The Roaring Twenties

Adjusting to Peace 1919-1921

• Americans are disillusioned after WWI• America returns to a policy of Isolationism • With the end of the war new problems emerge:– Returning soldiers are looking for work– No programs exist to help soldiers returning from war– Factories have to change from war production to

consumer goods– Women have gotten used to working outside the home– Farmers have lost their markets in Europe– Government has stopped its’ wartime spending

Recession

• Recession: a decline in GDP• A decrease in production• Characteristics include:– Higher unemployment– Lower wages– Lower supply of goods

The Red Scare

• The Red Scare was a fear of communism and political unrest

The Red Scare

• The end of WW I causes Americans to fear communists, anarchists, and immigrants

• Russia’s Czar has been over-turned and executed• Communists, led by Lenin, have seized power in

Russia• Germany and Hungary are facing similar issues• A wave of labor strikes have erupted in the US with

socialist leaders• Anarchists started WW I( assassination of Archduke!)

Palmer Raids

• In 1919, an Italian Anarchist set off a bomb outside of the home of the Attorney General, Mitchell Palmer

• It was another in a series of attacks on government officials in 8 American cities

• Palmer believed that this was a part of a communist plot to take over the US

• In January of 1920, Palmer ordered the arrest of 4,000 suspects without a warrant

• J.Edgar Hoover, his assistant, led the raids• Most were later released, but 600 were deported

J. Edgar Hoover

• Hoover was an Assistant Attorney General• The Palmer Raids gave him publicity• When Palmer is eventually killed, Hoover will take over• He forms the FBI and is named the Director• One of his biggest targets for investigations: communists

and people who knew communists• He will dramatically change how federal law enforcement

operates and is viewed by the public• He will remain in charge until the 1970’s• He is still a controversial figure in US history

The Sacco and Vanzetti Cases

• Anti-communist hysteria impacted immigrants, too• 2 Italian immigrants, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti

were convicted of committing a murder during a robbery• The robbery was alleged to have been committed in order

to fund a revolution against the US• The evidence against them was circumstantial• Pressure to release them came from around the world• The Judge in the case was extremely partial in conducting

the trial• Both men were found guilty and executed in 1927

Rise of Nativism and Racism

• Nativism: dislike/distrust of foreigners• Believed that white, Protestant Americans

were superior to all other people• These attitudes led to new restrictions on

immigration and Jim Crow Laws in the South

Examples of Jim Crow Laws

Never assert or even intimate that a white person is lying. Never impute dishonorable intentions to a white person. Never suggest that a white person is from an inferior class. Never lay claim to, or overly demonstrate, superior knowledge or intelligence. Never curse a white person. Never laugh derisively at a white person. Never comment upon the appearance of a white female.

Ku Klux Klan

• Racist organization created after the Civil War• Purpose was to preserve white supremacy• Membership had a resurgence in 1915• The Klan continued to target African-Americans, but

also targeted immigrants, Catholics, Jews, and other minorities

• Major race riots broke out after the War • Chicago Riot of 1915 was the worst w/ 38 killed• Lynching and segregation of African-Americans in the

South will continue

Race Riots* Cause – Southern African Americans moving north to find jobs (The Great Migration)* Effect – Many whites saw new African American workers as threats (job insecurity)Racial tension riots in several northern cities in 1920s

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=qO-IHRwmT99yCM&tbnid=Q_DBlOCykwjw3M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://cb12.raimistdesign.com/category/maps/&ei=eQmdUtukA8b52QXeqYEo&psig=AFQjCNF1T8fZQhN9arfyEARox8UWh7e_sQ&ust=1386109671923038

Great Migration

Three Republican Presidents

• Warren G. Harding• Calvin Coolidge• Herbert Hoover

Policies Favoring Big Business

* Higher protective tariffs (foreign taxes) – kept international competition low* Lower taxes on the wealthy – allow wealthy business owners to put more money into their business, not in taxes* Lax enforcement on Anti-trust laws – allowing big business to become more powerful

Harding 1921-1923

• “Return to Normalcy” – wanted US to be isolationist and focus on just US problems

• Discouraged immigration, but did not like nativism and racism

• Refused to join League of Nations, raised tariffs to protect US business

Harding

• Washington Naval Conference: Invited other nations to send delegates to discuss arms reduction treaty

• Supported U.S. membership in the World Court (an international tribunal used to prosecute war crimes)

Teapot Dome Scandal

• Harding’s greatest weakness was his appointment of friends to office (many were corrupt)

• Called the “Ohio Gang”• His Secretary of the Interior accepted bribes for

leases of land for oil exploration in Teapot Dome, WY• His Secretary of the Navy, Charles Forbes, stole

millions from the construction of military hospitals• These and other scandals result in Harding being

given a poor rating as President

Harding’s Death 1923

• Harding dies suddenly after suffering from pneumonia and heart issues

• He was on a visit to Washington and San Francisco

• Doctors treated his illness and thought he was better

• He died of a heart attack in San Francisco• VP Calvin Coolidge will become President

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yk09dv93wk

Calvin Coolidge 1923-1929

Coolidge

• Nickname “Silent Cal”• Know for his unusual speaking style and long

periods of silence….unusual for a politician!• Became well-known as Governor of MA during

the Boston Police Strike of 1919• Told the AFL-CIO that “there was no right to

strike against public safety by anyone, anywhere, anytime”

• Elected VP w/ Harding in 1921

Coolidge

• Became Pres in 1923 when Harding died unexpectedly

• Coolidge had been on vacation in Vermont when he was notified about Harding’s death

• Took oath at family cabin. His dad administered the oath since he was a notary

Coolidge

• Elected to 2nd term in 1924• Symbolized old-fashioned values of honesty

and thrift• Pro-business and laissez-faire• “The business of America is business.”• Credited with the business expansion and

economic growth of the 20’s

Herbert Hoover 1929-1933

• Son of a Quaker Blacksmith• Educated as a civil engineer at Stanford• Self-made millionaire in the mining industry• Served as director of humanitarian aid in

Belgium before and after WWI• Served as Secretary of Commerce• Donated his salary as President to charity

Hoover

• Believed in “rugged individualism”• The idea that people should work hard to get

ahead and not rely on the government• Believed that government should provide

everyone free education and equal opportunity• Gov’t interference in the economy would hurt

national prosperity• The reasons for America’s economic success was

our work ethic, ingenuity, and individual initiative

Hoover

• Eight months after he took office, the stock market crashed

• The US entered into the Great Depression in October of 1929; it will last 10 years

• 25% of the American workforce will be unemployed

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=jaRUT_uRNs0VtM&tbnid=upeAv4ZmTaTw6M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://gonnaneedabiggerboat.blogspot.com/2010/06/dez-prez-rankings-rounding-out-bottom.html&ei=7pqfUvLWJMbK2wWzkYGIAQ&bvm=bv.57155469,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNFi2JRmbROhd_CCDN_Vy5WctIasaw&ust=1386277937111038

Factors that led to the Prosperity of the 1920’s

• Rise of the Automobile• Car ownership grew from 8-24 million• By 1929, one in every nine workers was employed

in auto-related jobs• Raw materials needed include: steel, glass,

rubber, oil, leather, paint, etc…• In 1909, people worked 20 months to buy a car• By 1920, people only had to work 3 months to buy

a car

Rise of the Automobile

• Ford dominated the market• 2 of every 3 cars produced in the US was a

Ford• By 1925, he made 1.6 million cars a year; one

every 10 seconds!• Average price for a Ford was $300• Low cost was achieved by using assembly line

for production

Rise of other new industries

• Vacuum cleaners• Refrigerator• Toaster• Motion Pictures• Trans-Atlantic phone service• Electricity for home and commercial use• Increase in chemical, oil, and gas industries

Glenn Curtiss

• Developed the first sea plane that could take off and land on water in 1908

• Idea was used by Naval pilots• Built the first plane to cross the Atlantic

More Efficient Production

• Electric conveyor belts used in assembly lines; increased speed

• Efficiency leads to lower prices• Skilled workers no longer needed

Age of Mass Consumption

• Increased production leads to greater demand for consumer goods

• Higher wages gave workers buying power• Retailers offer programs for installment

purchasing or buying on credit• Small down payment and monthly payments

allowed consumers to buy cars, furniture, appliances, etc…

Speculation Boom

• Speculation is the purchase of an item to be re-sold at a profit

• 1920’s saw increases in speculation on stocks and bonds

• As corporate profits soared, speculation increased • As more people invested in stocks, the higher the

prices went• People were able to “buy on the margin” or buy

stock on credit

Uneven Prosperity

• Wealth was highly concentrated in the 1920’s• .01% of Americans had 42% of the capital ($)• 3/4th of Americans had no savings at all• Farm prices were at an all time low due to

improved farming techniques and increased production

• Railroads faced competition from cars and trucks• Minorities faced discrimination in hiring and pay

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=1VWhlLO6VpmQ4M&tbnid=_JlKy_su7s-isM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://pastreunited.com/id381.html&ei=daufUujhKoPH2wWLwIHIAQ&psig=AFQjCNGPktqZ1E_Pnf5aAFuHXGxaLvnbGA&ust=1386282119143944

Cultural Values in Conflict

Prohibition

• Purpose – to reduce domestic violence , increase work productivity, and decrease crime

• Supporters – many Protestant churches and many women

• Outlawed sale, production and consumption of alcohol

• 1919-1933• Created by the Volstead Act• 18th Amendment

Women’s Temperance Movement

• Purpose – Many women wanted to ban alcohol to reduce domestic violence and thought alcohol was immoral

• Started in 1840s

Frances Willard

• Helped organize Prohibition Party in 1882• Wanted to ban alcohol to curb crime• Believed alcohol was immoral• Helped pass the 18th Amendment (Prohibition)

Scopes “Monkey Trial” of 1925

• Creationism vs. Evolution• John Scopes, Tennessee biology teacher,

arrested for teaching evolution• William Jennings Bryan – Government

prosecutor who believed evolution opposed Bible

• Clarence Darrow – Scopes’ attorney and defended Scopes’ actions

Scopes “Monkey Trial” of 1925

• Scopes convicted of teaching evolution• Fined $1, never enforced

Restrictions on Immigration

• Several laws passed in 1920s limiting immigration– Immigration Act of 1921– Immigration Act of 1924– Immigration Act of 1929

– All limited amount of immigrants– Targeted immigrants from South and Eastern

Europe (Poland, Italy, Greece etc.)

Eugenics

• Definition – Believing the human race could be enhanced through purposeful breeding

• Created by Charles Davenport• Example – Not allowing the mentally ill to

have kids would decrease mentally illnesses• Denies freedom• Promotes racial and ethnic superiority

Social Darwinism

• Based on Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species

• Supporters believed human races competed for survival just as animals and plants did

• Promoted racism

Emergence of New Values

Women

• 19th Amendment (1920) – gave women the right to vote (suffrage)

• New household machines = more time for women to attend college = more independence

Changes in Moral Standards

• Young independent 1920s women often:A. Drank alcohol and publicly smokedB. Wore less restrictive clothingC. More openly opinionatedD. Attended dances without older chaperoneE. Wore short hair with lots of makeup

• Often called “flappers

Speakeasies

• Definition - Secret bars where passwords granted people entry

• Sold illegal alcohol• Often supplied by organized criminals who

smuggled alcohol into cities• Violated 18th Amendment (Prohibition)

