Video Quiz 1. What happened in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925? 2. What did Charles Lindbergh do in 1927? What was the name of his plane? 3. What was the Harlem Renaissance? 4. Where in NY did many of the city s immigrants live? 5. What city was the modern age born in?
6. What did Admiral Richard Byrd accomplish in November of 1929? 7. What did the 18th Amendment ban? 8. What did the 19th Amendment do? 9. What happened on October 29, 1929? 10. How much money vanished in stock value on that day?
Politics of the Roaring Twenties
Postwar Issues in America Returning U.S. soldiers faced unemployment and discontent when they returned home from WWI. Americans fearful of outsiders: Nativism-Prejudice against foreign-born people Isolationism-Policy of pulling away from involvement in world affairs.
Postwar Issues One perceived threat to American life was Communism- an economic and political system based on a single party government, ruled by a dictatorship. The Red Scare (1919) New communist regime in Russia called for a world wide communist uprising to bring about the end of capitalism.
American public grew fearful of Reds U.S. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer led raids against suspected Communists. Asst. by J. Edgar Hoover Also hunted anarchists (people who oppose any form of government) Trampled civil rights and deported foreign born radicals without a trial. Raids failed to produce any evidence
Postwar Issues Immigrant witch hunts Nicola Sacco (shoemaker) and Bartolommeo Vanzetti (fish peddler) Both were Italian anarchists May 1920-Arrested and charged with the robbery and murder of a factory paymaster and his guard in Massachusetts. Executed by electric chair August 23, 1927
Postwar Issues Limiting Immigration Keep America for Americans became the prevailing attitude Anti-immigrant and anti-communist feelings gave rise to the rebirth of bigot groups Ku Klux Klan (KKK) New recruiting drives for white male, native born, gentile citizens devoted to 100% Americanism.
The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 - Created a quota system that established a maximum number of immigrants from each European country Goal: To sharply cut European immigration to the U.S. Did not apply to people in Canada / Mexico Prohibited all Japanese immigration which broke the Gentleman s Agreement as set-up by T. Roosevelt
Postwar Issues Conflict between labor and management More than 3,000 strikes involving 4 million workers. Boston Police Strike No raise in years, denied right to unionize Police decided to strike National Guard was called in New cops were hired.
Postwar Issues Steel Mill Strike 300,000 workers walked off the job Scabs were hired and striking workers were beaten by police and federal police Strikers won an 8 hour workday, but no union Coal Miners Strike Better organized and led by John Lewis, won a 27% pay raise and was hailed a hero.
Tough Times for Unions Union membership dropped from 5 million to 3.5 million 4 Reasons: 1.) Immigrants willing to work in poor conditions 2.) Difficult to organize immigrants because of the language differences 3.) Farmers seeking factory jobs were used to relying on themselves 4.) Most unions excluded African - Americans
The Harding Presidency Struggles for Peace Many problems surfaced relating to arms control, war debts and reconstruction of war torn countries. He invited major powers to a conference In 1928, 15 countries signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which renounced war as a national policy but it could not be enforced. (section 2)
Dawes Act: US would provide loans to Germany to pay France/Britain who then paid the United States.
Tea Pot Dome Scandal The government set aside oil-rich public lands at Teapot Dome, Wyoming & Elk Hills California for use by the U.S. Navy Sec. of the Interior Albert B. Fall transferred the land to the department of the interior, where he leased it to private companies Fall received over $400,000 in loans, bonds, and cash and became the first convicted member of a (current) cabinet. I have no trouble with my enemies but my friends, they re the ones that keep me walking the floors at night! ~ Pres.
August 2, 1923, President Harding died suddenly. Stroke or heart attack? Mrs. Harding refused an autopsy. Calvin Coolidge took over as President.
Business of America President Coolidge and his successor President Hoover were pro business. Promised to keep taxes down and business profits up. Encouraged people to buy American. Raised tariffs on imported good from foreign countries. Government interference in business was minimal Wages increased. section 3
Cont Americans Prosper (1920-1930) Americans owned 40% of the world s wealth Avg. family income rose 35% (from $522 to $702) Discretionary income increased
Impact of the Automobile The Automobile literally changed the American landscape New construction: Driveways, garages, gas stations, motels, billboards, Independence for women and youth, paved roads, Route 66, traffic lights Promoted Urban Sprawl (people could live farther from work)
Cont Henry Ford Founder of Ford Motor Vehicle Co. Father of the modern assembly line / mass production Model T (1908 1928) Tin Lizzie / 1913 - $550 15,077,033 manufactured One color black.
Impact of the Airplane 1903 Wright brothers make world s first human flight 1927 Charles Lindbergh made first transatlantic, non-stop flight Spirit of St. Louis 1932 Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to complete the trans-atlantic flight 1927 - Pan American Airways began first transatlantic passenger flights
Impact of Electricity While gasoline powered much of the economic boom of the 1920 s the use of electricity also transformed the nation.
Superficial Prosperity During the 1920s, Americans believed prosperity would last forever as productivity increased, businesses expanded banks, factories, and stores branched off in major cities but dark clouds loomed as farms, RR, and iron industries suffered.
Buying on Credit Americans buying goods for a dollar down and a dollar forever. Installment Plan Enabled people to buy goods over an extended period with little money down and low interest rates. Most Americans focused on the present with little concern for the future. What could possible go wrong with the economy?