Prosperity & Depression

Page 1: The Coming of Woman Suffrage

Ideological Shift

• The ideological concepts of "democracy" and "freedom" became weapons during the war, inspiring demands for their expansion domestically.

• In 1916, President Wilson cautiously endorsed votes for women.

Impact of War on Suffrage Movement

• America's entry into WWI threatened to divide the suffrage movement.

• Many suffrage advocates were associated with the opposition to American involvement in the war.

• Notably, Jeannette Rankin, a pacifist and the first woman member of Congress, voted against the war declaration.

• Rankin faced defeat in her 1918 reelection bid, but she would return to Congress in 1940.

• She notably opposed the declaration of war.

Page 2: Mobilizing Support for War

Women's Involvement in War Efforts

• During WWI, many women took on roles supportive of the war effort, selling war bonds, organizing patriotic rallies, and stepping into jobs vacated by men.

• About 22,000 women served as clerical workers and nurses for American forces in Europe.

Activism and Strategies

• The National Woman's Party, led by Alice Paul, adopted militant tactics to fight for suffrage, contrasting with older suffrage advocates.

• Alice Paul drew inspiration from the British suffrage movement, utilizing protests, arrests, and hunger strikes.

• The administration's response to the treatment of women activists, coupled with women's patriotic service, propelled support for woman suffrage.

• The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 marked the culmination of the suffrage struggle, prohibiting states from denying voting rights based on sex, making the U.S. the twenty-seventh country to grant women the vote.

Page 3: Prohibition During Wartime

Emergence of Prohibition

• The war energized various reform efforts, including the Prohibition movement, originally from the nineteenth century.

• Prohibition focused on creating a disciplined labor force, reducing domestic violence, and undermining urban political machines reliant on saloons.

• National advocacy for prohibition grew after initial successes at the state level.

Wartime Rhetoric Against Alcohol

• Many promoted Prohibition as unpatriotic due to the association of prominent breweries with German-Americans.

• The Food Administration mandated using grain for food, not beer or liquor, contributing to Prohibition's momentum.

• Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment in December 1917, which prohibited the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor.

Page 4: The Great Migration

Changes in Race Relations

• The war spurred social changes, significantly impacting race relations in America, particularly for African-Americans.

• A lack of European immigrants opened numerous industrial jobs to black laborers, prompting a mass migration from the South to the North.

• Between 1910 and 1920, around 500,000 African-Americans moved northward, with notable population increases in cities like Chicago and New York.

Motivations for Migration

• Reasons for the Great Migration included better wages in the North, educational opportunities for children, escape from lynching, and the hope of exercising voting rights.

• migrants brought forth a new vision of opportunity but faced stark realities of limited job opportunities and racial violence upon arrival.

Violence and Discrimination

• The influx of black migrants coincided with racial violence in both the North and South, with significant riots and lynchings occurring during this period.

• Notably, the 1917 East St. Louis riot and the widespread violence during the summer of 1919 highlighted the racial tensions of the era.

• The Tulsa riot of 1921 stands out as one of the worst instances of racial violence in American history, which resulted in numerous deaths and extensive property damage.

Page 5: The Rise of Garveyism

Shift Towards Militancy

• The era of WWI incited a new spirit of militancy within black communities, with events like the East St. Louis riot inspiring protests like the Silent Parade in New York City.

• The Universal Negro Improvement Association, led by Marcus Garvey, gained traction as advocates for African independence and self-reliance.

The Global Context

• The aspirations of the black community aligned with a broader global revolutionary spirit following WWI, igniting hopes for social change and independence worldwide.

Page 6: The Upheaval of 1919

International and Domestic Turmoil

• The year 1919 was a significant turning point, marked by worldwide revolutionary movements, general strikes, and various forms of dissent ignited by the aftermath of WWI.

• In the U.S., the aftermath of the war combined with a flu epidemic contributed to widespread upheaval, including racial violence and labor movements demanding social justice.

Labor Unrest

• Wartime language connecting patriotism to democracy inspired over 4 million workers to strike in 1919, leading to the largest labor unrest wave in American history.

• In particular, the steel strike involved 365,000 workers advocating for better wages and working conditions.

Page 7: The Red Scare and Labor Repression

Palmer Raids

• The Palmer Raids, referencing A. Mitchell Palmer's crackdown on radical groups, marked an era of severe political repression in response to labor unrest and fears of a communist threat following the Russian Revolution.

• Thousands were arrested, and civil liberties were compromised as many dissenters were held without charge.

Impact of the Red Scare

• These events sparked a renewed focus on civil liberties, instilling a public discourse on the balance between national security and individual rights as dissent repressed through government actions led to citizen backlash.

Page 8: The Financial Boom

Economic Growth

• The administration of Calvin Coolidge emphasized the idea that "the chief business of the American people is business," reflecting American economic prosperity.

• This era witnessed rising productivity, the expansion of multinational corporations, and astounding growth in industries such as automobiles and telecommunications.

Consumer Culture

• Post-war prosperity fueled an increase in consumerism, as new products became widely available, altering daily life and creating a booming economy.

Page 9: Social Change and Disparity

Economic Disparities

• Despite economic growth, considerable inequality prevailed, with disparities in wealth distribution and limited opportunities for many Americans.

• Farmers faced significant challenges, resulting in widespread economic distress and migration from rural areas.

Workers' Reality

• With deindustrialization, many manufacturing jobs were lost, while mechanization in agriculture shifted labor away from traditional farming environments.

