1. Roaring Twenties

2. Overview Period from 1919 (end of WWI) to 1929 (Stock Market Crash)
Decade of the 1920s was a period of prosperity and optimism

3. Overview When WWI had ended, most, Americans had more money to spend
1920s saw rapid advancements in communication and transportation

4. Overview
1920s were nicknamed the “Roaring Twenties,” – a wild period where people abandoned old traditions

5. Prohibition
18th Amendment (passed in 1919) to the Constitution made it illegal to buy or sell alcohol
Congress passed the Volstead Act to enforce Prohibition, but it was not effective

6. Prohibition
Although taverns and bars closed, illegal taverns called “speakeasies” popped up
Smuggling of alcohol was common, often done by crime organizations like the Mafia, or La Cosa Nostra (our thing in Italian)
Prohibition = Unpopular

7. Al Capone Mafia leader in Chicago and the #1 bootlegger
Chicago = very corrupt in the 1920s
Capone = brutal & ruthless = responsible for many murders

8. Al Capone Battled Irish gangs for control of illegal bootlegging
Capone nicknames: “Scarface,” or “Mayor of Chicago”

9. Al Capone St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1929)
Capone murdered 7 gangsters from Bugs Moran’s Irish gang in Chicago

10. The Untouchables Capone opposed by Federal Agent Elliott Ness
FBI men nicknamed = G-Men (for Government Man)
Ness had a small band of men nicknamed “Untouchables” – because they couldn’t be bribed
Ness finally got Capone indicted for income tax evasion (1931) --- Capone served 8 years

11. Politics of the 1920s
Republican Warren Harding, a senator from Ohio, was elected in 1920 as President
Harding was pro-business, and attempted to lower taxes and decrease government spending

12. Politics of the 1920s
Harding. However, is remembered for the political scandals that wrecked his administration
When he became President, Harding brought friends from Ohio – called the Ohio Gang – to Washington, D.C. as advisers

13. Tea Pot Dome Scandal Worst scandal of Harding’s administration
One of Harding’s cabinet members leased government oil reserves to oil men who gave him kickbacks
Harding’s administration went down as the most corrupt in history

14. President Calvin Coolidge
Harding died in office in 1923
Calvin Coolidge, Harding’s VP, took office when he died
Personality = very dry and quiet
Nicknamed = Silent Cal

15. President Calvin Coolidge
Hands-off President – believed government should stay out of business affairs
Wanted to create a climate where business would prosper – quote: “America’s Business is Business”

16. The Golden Age of Sports

17. The Golden Age of Sports
1920s = The Golden Age of sports
Top sports of the decade = baseball, boxing and college football

18. Babe Ruth
George Herman “Babe” Ruth was the top athlete of the 1920s and the most famous athlete in U.S. history

19. Babe Ruth
Ruth was most famous for playing right field for the New York Yankees, and for hitting towering home runs
Because so many people paid to see him play, Yankee Stadium is called “The House that Ruth built”

20. Babe Ruth
Ruth nicknames = The Great Bambino...The Sultan of Swat

21. Babe Ruth
Ruth started out in baseball playing for the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher/outfielder
He was both the best hitter and pitcher in baseball at the same time

22. Babe Ruth He was traded to the New York Yankees in the early 1920s
It was with the Yankees where he achieved his greatest fame

23. College Football
Red Grange, a halfback at Illinois, was nicknamed “The Galloping Ghost”
Grange earned fame in 1924 by scoring 5 touchdowns and accounting for 402 yards vs. Michigan

24. Notre Dame Football
In the 1920’s, the nation became fascinated by Notre Dame, a small Catholic school in Indiana that won almost all their games and 4 national titles

25. Knute Rockne
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were coached by Knute Rockne in the 1920s
He was famous for giving stirring pep talks
Considered the greatest coach of the 20th Century winning 89% of his games

26. George Gipp Notre Dame running back and first All-American
Died of pneumonia in 1920
Eight years later, Rockne asked his team to “Win one for the Gipper,” beating Army 13-6

27. Heavyweight Jack Dempsey dazzled fans by knocking out opponents
Boxing
Heavyweight Jack Dempsey dazzled fans by knocking out opponents

28. Other Sports
Bobby Jones dominated golf and began the Master’s Tournament in Augusta, Georgia
Tennis star Bill Tilden became the first great American tennis player