A Changing Society
Section 1 – 698-701
• In 1920, more than half of America’s population lived in
urban areas.
– Urban areas offer:
• Economic Opportunities
• Cultural Diversity
• Access to art, entertainment and music
• 19th Amendment – 1920 gave women the right to vote.
A Changing Society
• In addition to women getting more political freedom,
they also experienced more social and economic
freedom.
– Some young women challenged traditional dress and
behaviors, they were known as Flappers.
A Changing Society
The Peacetime Economy
• After WWI, 4.5 million soldiers returned home looking
for work.
– Results:
• Women were forced to give up their jobs.
• US government cancelled huge contracts for war
materials.
– Businesses slowed production and laid off
workers.
» Unemployment rose and wages fell.
The Peacetime Economy
• As wartime production ended and jobs and wages fell,
many workers went on strike.
– Strike = when workers join together, stop working
and demand higher pay, better working conditions,
better benefits, etc.
• Many people felt that Communists and/or
Anarchists were behind these strikes.
– Communists = People who want the
government to own all property.
– Anarchists = People who want to get rid of all
government.
Fear and Violence
• Because of strikes and the belief that they were
connected to Communism and/or Anarchism, a Red
Scare developed.
– Red Scare = Fear of political radicals, particularly
communists who were called reds.
Fear and Violence
• Several businesses and government leaders’ homes were
vandalized during the red scare.
– Attorney General – A. Mitchell Palmer’s home was destroyed,
probably because he represented law and order.
– Result = the Palmer Raids.
» Many political radical organizations were raided
and hundreds of suspected Communists were
deported.
» In most cases there was no strong evidence against
these people. That was a huge civil rights
violation.
Fear and Violence
• Xenophobia = the fear and hatred of foreigners.
– Many Americans became concerned that the country
was moving in the wrong direction, and so the
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was formed.
• The ACLU’s mission is to protect the peoples’ civil
rights.
Fear and Violence
• During WWI, hundreds of thousands of southern African
Americans began relocating to northern states.
– This move is known as the Great Migration.
– White people feared competition for housing and
jobs.
• This fear led to many race riots.
The Harding Years
Section 2 – 702-705
• In the 1920 Presidential Election, Warren G. Harding ran
on a pro-business platform.
– His running mate was Calvin Coolidge.
– His opponents , James Cox and Franklin D. Roosevelt
ran on a foreign policy and League of Nations
platform.
• Most Americans had no interest in getting involved
in European affairs b/c the last time that
happened, the US was dragged into WWI.
The Harding Years
• Warren G. Harding won a landslide victory.
– He was not a good leader, but he surrounded himself
with people who excelled in their particular fields.
• Harding focused their attention on strengthening
the US economy.
– Tax cuts were given and business began to
boom.
» Soon, the postwar recession ended as both
unemployment and prices on goods and
services fell.
Scandals
•
President Harding’s idea to bolster the US economy was not w/o its
problems.
– Many of the people that he assigned tasks to, found it irresistible to steal
while at work.
– Harding died suddenly of a heart attack, and Coolidge became president
and inherited Harding’s problems.
• Teapot Dome Scandal = Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall leased
oil reserves at Teapot Dome, Wyoming to two oil companies.
– In return he received “loans” worth $385,000. He was
convicted, served a year in jail and was fined $100,000.
• Eventually four members of Harding’s cabinet resigned b/c of
corruption charges.
Republican Foreign Policy
• President Coolidge continued to try and keep the US out
of world affairs.
– The US followed a policy on disarmament = limits on
military weapons.
– In 1928, the US and 14 other countries signed the
Kellogg-Briand Pact = outlawed war.
• The leaders of these countries didn’t know how to
enforce the Pact.
The Election of 1928
• Herbert Hoover vs. Alfred Smith.
– Hoover = promised more prosperity.
• “A chicken for every pot and a car in every garage.”
– Smith = primarily concerned himself with urban
areas.
• Rural voters felt ignored.
– Hoover won a landslide victory.
Prohibition
Section 3 – 706-710
• In 1920, the 18th Amendment established national
prohibition = the sale, manufacture, and transportation
of alcoholic beverages was banned.
Prohibition
• The 18th Amendment didn’t stop the sale, manufacture,
transportation and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
– Speakeasies = secret illegal clubs that served alcohol.
– Bootleggers = people who manufactured and/or sold
alcohol to speakeasies.
Prohibition
Prohibition
• Because of prohibition, millions of dollars
each year was shifted to criminal
organizations.
