business stance continued, intensifying the economic growth of the 1920s. However, the lack of regulation contributed to financial practices that would ultimately lead to the 1929 Wall Street Crash.
1928 Presidential Election (Herbert Hoover wins)
Context: By 1928, the US was at the peak of the economic boom. Hoover, seen as an effective administrator and humanitarian, was expected to continue economic prosperity.
Outcome: Hoover’s election initially seemed to promise continued economic success, but the Great Depression hit in 1929.
Impact: Hoover struggled to manage the crisis, and his policies were widely viewed as inadequate, which led to increased public disillusionment with the government’s handling of the economy.
United Kingdom
1922 General Election (Conservatives under Andrew Bonar Law win)
Context: After World War I, the UK was dealing with economic challenges, high unemployment, and the decline of industries.
Outcome: The Conservative Party withdrew from the coalition government with the Liberals, and Bonar Law became Prime Minister.
Impact: The Conservatives gained a solid majority, setting the tone for Conservative dominance for much of the decade. This election also marked a decline in Liberal influence, with the Labour Party emerging as a significant political force.
1923 General Election (Conservatives under Stanley Baldwin win, but Labour forms first government in 1924)
Context: Baldwin, who succeeded Bonar Law, called a snap election to gain support for tariff reform, but the Conservatives lost seats.
Outcome: With no clear majority, the Labour Party, under Ramsay MacDonald, formed its first minority government in 1924.
Impact: Although MacDonald’s government was short-lived, it was historic as the first Labour government. It established Labour as a viable alternative to the Conservatives, signaling a shift toward more representation for the working class.
1924 General Election (Conservatives under Stanley Baldwin return to power)
Context: The Labour government fell after a scandal involving a Soviet letter, seen as an attempt to discredit Labour.
Outcome: Baldwin’s Conservatives won a substantial victory, which allowed him to pursue a more conservative agenda.
Impact: Baldwin’s government maintained social stability but did little to address economic issues, and traditional industries continued to decline, setting the stage for increased labor unrest and calls for reform.
1929 General Election (Labour under Ramsay MacDonald wins again)
Context: Unemployment and economic issues were worsening in the UK, and Labour campaigned on addressing workers' needs.
Outcome: Labour won the largest number of seats, though still short of a majority.
Impact: MacDonald’s government faced enormous challenges, as the Great Depression struck soon after. Labour’s inability to fully tackle the economic crisis would lead to its downfall and splits within the party, and it intensified calls for government responsibility in managing the economy.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In the US, elections in the 1920s favored conservative, pro-business policies, creating a boom-bust cycle that contributed to the 1929 crash and Great Depression.
In the UK, the elections signaled a shift from the Liberal Party to a Conservative-Labour rivalry, with Labour gaining ground as a representation of the working class, though struggling to manage economic crises.
A hundred years can bring perspective and insight to what really happened and the long-reaching impacts. I wonder what the records will say a hundred years from now?
WHAT DO YOU THINK? PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS.
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Context:
- After World War I, the U.S. Navy sought to secure oil reserves for military use, so the government set aside several oil fields as emergency reserves. The two primary reserves were at Teapot Dome in Wyoming and Elk Hills in California.
- These oil fields were intended to be kept under federal control to ensure they would be available in times of national crisis.
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The Scandal:
- In 1921, Albert B. Fall, Secretary of the Interior under President Warren G. Harding, convinced Harding to transfer control of these oil reserves from the Navy Department to the Department of the Interior.
- Fall then secretly leased the Teapot Dome oil field to Harry F. Sinclair of Mammoth Oil and the Elk Hills field to Edward L. Doheny of Pan American Petroleum.
- These leases were awarded without competitive bidding, which was unusual for federal leases, and both Sinclair and Doheny made substantial payments to Fall, amounting to bribes of over $400,000 (about $6 million today).
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Discovery and Investigation:
- In 1922, rumors of corruption led to a Senate investigation, spearheaded by Senator Thomas J. Walsh of Montana.
- The investigation revealed the secretive deals, and Fall’s acceptance of bribes became public knowledge.
- The scandal rocked the Harding administration and became symbolic of the corruption associated with his presidency.
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Aftermath:
- Albert B. Fall was convicted of accepting bribes and became the first U.S. Cabinet official to be imprisoned for crimes committed while in office.
- Harry Sinclair was also convicted of contempt of Congress and served time in prison for his role.
- The Teapot Dome Scandal severely damaged the public's trust in government and highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability.
The Teapot Dome Scandal remains one of the most infamous examples of corruption in U.S. political history, often cited alongside Watergate as a hallmark of government corruption.
2 comments
The election did not end the way I wanted. I only hope that this is a cycle and we have future elections and our Constitution stands strong.
Since the election is now over, disappointed in outcome, but your analysis of 1920’s elections does give me hope. Everything goes in cycles.