Chapter 25TRANSITION TO MODERN

AMERICAAmerica Past and PresentAmerica Past and Present

The Second Industrial Revolution• U.S. developed the highest standard of U.S. developed the highest standard of

living in the world living in the world • The 1920s and the second revolutionThe 1920s and the second revolution

• Electricity replaced steam Electricity replaced steam • Modern assembly introduced Modern assembly introduced

p.720

The Automobile Industry• Auto makers stimulated sales through model Auto makers stimulated sales through model

changes, and…changes, and…• ……advertising/advertising/marketingmarketing crucial to growth crucial to growth

• Auto industry fostered other businessesAuto industry fostered other businesses• Autos encouraged suburban sprawlAutos encouraged suburban sprawl

p.720-721

Patterns of Economic Growth

• New technologies meant new industries: New technologies meant new industries: radio and motion picturesradio and motion pictures• 1929 ~ Successful NBC Radio Network1929 ~ Successful NBC Radio Network

• Structural changeStructural change• Professional managers replaced individual Professional managers replaced individual

entrepreneursentrepreneurs• Corporations became the dominant Corporations became the dominant

business formbusiness form• Marketing & national brands spreadMarketing & national brands spread• Big business weakened regionalism, brought Big business weakened regionalism, brought

uniformity to America uniformity to America p.721-722

Glenwood Stove Ad

p.721

Glenwood Stove Ad

p.721

The American economy of the 1920s saw explosive growth in the consumer-goods industries

Economic Weaknesses• Railroads poorly managedRailroads poorly managed• Coal displaced by petroleumCoal displaced by petroleum• Farmers faced decline in exports, pricesFarmers faced decline in exports, prices

• Had expanded production to meet Had expanded production to meet WWI needsWWI needs

• Weakest part of the economyWeakest part of the economy• Growing disparity between income of Growing disparity between income of

laborers, middle-class managerslaborers, middle-class managers• Middle class began to speculate in the Middle class began to speculate in the

stock market ~ 1920s were prosperousstock market ~ 1920s were prosperous

p.722-723

City Life in the Jazz Age• Rapid increase in urban population Rapid increase in urban population • Skyscrapers symbolized the new mass Skyscrapers symbolized the new mass

culture & most visible symbol of the new culture & most visible symbol of the new citiescities

• Communities of home, church, & school Communities of home, church, & school were absent in the citieswere absent in the cities

• New ideas, new creativity, new New ideas, new creativity, new perspectivesperspectives

• Tribune Tower, in Chicago, won $50k Tribune Tower, in Chicago, won $50k prize for building designprize for building design

p.723-724

Women & the Family• Ongoing crusade for equal rightsOngoing crusade for equal rights

• 1919thth Amendment ~ 1920 Women’s Suffrage Amendment ~ 1920 Women’s Suffrage• ““Flappers” sought individual freedomFlappers” sought individual freedom• Most women remained in domestic sphereMost women remained in domestic sphere• Discovery of adolescenceDiscovery of adolescence

• Teenaged children no longer needed to Teenaged children no longer needed to workwork

• Indulged their craving for excitementIndulged their craving for excitement

p.724-725

The Roaring Twenties• Sports, like golf and baseball, became much Sports, like golf and baseball, became much

more part of national popular culturemore part of national popular culture• Crime waves flourished as wellCrime waves flourished as well• Decade of celebritiesDecade of celebrities

• Gertrude EderleGertrude Ederle ~ Olympic Gold Medallist ~ Olympic Gold Medallist• First woman to swim across the First woman to swim across the

English Channel ~ English Channel ~ 19261926• Died 2003 at 98Died 2003 at 98

• Charles LindberghCharles Lindbergh• First to fly solo across the Atlantic First to fly solo across the Atlantic

OceanOcean ~ 1927 ~ 1927• Spirit of St. LouisSpirit of St. Louis

p.726-727

The Flowering of the Arts• Alienation from 20s’ mass cultureAlienation from 20s’ mass culture• "Exiled" American writers put US in forefront "Exiled" American writers put US in forefront

of world literatureof world literature• T.S. EliotT.S. Eliot• Ernest HemingwayErnest Hemingway• F. Scott FitzgeraldF. Scott Fitzgerald

• Writers like Sinclair Lewis & H.L. Mencken Writers like Sinclair Lewis & H.L. Mencken criticized flaws and contradictions of 1920s criticized flaws and contradictions of 1920s

• Harlem Renaissance ~ African Americans Harlem Renaissance ~ African Americans prominent in music, poetryprominent in music, poetry• Langston HughesLangston Hughes p.727-732

The Rural Counterattack

• Rural Americans identified urban culture Rural Americans identified urban culture with Communism, crime, immoralitywith Communism, crime, immorality

