The Roaring 20s Chapter 24 If something is described as “roaring”, what comes to mind?
Republicans in the White House Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge Elected in 1920; chose “the best minds” for his Cabinet. Followed pro-business policies, balanced the budget, and lowered taxes Ohio Gang were political friends from Ohio appointed to powerful positions. Some abused their power. Died in office in August 1923 Teapot Dome Scandal – Sec. of Interior Albert Hall secretly leased government land in CA & WY to oil companies for bribes. He was tried and found guilty Was VP under Harding and forced officials involved in scandals to resign. Was (re)elected in 1924. Cut government regulations and named business leaders to government agencies. Coolidge tried to use diplomacy to settle disputes, particularly in Latin America.
The Roaring 20s Fads and Fashions Music and Literature A fad is a style or activity that is popular for a short time. Flappers were young women who rebelled against traditions; wore short hair and short dresses, bright makeup, & smoke and drank. Few women were flappers, but they set the style that many soon adapted elements of. Jazz was new music that combined elements of African rhythms and European harmonies; black musicians in Chicago and New Orleans created it. Louis Armstrong helped create and spread jazz music It quickly spread around the U.S. and the world Ernest Hemingway’s Farewell to Arms, Sinclair Lewis’s Babbitt and Main Street, and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby were popular novels at the time. They dealt with different lifestyles and conditions of the post-WW1 period
Life in the 20’s Harlem Renaissance Heroes and Heroines Large number of African American musicians, artists, and writers settled in Harlem during the 20s. Led to a rebirth of African American culture called the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay wrote about the African American experience in the U.S. (lynching, discrimination, mob violence) Zora Neale Hurston drove around the South collecting stories, folk tales, songs, and prayers of black southerners. She published many essays, short stories, and books. Sports stars such as Bobby Jones, Gertrude Ederle, and Bill Tilden & Helen Wills dominated golf, swimming, and tennis, respectively. College football started to take off as a popular sport Babe Ruth dominated baseball Charles Lindbergh became the 1st person to fly across the Atlantic alone.
Section 5 – Signs of Trouble
The Other Half Setbacks for Labor & Farmers Fear of Radicals Farmers needed to produce more during WW1, so they bought more land. After the war, the price of crops dropped due to high supply; farmers couldn’t pay their debts. Workers didn’t receive raises during the war Following the war, they wanted higher pay to match their increased production. Employers refused. Unions went on strike Union rights were slowly stripped away during the 20s, so membership dropped sharply. Rise of communism in Soviet Union led to fear of an overthrow of the government Anarchists plotted to kill well known Americans. Many anarchists were foreign born, so a fear of immigrants grew. Thousands of radicals were arrested and jailed or deported.
Closing the Golden Door Sacco & Vanzetti were two Italian immigrants arrested for robbery and murder in 1920. They admitted they were anarchists, but committed no crimes. A jury convicted them and sentenced them to death. During their trial, evidence was limited and the judge was openly prejudiced against them; many Americans didn’t think they received a fair trial and were convicted only because of who they were. They waited in jail for 6 years on appeal; They were executed in 1927.
Limiting Immigration Millions of Europeans tried to escape to the U.S. following WW1. Americans worried about their jobs and anarchists/communists. 1921 – Congress established a quota system that allowed only a certain number of people from each country to enter. “America must be kept American” – Calvin Coolidge Immigrants from northern Europe were favored and the Japanese were denied entry. Latin Americans & Canadians were exempted from the quota system. Farms and factories in the SW were dependent on labor from central America.
Responding to Racism Many African Americans moved to northern cities after the war; they took factory jobs in Chicago, Detroit, NY, and other cities. Only low-paying jobs were available and Caucasian Americans in many neighborhoods refused to rent to them. Many African Americans wanted to live near each other, so large black populations grew in many northern cities. Racial tensions grew and race riots broke out in many areas. Marcus Garvey, a popular black leader, promoted unity and pride among African American communities. He urged African Americans to “return to their roots” in Africa; very few did.