The Roaring 20s The Roaring Twenties Government Foreign

The Roaring 20’s

The Roaring Twenties Government & Foreign Affairs Economic Life in Postwar America Social Technology & Industry

The Roaring Twenties Effects of the War – U. S. Becomes world’s industrial leader Military & Gov’t stronger Accelerated changes for women & African Americans AA move north 1 million women join workforce

The Roaring Twenties Effects of the War – Europe Massive destruction of property & loss of life Creates instability in social & political systems Violence for decades afterwards Russia turns to Communism Fascist groups take over in Germany, Italy, and Spain

European Debts to U. S.

Hyper-Inflation in Germany: 1923

Dawes Plan (1924)

Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) Ø 15 nations dedicated to outlawing aggression and war as tools of foreign policy. Ø 62 nations signed. Ø Problems no means of actual enforcement and gave Americans a false sense of security.

The Roaring Twenties Effects of the War – Europe Adolph Hitler writes “It cannot be that 2 million Germans should have fallen in vain …. We demand vengeance!” Adolph Hitler 20 years later - WWII Mussolini & Hitler

The Roaring Twenties Nativism & Isolationism grew q Fear of “outsiders, ” “troublemakers” q Fear of Communism q

Huge influx of Nativism immigrants from Southern & Eastern Europe New religions appeared: Jewish, Orthodox Catholic North European immigrants felt it would undermine Protestant values

Immigration Quota • People pushed Congress to restrict immigration • Led to quota system reducing number of immigrants from Southern & Eastern Europe • Fears also led to “Red Scare” (fear of communism) after the Bolshevik Revolution

The Roaring Twenties Red Scare - Russian Communism Vladimir Lenin – Bolsheviks Red flag – nickname “Reds” • Economic & political system • No private ownership of property • Gov’t owns factories, railroads, utilities, all businesses, farms Sought worldwide revolution Abolish capitalism Believed capitalism root of all problems Workers take over production & political power Vladimir Lenin Soviet Union

The Roaring Twenties “Red Scare” seizes U. S. Gov’t witch hunt for communists or anyone whose political ideas differed Trampled civil rights Invaded private homes, offices Jailed people w/o attorney Deported foreigners Sacco & Vanzetti – executed for robbery, murder

Palmer Raids Wilson was gravely ill following a stroke Attorney General, A. Mitchell Palmer, wanted shot at presidency - he used fears of immigrants & communism to promote himself Palmer had J. Edgar Hoover round up suspected radicals, many were deported

The Ku Klux Klan Great increase in power Anti-black Anti-immigrant Anti-Semitic Anti-Catholic

Age of Prosperity Economic expansion Mass Production Assembly Line Age of the Automobile Except … Ailing agriculture industry, mining, railroads & minorities

Agricultural Problems U. S. farmers lost markets in postwar Europe Farming efficiency increased more food produced = lower prices and fewer workers Farming no longer prosperous Bankers called in their loans American farmers enter the Depression in advance of the rest of society

Minorities Black Americans continued to live in poverty Sharecropping kept them in de facto slavery 1915 - boll weevil wiped out the cotton crop White landowners went bankrupt & forced blacks off their land

Minorities & Great Migration Blacks moved north for booming wartime industry Ghettos began to form, i. e. Harlem, & Black Bottom, Paradise Valley in Detroit Within these ghettos distinct Black culture flourished But both blacks and whites wanted cultural interchange restricted

The Roaring Twenties-Business Mergers Created wealth More efficient businesses Bankers got wealthy off large fees charged for the mergers & buyouts

The Roaring Twenties-Business Airline industry New means of transportation Used mostly to move mail More freedom to travel Created jobs Business expansion

The Roaring Twenties-Business Alternating Electric Current Distribute electricity over larger area Electricity in homes/appliances Freed up housewives for other things Created jobs Helped economy boom

The Roaring Twenties-Business Modern Advertising Methods Created demand for consumer goods Increased sales & profits Turned “luxuries” into “necessities” Created jobs

Ford Model T advertising

The Roaring Twenties-Business Automobiles Building paved roads Gas (service) stations Garages Freedom to travel Urban sprawl New status symbol Demand for rubber, oil, steel, textiles, glass – new jobs

Get your kicks on Route 66!

The Roaring Twenties-Business Installment Plan People could buy more goods Felt more prosperous False sense of prosperity & optimism Little warning of economic pain to come

The Roaring Twenties-Business Signs of trouble ahead Growing income gap Lack of true prosperity in RR and iron industries Farmers & Mining companies – losses Buying stocks on margin – pay part now, rest later Installment buying out of hand “Give up food for car”

Republican Power President Harding Elected 1920 Legacy of Scandals “Teapot Dome” Died in office

President Coolidge “The business of America is business. ” Fordney. Mc. Cumber Tariff Smoot-Hawley Tariff No help for farmers

The Roaring Twenties-Prohibition banned the manufacture, transport & sale of alcohol Adopted in 1919 – 18 th Amendment

