List 2 post war trends we discussed in class yesterday. What do you think the government should do to address these trends? What do you think the government will do? Should do Will do

Major Changes of the 1920s

I. President Warren G. Harding Won in the presidency in 1920 with a pledge to return to what he called “normalcy.” 1. Harding signed bills that cut taxes, restored the high tariff, limited immigration and rolled back business regulations. What do all these things have in common?

B. Scandal Hits Harding’s Administration Harding placed many of his friends in his Cabinet, they became known as the Ohio Gang. Many were corrupt and became wealthy from graft, the most well known case is the Teapot Dome Scandal, in which federal lands were illegally leased to oil companies.

Warmup Describe the differences between rural and urban America including politics, economics, beliefs, lifestyle, culture and outlooks. What causes tension between rural and urban Americans?

II. Social Changes of the 1920s A. First time in American history that more people lived in “urban places.” 1.New conflicts broke out between rural and urban society.

2. There was also generational change 2. There was also generational change. The younger generation wanted to distinguish themselves from the older generations. (mostly in urban areas)

B. The South saw a rise in fundamentalism - a strict interpretation of the bible 1. Laws were passed banning the teaching of evolution in schools

C. The Scopes trial 1. One teacher, John Scopes deliberately violated the law. He was arrested. A large group of lawyers from the ACLU came forward to defend him 2. The “Monkey Trial” became an overnight sensation

Warmup 1) What does the Temperance Council claim is caused by alcohol? 2) Which of these claims sound believable? Which are questionable? Why?

III. 18th Amendment (Prohibition) A III. 18th Amendment (Prohibition) A. Outlawed the manufacture, transportation, and sale of “highly intoxicating” beverages B. A victory for the countryside against the city dwellers

C. Smuggling became a major business, bootleggers learned how to manufacture “bathtub gin” and provided alcohol to people illegally.

D. The saloon disappeared, replaced by the speakeasy, a supposedly secret bar or club, operating under the benevolent eye of the local police

E. Organized Crime Average criminals now had “socially accepted” jobs in the bootlegging business. Bootlegging played a significant part in the formation of organized crime in every major city. Bloody gang wars erupted over control of bootlegging.

Warmup 4.7 What were some of the unintended consequences of prohibition? Why did think prohibition ultimately failed?

F. Failures of prohibition a F. Failures of prohibition a. Members of Congress catered to the demands of both sides by outlawing alcohol, but not providing funds to enforce it. b. It caused more problems then the ones it was meant to solve. c. The 18th amendment was repelled with the 21st amendment.

IV. Popular Culture A. Motion pictures and the radio were popular forms of entertainment.

B. The extraordinary popularity of sports in the postwar period can be explained in a number of ways. -People had more money to spend and more free time to fill

C. During the prohibition era a new ideal emerged for some women, the flapper; an emancipated young women who embraced the new fashion and attitudes of the day.

V. Coolidge and New Business The New President, Calvin Coolidge fit into the pro business spirit if the 1920s. 1. He kept taxes down and attempted to keep government interference to a minimum.

B. The Automobile The automobile dramatically changed the landscape of American and became the foundation of the American economy. Route 66, One of the original highways in the US was built in 1926.

C. New Products Advances in technology led to a new variety of household electrical appliances. Advertisers used new techniques to get people to buy the products. Many people bought these products through installment plans and made payments over time. Things looked good on the surface but so much buying on installment plans was a fundamental weakness in the economy.