Page 10: New Technologies and Innovations

Technological Advancements

• Advances in agriculture and technology transformed economic landscapes, yet these changes remained inaccessible to many struggling farmers.

• The rise in mechanization led to large-scale agricultural production but increased dependency on migrant labor.

Cultural Heroism

• Despite economic challenges, figures like Henry Ford were celebrated, reflecting society’s appreciation for ingenuity and industrial growth, portraying a dichotomy between public perception and underlying economic realities.

Page 11: Labor Dynamics and Repression

Declining Labor Influence

• The aftermath of the labor uprisings in 1919 saw a shrinking labor movement, with corporate powers exerting control and suppressing workers' rights.

Women's Rights Movement

• Post-suffrage, divisions grew among feminist groups, with competing ideas of women’s liberation emerging, primarily focusing on equal rights versus maternalism.

Page 12: Cultural Dynamics and the ERA

Equal Rights Amendment

• The ERA proposed by Alice Paul aimed at eliminating legal distinctions based on sex but faced opposition from various women's groups prioritizing maternalist protections.

Changes in Women's Rights

• Women's freedoms shifted to consumerism and personal autonomy in a changing societal landscape, with new cultural norms challenging previous social constraints.

Page 13: Cultural Transformation

The Role of Advertising

• Advertising during the 1920s played a significant role in shaping new consumer ideologies and promoting individual freedoms through personal pleasure, especially via products marketed to women.

Emergence of the New Woman

• The 'flapper' symbolized the changing nature of women's roles, embracing sexual liberation and autonomy but often internalized within the confines of marriage expectations.

Page 14: Decline of Political Engagement

Voter Participation and Community Focus

• The 1920s saw declining voter turnout, with elections losing their importance to citizens as consumer interests grew, reflecting broader societal shifts away from political engagement.

The Republican Era

• Business interests dominated this decade, with policies favoring economic growth, pro-business rhetoric, and limitations on labor and civil rights.

Page 15: Economic Policies and Corruption

Business-Centric Government

• Government policies aligned closely with business interests, enforcing protections for businesses against labor movements while reflecting the corruption within the Harding administration.

Scandals in Political Culture

• The Teapot Dome scandal highlighted the corruption and moral failures of the Harding administration, reinforcing concerns about governmental integrity.

Page 16: Foreign Affairs and National Interests

Retreat from Internationalism

• The 1920s movements reflected a broader trend towards unilateral approaches in foreign policy, prioritizing American economic interests over global democratic values.

Military Presence in the Americas

• Continued military interventions in Central America reflected the U.S. commitment to protecting economic interests abroad, laying foundations for future conflicts.

Page 17: Civil Liberties in the 1920s

Rise of Civil Liberties

• The period post-WWI saw an awakening surrounding civil liberties, prompted by the oppression of dissent and the need to define the limits of governmental authority.

Censorship and Cultural Backlash

• Wartime censorship extended beyond public debate into the artistic realm, as many works faced scrutiny under conservative moral standards, leading to cultural pushbacks.

Page 18: The Role of the ACLU

Formation and Function

• The ACLU emerged from a need to protect individual rights during an era characterized by repression, becoming integral in cases surrounding free speech and dissent.

Judicial Decisions

• Over the years, ACLU efforts contributed to landmark decisions reinforcing civil liberties, setting the stage for future legal interpretations regarding freedom of speech and expression.

Page 19: Fundamentalism and Pluralism

Culture Wars

• The rise of evangelical fundamentalism marked a significant counter-movement against secularism and modernism, as many sought to preserve traditional values amidst cultural shifts.

Prohibition and Its Consequences

• Prohibition illustrated deeper societal divisions and launched debates about state versus individual rights, manifesting the tension between modern values and religious conservatism.

Page 20: The Scopes Trial

Clash of Values

• The 1925 Scopes Trial exemplified the conflict between fundamentalism and modern secular thought, leading to national discussions on academic freedom and religious beliefs.

Outcome and Cultural Impacts

• While Scopes was found guilty, the trial prompted fundamentalists to retreat from public education initiatives for years, illustrating the shifting landscape of American thought.

Page 21: Racial and Religious Tensions

The Second Ku Klux Klan

• Resurging in the 1920s, the Klan expanded its influence beyond the South, targeting immigrants and advocating for a narrow view of American identity based on race and religion.

Immigration Restrictions

• The decade witnessed significant changes in immigration policies, highlighting nativism and the anxiety surrounding the influx of diverse populations into America.

Page 22: Evolving Immigration Policies

New Legislation

• Restrictions enacted in the 1920s reflected growing nativism and aimed to limit the entry of immigrants, particularly from southern and eastern Europe.

Impacts on Society

• These laws birthed the concept of the "illegal alien" and set a precedent for future immigration enforcement, framing immigration policy as tied to racial and cultural identities.

Page 23: Cultural Responses

Promoting Tolerance

• In the face of hostility towards immigrants and prohibition, ethnic communities sought to assert their cultural identities, promoting tolerance and diversity within American society.

Legal Victories for Immigrants

• Landmark legal victories aided in expanding the rights of immigrants amidst a backdrop of discrimination, fortifying a pluralistic definition of American freedom.

Page 24: Harlem Renaissance

Cultural Flourishing

• The Great Migration continued to reshape urban areas, prompting a cultural renaissance in Harlem, serving as a hub for black artistic and literary expression.

Multicultural Interactions

• Harlem emerged not only as a center for black culture but also as a place of interaction with white intellectuals, allowing for burgeoning artistic collaboration and recognition.