APUSH c 35 Essays

Essay Questions

1.     Compare the personal characteristics of Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover. In that regard, what did they have in common? How do their personal qualities help explain their political success in the twenties?

2.     What evidence was there throughout the twenties that the economy was not as healthy as most believed? Why weren’t these weaknesses addressed?

3.     In what ways did the Washington Conference, Kellogg-Briand Pact, and Hoover-Stimson Doctrine fall short of assuring American national security?

4.     Why was the Harding administration so scandal-ridden? Consider both Harding’s personal qualities and the postwar climate. What long-term impact did these scandals have on Harding’s reputation, the Republican party, and American national interests?

                5.             Outline the causes of the Great Crash in 1929. Why did it come so unexpectedly?

6.     The text’s authors claim that during the 1920s "isolation [from foreign involvement] was enthroned in Washington." Do you agree? Why or why not? Cite specific episodes in international affairs that support your interpretation.

7.     Describe the relationship between American tariff policy, war debts/reparations, and the Great Depression. Explain why the federal government adopted the tariff and debt-repayment policies it did. Assess the wisdom of these policies.

8.     Account for Herbert Hoover’s election victory in 1928. Consider the "liabilities" and advantages of the two candidates, the state of the economy, and the public mood. What were the campaign issues? Why was Hoover so popular when he was elected?

9.     What did Herbert Hoover do to combat the Great Depression? What more do you think he should have done? Why didn’t he? Justify the text authors’ terming Hoover the "Pioneer of the New Deal."

10.   Historians have not looked too kindly on the presidents of the twenties. They are usually judged as merely mediocre. Do you agree with this evaluation of their performance? Explain.

11.   Had you been a voter in the twenties, explain why you might have been drawn to vote for Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover.

12.   It was observed of the politics of the 1920s that what was needed was "less government in business and more business in government." Interpret this remark. To what extent do you think that "need" was met by Republican policies in the twenties? Give examples.