Roaring twenties

Post war 

Demobilization 

  • American businesses had been operating at full capacity for wartime production but were not ready for the abrupt end

  • 4.5 million soldiers return causes unemployment and cause wages to fall women to be forced out of new positiones 

  • Brief deep recession struck in 1920-21 at wars end govt canceled more than 2 billion in military contracts were no longer needed which caused factories factories cut back on production 

  • Lay off many workers 

  • Working conditions made worse

  • Farm crisis

  • Farms in europe started producing again and so so markets for american farmers in europe dried up and caused prices to fall 

  • Works were unsatisfied with conditions who remembered success from progressive era 

  • 5 million (12%) of workers were unemployed 

  • Farming sector will continue in recession 

The red scare 

  • Fear of the bolshevik revolution erupting in the US (period of anti-communist hysteria)

  • Response to the 1917 revolution in russia which results in the establishment of communist government 

  • Russian government owned and controlled all private property, including ever industry and factory 

  • Vladimir lenin led organization designs to engorged worldwide communist revolution by overthrowing capitalism and free enterprise: idea that this would take over scared americans

  • Some americans supported marx message of unavoidable working-class revolution 

  • Americans formed socialist party which foresaw a peaceful transfer of power by democratic means 

  • When bolsheviks seized power in 1917 most of the social party refused to support the violent overthrow of the government 

  • After the strikes of 1919 many believed bolshevik revolution was happening in america the fear of red communism 

Palmer raids

  • Series of bomb scares were interpreted by americans as justification of their fears 

  • April: postal clerks discovered 36 bombs in mail addressed to prominent citizens

  • May: bomb damaged house of attorney general (scares the red hysteria) 

  • Newspapers begin demanding harsh action against radicals and attorney general launched anti-comunist crusade 

  • Palmer raids: series of raids began when federal officials arrested thousands if suspected radicals in 33 cities 

  • Come in reads there mail, interview, violates civil liberties 

  • Nativism 

  • Xenophobia 

  • Most people were poor immigrants who had recently arrived most of the time there was no evidence but hundreds were still deported 

  • By summer of 1920 public hysteria over radicalism died down because of predictions that communist revolution was close at hand proved unfounded 

Sacco and vanzetti 

  • Red scare passed however hostility still existed 

  • Most sensational trials involved two italian immigrants who were convicted of murder and sentenced to death 

  • On payday two men came into a show shop and shot a killed a man and they robbed them 

  • The trial was focused on the socialist party and the fact they were immigrants 

  • Many questions that proved doubt, so much evidence for them that they did not 

  • Very harsh punishment against them compared to others

  • Found guilty because they are foreigners 

Immigration restrictions 

  • New immigration continued after the war 

  • National origins quota act 

  • Quota system of 1921: controlled immigrated from specific countries 

  • Set up numbers for immigrants of specific nationality that could come to america per year 

  • Prohibited japanese immigration to U.S 

  • An attempt to turn back time to when people thought life was similar and better a time before it became ethnically diverse

  • Rural americans saw the country become more urban and their own position in the nation slip in importance lashed out symbols of change 

  • Freeze americans existing racial composition which was largely northern european 

  • Marked the end of period of unrestricted immigration that brought 35 million newcomers to U.S in past century 

  • Lifted after 1960 

The new ku klux klan 

  • Go underground for a while 

  • Because of great migration in the 20s 

  • Plus the hatred 

  • There is a rebirth but not just in the south and african americans 

  • Target jews, catholics, immigrants

  • Boycotting of businesses 

  • Burning crosses 

  • social  organization tied with churches 

  • March on washington, no longer a hooded movement 

  • Accepted organization 

  • Proud members 

  • Not a lot of crazy 

  • Underground carries out the linching 

Role in the worlds 

  • Played increasingly important role in world business and trade 

  • Foreign policy shaped by reaction to WW1 (war must never happen again) 

  • Most americans hoped to avoid another war by keeping the rest

  • Actively pursued relationship in foreign affairs that would advance american interests while also maintaining peace

  • Washington naval conference: reduce arms race and size of navies of major powers: america agreed 

  • Kellogg-briand pact: to outlaw war as an instrument of international policy: america agreed

  • Loan money during and after the war 

  • Britain/france cant because they need germany reparations but germany can’t pay 

  • Europe's economy will fall without germany reparations 

Daws plans

  • Compromise accepted by all sides

  • Cycle of payments that went to germany then to the allies

  • With america giving loans to germany 

  • Our loan are going to keep europe economy afloat

  • During the depression when we collapse everyone else collapse

Principles 

  • Brief recession 

  • Economy experiences tremendous growth 

  • Revolutionary mass-production techniques allowed american workers to produce more goods in less time 

