POLITICS OF THE ROARING 20’S

Focus Activity How would you react if you encountered someone with views that differ from yours? –Would you engage a conversation with the other person? Explain. How do you think people with unpopular views might be treated? Have you ever been accused of something that you didn’t do and how did you react?

AMERICAN POSTWAR ISSUES The American public was exhausted from World War I Public debate over the League of Nations had divided America An economic downturn meant many faced unemployment A wave of nativism swept the nation

ISOLATIONISM Many Americans adopted a belief in isolationism Isolationism- meant pulling away from involvement in world affairs

Red Scare-FEAR OF COMMUNISM One perceived threat to American life was the spread of Communism Communism is an economic and political system based on a single-governmental party, equal distribution of resources, no private property and rule by a dictatorship

SOVIET UNION COMMUNISM Russia was transformed into the Soviet Union in 1917, a Communist state Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks and overthrew the Czarist regime He was a follower of the Marxist doctrine of social equality A Communist party was formed in America, too Lenin

Postwar Issues at Home Palmer Raids Sacco & Vanzetti Ku Klux Klan A. Mitchell Palmer/J. Edgar Hoover try to find anarchists -Accused of robbery and murder -Executed Membership rose to 4.5 million in 1924

CONGRESS LIMITS IMMIGRATION Congress, in response to nativist pressure, decided to limit immigration from southern and eastern Europe The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 set up a quota system to control and restrict immigration America changed its formally permissive immigration policy

A TIME OF LABOR UNREST Strikes were outlawed during WWI, however in 1919 there were more than 3,000 strikes involving 4 million workers

Labor Strikes Boston Police Strike Steel Mill Strike Coal Miner’s Strike -Boston Police hadn’t had a raise since WWI. -Calvin Coolidge fired police and hired new ones ,000 steel worker went on strike. -U.S. Steel hired scabs and strikers were beaten by the police In 1919, United Mine Workers led by John L. Lewis called a Strike on November 1. -Result 27% pay increase

1920s: TOUGH TIMES FOR UNIONS The 1920s hurt the labor movement Union membership dropped from 5 million to 3.5 million Why? African Americans were excluded from membership and immigrants were willing to work in poor conditions Ford Foundry workers in 1926; only 1% of black workers were in Unions at the time

Who are the men in the cartoon? What does the light represent? What ideas are trying to shut out the light? What is the main ideas of the cartoon?

The Harding “Normalcy” Presidency Main Idea The Harding administration appealed to America’s desire for calm and peace after the war, but resulted in scandal. Why it Matters Today The government must guard against scandal and corruption to merit public trust.

One American’s Story Warren G. Harding (29 th ) was described as a good-natured man who “looked like a president ought to look.” Ohio Gang- brought his “friends” from his home state of OHIO with him into political offices they were not “qualified or prepared” to run correctly…troubled waters!!!!!!

Harding Struggles for Peace After WWI, problems surfaced relating to arms control, war debts, and the reconstruction of war-torn countries so... Harding invited several major powers to Washington Naval Conference. Sec. of State- Charles Evans Hughes- suggest that the five major powers disarm Kellogg-Briand Pact- NO MORE WAR was an international policy (made WAR ILLEGAL).

Kellogg-Briand Pact-1928

High Tariffs and Reparations Britain and France looked for ways to pay back $10 billion to the U.S. they had “borrowed for WWI” Two way they could pay back: –Selling goods to the U.S. –Collecting reparations from Germany (**33 BILLION OWED**) 1922-Fordney-McCumber Tariff- Congress raised taxes on imports to 60%!!!!!!!!! Germany defaulted on loans…SO… U.S. gives $2.5 billion to Germany so they can pay Britain & France. Dawes Plan- U.S. bankers would loan money to Germany to pay back Britain and France. In essence, U.S. was repaid with their own money

Fordney-McCumber Tariff As a result of the war, Americans had two main concerns: – First, they wanted to ensure economic self-sufficiency so that no future enemy could manipulate the American economy. – Second, many industries wanted to preserve the benefits of the increased wartime demand.

