American history continues through the beginning of the Great Depression.

The Death of Empires and America Marches On
by Michael Doyle

The end of the Great War brought down empires from prior
Redrawing Europe's map by 14 Points down to the wire
Bringing the League of Nations into the business of adjudication
A conference was held unsuccessfully with peace its dedication

Henry Cabot Lodge thwarted Wilson over the issue of sovereignty 
Seeking as he should to ensure American autonomy
Wilson refused to allow this or any other modification
As a result, the treaty failed to obtain its ratification

Wilson turned the election of 1920 into a referendum
Resulting in Warren G. Harding's landslide repudiation
Bringing with him normalcy, healing and restoration
While the Nye Commission would have its investigation

The economy was a roller coaster due to over regulation
While returning Veterans' displacement led to riots across nation
The Spanish Influenza killed Six Hundred Seventy Five Thousand
Globally Twenty Two Million and killing off over 1/4 of our land

This was an era when politics took a bit of a back seat
And business leaders and movie stars held their sway
Calvin Coolidge eucilidated that America's business is business
The leadership made America safe for enterprise as wiseness

Harding took office to find a sharply onset recession
While his Treasurer Mellon cut taxes having no question
That old adage that excessive taxes cost national revenue
Supply side economics returned more of our many to me and you

United States became the economic colossus with its output
Nearly 42% of the world's wealth was produced in American suits
Using methods like Henry Ford's techniques for line assembly
Literally pushing forward the rest of American economy

Automobiles were the drive of all other related industry
Sending ripples through these times for our economy
Henry Ford also saw the need and drove up workers' compensation
These were the days that started the modern age for our nation

Consumer orientated the Jazz Age was a time of imagination
This was the origins of the modern norm across our nation
The Harding Administration, however, left a corrupt legacy
There was far less question about Calvin Coolidge's probity

Silent Cal said little to perhaps his under estimation
Yet, doing just enough for prosperity to earn his reputation
He found our Founders' principles full and complete
The Progressive Movement was regressive and unable to compete

Hoover then took office after Coolidge's one term
Continuing speculative prosperity until Black Thursday's squirm
When prices began falling and kept on their falling
And falling until at last the nation found war again calling

(c) April 5, 2020  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved