CHAPTER 16 – RETURN TO NORMALCY

PRESIDENT WARREN G. HARDING

President Warren G. Harding Harding assumes office in 1920 WWI has just ended and Americans want to go back to the way life used to be: “Return to Normalcy” or return to a normal life, before the war; ISOLATIONIST The Ohio Gang TONS of corruption Smoke, drank, played poker with President (Prohibition at this time) Sold government jobs, pardons, protection from prosecution, etc. The Teapot Dome Scandal President dies before new of scandal breaks nation-wide

PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE

President “Silent Cal” Coolidge Total opposite of President Harding and of the 20s Simple and frugal – not like the materialistic, booming 20s Distances himself from Harding Administration Philosophy on government? Laissez Faire economics Minimum regulation Big business explodes! Also leads to over-production REPUBLICANISM WILL BE BLAMED FOR THE GREAT DEPRESSION COME 1929!

Silent Cal Continued… Push back against the “New Morality” Fundamentalists – believe Bible is literally true and without error; morality comes from God not society and nature. THE SCOPES TRIAL In TN it is illegal to teach evolution; ACLU advertised for any teacher who would be willing to be arrested and teach evolution in a high school (John T. Scopes in Dayton, TN.) Clarence Darrow (rep. Scopes) vs. William Jennings Bryant (fundamentalists) Trial lasts for 8 days and Scopes is found GUILTY (later overturned on a technicality) Trial is broadcasted nation-wide and it actually HURTS the fundamentalists Evolution in public schools? – Religion vs. Science

MASS CONSUMERISM AND CREDIT

The Consumer Society For the first time ever, Americans could afford to buy both what they wanted and what they needed Finally starting to get higher wages and shorter workdays CREDIT Credit had been available before the 1920s, but now people have the confidence to go into debt (used to be seen as shameful) Problem is, most are buying on installment plans…most buy on credit, faster than they’re getting paid going to lead to problems come October, 1929 Farmers WWI – government urged farmers to produce more (to supply Europe) so they end up ALSO borrowing on credit in order to buy more land, but after the war, Europe can’t pay for American farm products

The Consumer Society Continued… Advertising Consumer society produced a lot of new products…products people didn’t know they needed Advertisers created ads that promoted how great this new, modern life: convenience, leisure, fun, success, etc. Also preyed on American’s fears “Keeping up with the Joneses” Keeping up with this new, fast-paced world