SCANDAL HITS HARDING The president’s main problem was that he didn’t understand many of the issues Several of Harding’s appointee’s were caught illegally selling government supplies to private companies

TEAPOT DOME SCANDAL The worst case of corruption was the Teapot Dome Scandal The government set aside oil-rich public land in Teapot, WY Secretary of Interior Albert Fall secretly leased the land to two oil companies Fall received $400,000 from the oil companies and a felony conviction from the courts

BUSINESS OF AMERICA The new president, Calvin Coolidge, fit the pro-business spirit of the 1920s very well His famous quote: “The chief business of the American people is business...the man who builds a factory builds a temple – the man who works there worships there” President Calvin Coolidge

AMERICAN BUSINESS FLOURISHES Both Coolidge and his Republican successor Herbert Hoover, favored governmental policies that kept taxes down and business profits up Tariffs were high which helped American manufacturers Government interference in business was minimal Wages were increasing

THE IMPACT OF THE AUTO The auto was the backbone of the American economy from 1920 through the 1970s It also profoundly altered the American landscape and society Henry Ford The Ford Model T was the first car in America. It came only in black and sold for $290. Over 15 million were sold by 1927.

Automobiles & Industrial Expansion Henry Ford ‘fordism’ Ford Highland Park assembly line, 1928 (From the Collections of Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village) “ Trying out the new assembly line“ Detroit, 1913 Henry Ford ( ) 1913: 14 hours to build a new car 1928: New Ford off assembly line every 10 seconds 1913: car=2 yrs wages 1929: 3 mos. wages

Impact of the Automobile: Trains and Automobiles, Jones, Created Equal

Automobiles & Consumerism Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved < Ford ad: < Ford ad: “Every family -- with even the most modest income, can now afford a car of their own." “Every family should have their own car...You live but once and the years roll by quickly. Why wait for tomorrow for things that you rightfully should enjoy today?" (Library of Congress) Dodge advertisement photo, 1933

EFFECTS OF THE AUTO Among the many changes were: Paved roads, traffic lights Motels, billboards Home design Gas stations, repair shops Shopping centers Freedom for rural families Greater freedom to travel Urban Sprawl: Detriot, Flint, Akron By % of world’s vehicles in U.S.

July 4, Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, early 1920s

AIRLINE TRANSPORT BECOMES COMMON The airline industry began as a mail carrying service and quickly “took off” By 1927, Pan American Airways was making the transatlantic passenger flights People had better means to travel When commercial flights began, all flight attendants were female and white

AMERICAN STANDARD OF LIVING SOARS The years were prosperous ones for the U.S. Americans owned 40% of the world’s wealth The average annual income rose 35% during the 1920s ($522 to $705) Discretionary income increased

ELECTRICAL CONVENIENCES While gasoline powered much of the economic boom of the 1920s, the use of electricity also transformed the nation Led to the electrification of homes Made life easier at home. Conformist lifestyles Electric refrigerators, stoves, irons, toasters, vacuums, washing machines and sewing machines were all new

MODERN ADVERTISING EMERGES Ad agencies no longer sought to merely “inform” the public about their products They hired psychologists to study how best to appeal to Americans’ desire for youthfulness, beauty, health and wealth “Say it with Flowers” slogan actually doubled sales between Listerine

Installment Plan People rush to buy new products like cars, appliances, etc. on credit. People over extended their budgets False sense of security

A SUPERFICIAL PROSPERITY Many during the 1920s believed the prosperity would go on forever Wages, production, GNP, and the stock market all rose significantly But....

“Clouds in the Blue Sky of Prosperity” Growing income gap between workers and managers Industries were stagnant and losing money –RXR and Iron –Farmers suffered because of too much food Installment plan was getting out of hand –Too much debt