• Progressives attempted to force reform Progressives attempted to force reform on the American peopleon the American people• Upsurge of bigotry Upsurge of bigotry • An era of repressionAn era of repression

p.732-733

The Fear of Radicalism

• 1919: “Red Scare” 1919: “Red Scare” • Illegal roundups of innocent people Illegal roundups of innocent people • Forcible deportation of aliensForcible deportation of aliens

• 1927: Sacco & Vanzetti electrocuted (Italians)1927: Sacco & Vanzetti electrocuted (Italians)• Accused of robbery & murderAccused of robbery & murder• Shaky evidence & inappropriate trail Shaky evidence & inappropriate trail

proceedings proceedings p.733-734

Prohibition

• 18th Amendment gave fed 18th Amendment gave fed govt power to pass Volstead govt power to pass Volstead Act of 1920 that prohibits Act of 1920 that prohibits production, sale, or transport production, sale, or transport of alcoholic beverages of alcoholic beverages

• Consumption of alcohol reducedConsumption of alcohol reduced• Prohibition resented in urban areasProhibition resented in urban areas • Bootlegging/crime became big Bootlegging/crime became big

businessbusiness• Lucrative smuggling businessLucrative smuggling business

p.734-735

The Ku Klux Klan

• 1925 ~ Klan membership hit 5M1925 ~ Klan membership hit 5M• Attack on urban cultureAttack on urban culture• Defense of traditional rural valuesDefense of traditional rural values• Targets: Catholics, Jews, African Targets: Catholics, Jews, African

Americans, womenAmericans, women• Violence & internal corruption resulted Violence & internal corruption resulted

in a large reduction in Klan activity by in a large reduction in Klan activity by 1930 1930

p.735-736

Immigration Restriction

• 1924 ~ National Origins Act1924 ~ National Origins Act• 150k person quota on immigration150k person quota on immigration• Quotas favored northern Europeans Quotas favored northern Europeans • Mexican immigrants exempted from Mexican immigrants exempted from

quotaquota

p.736-737

The Fundamentalist Challenge

• Fundamentalism ~ Stress on traditional Fundamentalism ~ Stress on traditional Protestant orthodoxy, biblical literalismProtestant orthodoxy, biblical literalism

• 1925 ~ Scopes Trial1925 ~ Scopes Trial discredited discredited fundamentalism among intellectualsfundamentalism among intellectuals• Re: Teaching evolution in schoolRe: Teaching evolution in school• Dayton, TennesseeDayton, Tennessee• John Scopes ~ Bio TeacherJohn Scopes ~ Bio Teacher

• Fundamentalists strengthened grassroots Fundamentalists strengthened grassroots appeal in new churches appeal in new churches

p.737

Politics of the 1920s

• Republican party apparently dominantRepublican party apparently dominant• Urban wing of the Democratic party Urban wing of the Democratic party

emerged as the most powerful force emerged as the most powerful force

p.737-738

Harding, Coolidge, & Hoover

• Republican presidents appealed to Republican presidents appealed to traditional American valuestraditional American values

• Harding died in office of heart attackHarding died in office of heart attack• Bribery scandals broke after his deathBribery scandals broke after his death• Teapot Dome ~ Naval oil reservesTeapot Dome ~ Naval oil reserves

• Coolidge honesty & integrity reassured the Coolidge honesty & integrity reassured the nation following Harding death/scandalnation following Harding death/scandal

• Hoover represented the self-made manHoover represented the self-made manp.738

Republican Policies

• Return to "normalcy" Return to "normalcy" • Tariffs raisedTariffs raised• Corporate, income taxes cutCorporate, income taxes cut• Spending cutSpending cut

• Coolidge blocked Congressional aid to Coolidge blocked Congressional aid to farmers as unwarranted interferencefarmers as unwarranted interference

• Government-business cooperationGovernment-business cooperation

p.738-739

The Election of 1924

Beginning in 1922, the Democrats made inroads into the GOP’s majority in Congress. Large cities were swinging toward the Democratic column, foreshadowing increases in strength in urban areas

p.740

The Election of 1928• Democrat Al Smith Democrat Al Smith carried urbancarried urban vote vote

• Governor of New York Governor of New York • Roman CatholicRoman Catholic

• Republican Herbert Hoover won raceRepublican Herbert Hoover won race• Midwesterner Midwesterner • ProtestantProtestant

• Beneath the surface, there were striking Beneath the surface, there were striking similarities between the candidatessimilarities between the candidates

• Religion the campaign’s decisive issueReligion the campaign’s decisive issue

p.740-741

p.741

The Old & the New

• Old historical view ~ The Depression Old historical view ~ The Depression ended the spirit of the twentiesended the spirit of the twenties

• New historical view ~ The twenties laid New historical view ~ The twenties laid the foundations of modern Americathe foundations of modern America

p.741

Chapter 25TRANSITION TO MODERN

AMERICAAmerica Past and PresentAmerica Past and Present

End