Bootleggers

Sigmund Freud

• Psychiatrist and author• People began to read his work • Sexuality was discussed more openly

Tin Pan Alley

• A section of NYC where song-writing and musical ideas merged together

• Various styles like jazz, blues, and ragtime blended together to form American popular music

• Sheet music was purchased to be played/sung at home

• Vaudeville became the most popular form of stage entertainment

Vaudeville

Tin Pan Alley

• Famous songwriters emerged:– Irving Berlin– Cole Porter– Scott Joplin– George and Ira Gershwin

Youth and the Lost Generation

• Young people started some “zany” fads during the 20’s:– Flagpole sitting– Dance marathons– Hot dog eating contests – Etc…

“The Lost Generation”

• A group of writers rejected the desire for material wealth

• They felt they didn’t fit into normal life after the horrors of WWI

• Felt the US had become too materialistic and lacked spirituality

• Many moved to Paris

Ernest Hemmingway

• Author who had experienced to horrors of war in both WWI and the Spanish Civil War

• Wrote A Farewell to Arms & The Sun Also Rises • Both depict the horrors of war and how it

changes people

Sinclair Lewis

• Wrote Babbit and Main Street• Ridiculed the narrowness and hypocrisy of

American life• Innovative in giving strong characterizations of

modern working women• First American to win Nobel Prize for

Literature

F. Scott Fitzgerald

• Wrote The Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby• Tells the story of self-made men who are rich

but unhappy• Hints that the search for material success

leads to tragedy

The Great Migration

• 2 million African-Americans moved from the South to the Northeast and Midwest from 1910-1930

• Many sharecroppers wanted to escape from continued “enslavement” to the land

• Northern cities seen as safe from Jim Crow Laws

• Saw big cities as “the Promised Land”• Escape from poverty and racism

The Harlem Renaissance

• The general awakening of African-American culture in the 1920’s

• The Jazz Age refers to in significance of JAZZ as a unique form of music indigenous to the US

• The Harlem Ren. Begun with the rise of a middle class African-American population in Harlem (NY)

• An increase in black pride, confidence in their own prosperity and future

• Recognition of music, visual art, dance, etc… from the African-American community spread throughout society

Harlem Renaissance

• Langston Hughes• One of America’s best poets• Drew of his personal experiences in writing what

is was like to be black in America• Wrote poems, novels, plays, and newspaper

columns• Became one of the most popular writers of the era• He expressed a mood of rugged determination to

overcome racial prejudice

Alain Locke

• Artists and writer• Expressed a new pride in his heritage• Attacked racism through art

Countee Cullen

• Leading poet of the era• Won more major literary prizes than any other

African-American writer of the 1920’s

Zora Neale Hurston

• One of the first successful African-American women authors

• Her greatest work, The Eyes Watching God is considered a masterpiece of the era

Marcus Garvey

• Jamaican-born political activist• Controversial for his Back to Africa Movement• Known for his fiery rhetoric and fancy uniforms• His goal was the total liberation of all African

people around the world• He stressed racial unity and helped African-

Americans set up their own businesses • Spoke to those who were disillusioned by the

“promised land”

Popular New Heroes

• The increased production brought about by machinery lead to an increase in leisure time for Americans

• Leisure time allowed for new activities and entertainment

• People began to attend sporting events, go to movies, read popular magazines, listen to radio programs, etc…

• Sports and events created new popular heroes to admire and respect

Babe Ruth

• “The Sultan of Swat”• A baseball powerhouse hitter• Gave the Yankees national attention• Was more popular than most movie stars of

the era

Jack Dempsey

• Most successful boxer of the era• Won more bouts than any other boxer of the

era• Flashy dresser and womanizer

Charles Lindbergh

• First person to fly solo over the Atlantic• His plane was The Spirit of St. Louis• took him 33 hours to fly the 3.600 miles in a

single engine plane• Flew through ice, fog, and rain• Suffered from sleep deprivation • Became a national hero and celebrity