1920s

Timeline of Key Events
- 1915: Reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan
- 1919: Schenck v. United States
- 1920: Claude McKay's "If We Must Die"
- 1920: American Civil Liberties Union established
- 1921: Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti
- 1921: Washington Naval Arms Conference
- 1922: Hollywood adopts the Hays code
- 1923: Herbert Hoover's American Individualism
- 1923: Meyer v. Nebraska
- 1924: Immigration Act of 1924
- 1925: Scopes Trial
- 1927: Charles Lindbergh flies nonstop over the Atlantic
- 1929: Stock market crashes
- 1930: Smoot-Hawley Tariff
- 1932: Sacco and Vanzetti executed; Bonus March on Washington
- 1932: Reconstruction Finance Corporation established

Background: In May 1920, Nicola Sacco (shoemaker) and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (itinerant worker) were arrested during the Red Scare, linked to a robbery where a guard was killed, based on little evidence.
Trial: The trial in 1921 drew limited initial interest but gained global attention during appeals; it became a symbol of anti-immigrant and anti-radical sentiment, leading to protests in Europe.
Conclusion: Sacco and Vanzetti were executed on August 23, 1927. Their case highlighted nativist prejudices affecting Italian-American communities.

The decade was known as the Jazz Age, marked by economic prosperity and cultural revolutions, with phenomena such as flappers, speakeasies, and growing consumer culture.
Observers noted stark class divisions yet a uniformity in American life, reflective in the mass production of goods.
Social tensions arose between rural and urban America, tradition and modernity, impacting views on morality and governance.

Prosperity: Calvin Coolidge famously stated, "The chief business of the American people is business."
Economic growth was driven by innovations in industry, especially automotive (annual production rose from 1.5 to 4.8 million cars).
American multinational corporations dominated global markets, with American goods making up significant parts of global supply chains.

The rise of new consumer goods transformed American life. Credit allowed wider purchase of goods like telephones, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines.
By 1929, 80 million people attended movies weekly, 5 million homes had radios, reflecting the emergence of celebrity culture with figures like Charles Lindbergh and Babe Ruth.

Despite a rise in average wages, corporate profits soared disproportionately. By 1929, 40% of the population lived in poverty, and many families had no savings.
Declines in agricultural income, job loss in manufacturing, and the migration of farmers due to deindustrialization were evident.

Farmers faced declining incomes post-WWI, with many losing lands to foreclosure while mechanization increased production.
An influx of migrant labor and changes in farming practices characterized agricultural life in the late 1920s.

A culture emerged that celebrated businessmen and efficiency, yet organized labor faced challenges with losses over 2 million members in the 1920s.
Labor movement struggles were compounded by anti-union sentiments during this era.

The women's rights movement fragmented post-suffrage as various factions focused on different goals. The Equal Rights Amendment by Alice Paul faced opposition.
The concept of women's freedom evolved, with personal responsibility and autonomy becoming prominent, yet traditional roles remained influential.

Government policies leaned heavily towards business interests, with business lobbyists influencing legislation.
Corruption marked the Harding administration; scandals like Teapot Dome exemplified moral lapses at high levels of government.

Calvin Coolidge maintained a strong Republican dominance, increasing the influence of business in politics.
The election of 1924 showcased the unification of several minor parties, indicating undercurrents of dissent.

The complexities of international relations emphasized American economic interests over humanitarian ideals.
Events in Latin America illustrated U.S. military involvement aligned with business interests, leading to increased interventionism.

The ACLU was established, advocating for civil liberties amid wartime repression.
Landmark Supreme Court cases began to shift the legal framework regarding free speech and censorship in the 1920s.
The cultural expression of dissent reflected in the art of the Lost Generation highlighted the struggle against censorship.

Tensions arose primarily between traditionalist views and modern secularism, with events like the Scopes Trial highlighting historical conflicts.
Prohibition was seen as a significant societal and moral crusade led by fundamentalists but ultimately led to increased corruption and societal unrest.

The 1920s ushered in restrictive immigration laws based on national quotas, favoring Northern European immigrants and severely limiting those from Southern and Eastern Europe.
This marked a significant shift in public policy towards race and immigration, embedding racial theories into immigration law.

Hoover's election positioned him as a figure of promise, but the stock market crash in October 1929 marked the beginning of widespread economic collapse.
The interconnectedness of domestic and international economic failures precipitated the Great Depression, leading to high unemployment and poverty.
Hoover's responses were perceived as inadequate, with voluntary business measures failing, prompting widespread disenchantment with the government.

The decade leading to the Great Depression was marked by sharp contrasts in culture, prosperity, and profound inequality, revealing the complex tapestry of American life during this transformative period.