  • Harding and coolidge supported business to improve economy (republican) 

  • Cities grow and prosper while farms suffer 

  • People in cities have more leisure time and new innovations that change society 

  • Not all people change these changes 

  • More americans live in cities than rural areas  

  • Maderlist vs tradilist 

Presidential election

  • Wilson felt election of demorat james coz would prove that americans supported the league of nations and his vision of the role US should play in the world 

  • Harding wanted normalcy and finalized the rejection of the league of nations

Harding 

  • Compromise candidate, not very smart 

  • Not many decisions or stands 

  • Support what the republican congress says 

  • Puts good people in power but also not so good 

  • Teapot dome: secretary of the  interior was taking bribes for oil to sell 

  • Accepted bribes to overlook crimes  

  • Doesn't do much

Calvin coolige 

  • Finish the last year for harding 

  •  Hot elected again 

  • Did not say a lot 

  • Americans loved him 

  • Republican 

  • Supporting american businesses 

  • Cut federal spending 

  • Refuse relief to farmers 

  • Reduce national debt 

  • Reduce taxes 

  • Booming economy for urban 

Herbert hoover 

  • Comes after 

  • Cabinet in college and harding 

  • President during stock market crash

  • During the affects he does nothing 

  • Gets the blame 

  • Republican 

  • Supports big business 

Traditionalism 

  • Farmers 

  • Suffering 

  • No new consumer products 

  • Traditional view of religion, science, culture 

  • Formal education not important 

  • Fundamentalist 

Modernism 

  • City dwellers 

  • Enjoy rising standard of living 

  • Openness to social change and new scientific discovery 

  • Formal education for better jobs 

  • heat , indoor plumbing, fridges, lights 

  • Consumer products make life easier and better

Fundamentalism 

  • Protestant teaching 

  • Every word of the bible is the truth 

  • Every moral and scientific truth 

  • Clash with new scientific theories

  • Big bang theory

  • Science classes wants to teach the big bang and new theories 

  • The people are going to push against and stop these theories

  • Pass laws to teach scientific theories 

Scopes “monkey” trial 

  • Evolution vs. creation in the bible 

  • Tennessee passes a law making it illegal to teach evolution and big bang theory 

  • Scopes is a high school teacher who goes against the law and gets aressest so he goes to court 

  • Spot light to debate the issues 

  • Carnival outside the courthouse 

  • Scopes is found guilty and fined 10 dollars 

African americans defend themselves 

  • Naacp 

  • african american unions 

  • Black nationalism 

  • Gre tired of the slow progress and began to believe americans needed a nation of their own because they would never achieve equality 

  • Jazz brought people to harlem and made them in the now 

  • Pan-africanism: political movement aimed to unite people of african descent worldwide provided motivation of the idea of forming an independent nation 

  • 1920: new leader within movement emerged marcus garvey supported cause of black nationalism aimed to create new political state for african americans in africa 

Prosperity 

  • After recovery from demobilization 

  • Economy soared 

  • Business expansion lead to wage increases and with the rise of income workers became interested in purchasing new products 

  • Variety of new electric appliances: mixers, food grinders, sewing machines

  • Common for americans to have electricity 

  • Abundant supply of energy 

Automobile 

  • Factory have perfected mass production: scientific management 

  • The model T: henry ford create this 

  • Sturdy low cost 

  • Instant success

  • Assembly line 

  • Manufacturer could reduce the price because of the assembly line 

  • Most families could by at least one car 

  • I car to every 5 citizens

Automobile effect 

  • Changes many things

  • Allows for way more leisure time and want better things 

  • More people move out of the cities 

  • Camping 

  • Sightseeing

  • Vacations

  • Social life  

Changes in work 

  • Better benefits to try and keep people 

  • Assembly line increased rates of employee turnover factory workers had little chase for advancement 

  • Increase the amount of upper level jobs (highschool education) 

  • Assembly line has the immigrants so they cant advance 

  • Discriminatory hiring 

  • Automobile causes some jobs to no longer be in demand 

  • domestic services not needed as much 

Creating consumer 

  • Installment plan 

  • Credit 

  • Allow consumers to pay for cars overtime caused many to begin accumulating debt (interest) 

  • Industrial designers began to create items that write pleasing to look at as well as functional 

  • Advertising 

  • Field demand for new products 

  • Slogans, jingles, celebrity 

  • Chain grocery stores replaces corner store