1. An era of prosperity, prohibition
The Roaring 20’s
An era of prosperity, prohibition
business influence,
and social change

2. 1920's - "Roaring 20's“ - "Jazz Age"
a period of great change in American Society
Modern America is born at this time
1920 Census showed America a nation of majority city people for the 1st time

3. The Treaty of Versailles
Self Determination of Nations No more empires. No more Austria-Hungary, no more Ottoman Empire, Germany loses lands to form new nations. People of each nationality get their own nation
End to Colonialism – nations (Germany) give up colonies – England & France rules them and gets them ready for independence (hah!)
Disarmament – nations (Germany) only keep (allowed) military force large enough for self-defense
No secret treaties – “open covenants openly arrived at” (Shame on Germany for the Zimmerman Telegram!)
“Peace without Victory” – Fair treatment for Germany at Paris Peace Conference – a discussion among equals No Chance!
Freedom of the Seas
(Shame on Germany for unrestricted submarine warfare!)
League of Nations - International organization of all major nations of world where they would settle disputes and problems by negotiation, not war
And now for what England, France & Italy want
Germany must accept full responsibility for the war (It was all their fault!?)
Germany must pay “War Reparations” $33 billion ($33,000,000,000)

4. US Senate Rejects Treaty of Versailles
US never joins League of Nations
US retreats into isolationism in s & 1930s
“No more European Wars”

5. Anti-Foreign Attitudes
Rejection of the League of Nations
Anti-immigrant Laws
National Origins Act
Discrimination
Congress voted to restrict immigration, leading to a quota system that favored northern areas of Europe
Sacco-Vanzetti Trial
Italian immigrants
Unfair trial

6. this fear was known as NATIVISM
for immigrants – the point of origin had shifted to S & E Europe and new religions appeared: Jewish, Orthodox, Catholic
N. European immigrants of early 19c. feared this shift and felt it would undermine Protestant values
this fear was known as NATIVISM
fear of immigrants (from SE Europe) led to a sentiment known as the Red Scare (fear of communist post-Bolshevik Revolution)
basic communist theory advocates an international revolution by the proletariat/workers - fears that this idea could find its way into the U.S.

7. HIGH TARIFFS
FORDNEY McCUMBER ACT – 1922 Congress passed a high tariff to protect U.S. industry (hoped to stimulate purchasing of U.S. goods)
In 1931 in response to economic downturn Congress raised tariff even higher – SMOOT HAWLEY ACT
this turned out to be a fatal error...
in retaliation other countries passed high tariffs and no foreign markets purchased American goods, so U.S. productivity decreased again
Congress did not understand that the world had become a GLOBAL ECONOMY 7

8. The Ku Klux Klan In power Great increase Anti-black Anti-immigrant
Anti-Semitic
Anti-Catholic
Anti-women’s suffrage
Anti-bootleggers

9. PROHIBITION - on manufacture and sale of alcohol
an outgrowth of the longtime temperance movement
in WWI, temperance became a patriotic movememt - drunkenness caused low productivity & inefficiency, and alcohol needed to treat the wounded
adopted in th AMENDMENT outlawed manufacture, sale and transporatation of “Intoxicating Liquors”
Volstead Act – defined “intoxicating liquors” as anything with more than 0.5% alcohol – much stricter than many had expected
a difficult law to enforce... organized crime, speakeasies, bootleggers were on the rise
Al Capone virtually controlled Chicago in this period - capitalism at its zenith…
Prohibition finally ended in 1933 with the 21st Amendment
forced organized crime to pursue other interests…

10. Prohibition Volstead Act Untouchables Gangsters 18th Amendment
Blind Pig
Speakeasy
Gangsters
Untouchables
Al Capone

11. Age of Prosperity Economic expansion Mass Production Assembly Line
Age of the Automobile million automobiles
1929 – 23 million automobiles

12. Consumer Economy Electricical usage: 1920 – 50 billion kwh

13. Mass Culture begins in the 20’s
Radio
KDKA Pittsburgh
GE, Westinghouse,& RCA form NBC
Movies:
Silent Movies
Charlie Chaplin
Mary Pickford
“America’s Sweetheart”
Rudolph Valentino – “Latin Lover”
“Talkies”
The Jazz Singer
Starring Al Jolson
1st Talking motion picture

14. Charles Lindbergh
In 1927 was the first to fly across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris

15. Spectator Sports
Babe Ruth
Jack Dempsey
Red Grange

16. The 20’s is The Jazz Age The Flappers Musicians Writers make up
cigarettes
short skirts
Musicians
Louis Armstrong
Writers
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Ernest Hemingway
Duke Ellington

17. 1920's also brought about great changes for women...
th Amendment gave them the federal vote
after 1920, social circumstances changed also as more women worked outside the home
and more women went to college and clamoured to join the professions
women didn't want to sacrifice wartime gains - amounted to a social revolt
characterized by the FLAPPER/ "new woman"
(bobbed hair, short dresses, smoked in public...)

18. Republican Era President Harding
Elected 1920 – promised “a return to normalcy”
Legacy of Scandals
“Teapot Dome”
Died in office in 1923

19. President Calvin Coolidge “The business of America is business.”
President from
“Silent Cal”
Fordney-McCumber Tariff
No help for farmers
Isolationist Foreign Policy

20. President Herbert Hoover
Elected in 1928
“In America today, we are nearer a final triumph over poverty than is any other land.”
6 months into his term the stock market crashed
Smoot-Hawley Tariff the Great Depression