The Roaring Twenties-Prohibition Causes • Religious groups thought sinful • Favored by rural people – “small town values” • Reformers: Gov’t should protect public health • Reformers: Alcohol leads to crime, wife & child abuse, job accidents • Hostility towards German. American brewers & other immigrants who used Effects • Consumption of alcohol declines • Disrespect for law develops • Increase in unlawful activities: distilling alcohol, smuggling, bootlegging, beating law becomes a “game” • New source of illegal funds

Speakeasies

The Roaring Twenties-Prohibition Speakeasies Hidden saloons – found everywhere and anywhere ID card or password to enter Middle-class and Upper-middle-class Bootlegger Smuggle in alcohol from Cuba, Canada, West Indies Hide in legs of boots

The Roaring Twenties-Prohibition Al Capone – Chicago

The Roaring Twenties Organized Crime Al Capone – mob leader Chicago By 26 heads a criminal empire Uses bribery, violence Bootlegs whiskey from Canada Illegal breweries 10, 000 speakeasies Worth about $100 million Convicted of tax evasion Died at 48 years old Public is fascinated with him

The Roaring Twenties-Prohibition “The cure is worse than the disease. ” By 1925 only 19% of people support Prohibition 1933 – Repealed with 21 st Amendment

1920 s Flapper

The Roaring Twenties-Women 1920 s Rebellious, pleasure-seeking atmosphere leads to women asserting more independence Demand same freedoms as men New fashions, dancing, drinking, smoking, more sexual freedom q Flappers, vamps q Casual dating begins

The Roaring Twenties-Women What does “double-standard” mean? Despite new freedoms, women still had to live by stricter standards than men. Women feel pulled in different directions 19 th Amendment – 1920 – gives women federal right to vote

The Roaring Twenties-Families Marriage changes also More of partnership Women still in charge of housework, kids Families have fewer children Birth control info more available More free time to pursue leisure, volunteer activities, work

The Roaring Twenties-Families Children no longer in factories In school Emergence of “teenager” Peer pressure Rebellion Less time with family Auto gives more freedom Dating, “parking”

The Roaring Twenties-Education

The Roaring Twenties-Education How did high schools change? 1914 -1926: Rose by 3 million students Teaching immigrants English Courses added for vocational training Industrial jobs, homemaking

The Roaring Twenties Popular Culture Growing mass media shapes culture Higher literacy leads to More news, entertainment, ads Newspapers, magazines, radio Radio Most powerful communication medium 1920 - KDKA Pittsburgh – 1 st commercial radio station – industry changes forever

Roaring Twenties Popular Culture More money + More leisure time = Fads Sporting events Boxing, baseball, tennis Flagpole sitting Dance marathons

Roaring Twenties Popular Culture Heroes Who was Babe Ruth? Charles Lindbergh? Movies “Jazz Singer” – 1 st talking movie Arts Many new writers, artists Charles Lindbergh

Roaring Twenties Pop Culture Many new writers, artists Themes: Criticism of American lifestyle, culture, values & war F. Scott Fitzgerald – writer, “Great Gatsby” Edna St. Vincent Millay – poet Ernest Hemingway – writer “A Farewell to Arms” Walloon Lake, Michigan – Childhood summer vacations. Later in life returned to northern MI

Roaring Twenties – Pop Culture F. Scott Fitzgerald Edna St. Vincent Millay Ernest Hemingway

Harlem Renaissance

Roaring Twenties – Harlem Renaissance Harlem – Upper West Side of New York’s Manhattan Island World’s largest black urban community “Greatest Negro city in the world. ” Renaissance Flowering of creativity Literary & artistic movement celebrating African American culture

Harlem Renaissance Writers & Poets Well-educated, middle-class New pride in being African American “Black is beautiful” Claude Mc. Kay Langston Hughes-one of most famous poets Performers Florence Mills Josephine Baker Paul Robeson - Othello

Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes Paul Robeson

Roaring Twenties – Harlem Renaissance Jazz Louis Armstrong Creole Jazz Band Fletcher Henderson’s Band in NYC Most important, influential musician in history of Jazz Duke Ellington – Cotton Club One of America’s greatest composers Cab Calloway Savoy Ballroom & Cotton Club Popularized “scat” – jazz improv

Louis Armstrong Duke Ellington

Roaring Twenties – Harlem Renaissance Jazz Bessie Smith Blues singer Most outstanding vocalist of the decade Highest-paid black artist in the world

Scopes “Monkey” Trial Evolution vs. Creationism Science vs. Religion Famous Lawyers John Scopes High School Biology teacher

Scopes Trial Clash between science & religion Evolution vs Creationism Fundamentalists believed Bible should be taken literally Tennessee 1 st state to outlaw teaching evolution in schools ACLU offers to defend teacher who would challenge law John T. Scopes takes the challenge

Scopes Trial Clarence Darrow defends him Williams Jennings Bryan prosecutes him Trial becomes national sensation Darrow eventually gets Bryan to admit that the Bible can be interpreted different ways Whole episode reflective of clashing of old culture and new culture