War & Prosperity: Part 1 US HISTORY Week 2-3 Ms. Lyons

We return. We return from fighting. We return fighting. - W. E. B We return. We return from fighting. We return fighting. - W. E. B. Du Bois

African American Migration! African Americans migrated North WHY? More jobs in the North! Factories needed workers to replace soldiers

President Harding Catchphrase: “Return to Normalcy” US should go back to isolationism don’t count on other countries’ goods

President Coolidge “Laissez-faire” He thought government should help businesses make money, not regulate them Economy recovered: increase in standard of living “Coolidge Prosperity”

Pro-American Business Lowered taxes for rich & businesses Raised tariffs (tax on imports,) so people would buy American goods

Laborers (factory workers) Things got worse! Less strikes many workers couldn’t afford to buy the products they were making

Farmers During war: big farms bought machines & produced way more food than was needed Small farms went out of business Less farms More food

Native Americans 1920’s: highest unemployment rate & shortest life span Most had no heat or running water

Stock Market Many invested Some put in life savings Made money for a while… BUT stocks were traded “on margin” buyers only make small down payments & pay the rest with profits How do you pay when you stop making profits?

Homogenization of American Culture 1920’s: cars, electricity, radio, movies Everyone sees/has the same things. Regional differences erased, more conformity, less individuality

Assembly Lines Henry Ford – assembly line Costs less to produce goods Goods bought with credit card Suburban growth attracted people from cities (1/2 of US living in cities) Drive to work