– By 1927, Al Capone was earning $60 million
dollars a year through the transportation and
sale of alcohol.
Prohibition
• Prohibition’s downfall:
– Difficult to enforce
– Unpopular with most law-abiding citizens
– In 1933, the 21st Amendment repealed the 18th
Amendment and ended Prohibition.
Religious Beliefs
• Many religious leaders were worried when prohibition
wasn’t working and young people were acting out
(flappers).
– They called for a return to traditional values.
• Fundamentalism = the belief that the Bible is free
from error and is literally true.
Religious Beliefs
• Darwin’s Theory of Evolution = Humans evolved from simpler
forms of life over millions of years.
– This theory conflicted with the Fundamentalist idea of
Creationism = Humans were created in God’s image.
• In 1925, Tennessee made it illegal to teach anything other than
creationism.
– In that same year, John Scopes, a high school science teacher
was arrested for teaching evolution.
• Scopes was convicted and fined $100.
• In 1927, the Supreme Court overruled the lower court’s
decision.
Nativism
• Strong anti-immigrant feelings were increasing b/c of
the enormous influx of immigrants (800K in 1921).
– Fear of competition for jobs, and housing.
– Emergency Quota Act of 1921 = total immigration
could not exceed 357,000/year.
• This law did not limit immigration from countries
in the Western Hemisphere.
– National Origins Act of 1924 = favored northern
European immigrants and completely stopped
Japanese immigration.
Nativism
• Loudest voices against immigration came from the Ku
Klux Klan (KKK).
– Hostile towards Catholics, Jews, foreigners, and
African Americans.
– Intimidated their victims through cross-burnings,
beatings, and murder.
– By the mid 1920’s there were approximately 5 million
members including women and children.
Minority Rights
• Many African American and minority leaders worked
together to protect their rights and fight racism.
– Black Nationalists = African American leaders who
encouraged black people to take pride in their culture
and become economically independent.
• Marcus Garvey was a Black Nationalist who
founded the Universal Negro Improvement
Association in 1914.
– He wanted black people to be proud of their
race.
– Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 = gave all American
Indians legal and voting rights as US citizens.
Minority Rights
Marcus Garvey
President Coolidge
w/Native Americans at the
White House after signing
the Indian Citizenship Act
The Rise of the Automobile
Section 4 – 711-714
• By 1921, Henry Ford’s, Ford Motor Company was selling
more than 1 million cars a year.
– The Model T was the first car and was very durable.
• Durability was key b/c most roads in the 1920’s
were not paved.
The Rise of the Automobile
• Ford’s goal was to build reliable cars that were easy to
repair.
– For the cars to be easy to repair, they all needed to use
the same parts and be assembled in the same way.
• Ford developed the Assembly Line = a system of
chains, slides, and conveyor belts that moved parts
and cars along a line to different groups of workers
that would build a particular part of the car.
Business Booms
• The concept of the assembly line and what is called Mass
Production moved into all forms of manufacturing.
– US manufacturing doubled in the 1920’s and prices
began to drop.
– The electrical appliance industry experienced
tremendous growth
• It was then much more realistic for the average
American family to own such things as a vacuum
cleaner, washing machine and a refrigerator.
Business Booms
• In addition to household goods being
cheaper, they could also be bought on
credit.
– Installment Plans = place a small down
payment on an item and then make a monthly
payment with interest until the principle
balance is paid.
• Principle Balance = the cost or “sticker price” of
the item.
A National Culture
Section 5 – 715-719
• During the 1920’s, fads became popular
– Fads = when many people pursue an interest with
great excitement for a short period of time.
• flagpole sitting, marathon dancing, mah-jongg
A National Culture
• During the 1920’s there was an “explosion”
of mass media.
– The country became connected through:
• newspapers, magazines, movies, radio
A National Culture
• Also in the 1920’s, movies became a staple for
inexpensive and fun entertainment.
– Early theaters were called nickelodeons because
admission typically cost $.05.
– In 1927, The Jazz Singer became the first talkie = a
movie with sound and/or dialogue.
A Search for Heroes
• In the 1920’s, organized sports became popular, and the
“celebrity athlete” was born.
– Jim Thorpe = Olympic Gold Medalist – Track and
Field, Pro. Football and Baseball
– Gertrude Erderle = Olympic Gold Medalist –
Swimming and swam the English Channel in 15
hours.
A Search for Heroes
George Herman “Babe” Ruth
Leroy Robert “Satchel” Paige
A Search for Heroes
• Pilots also became famous.
– Many veteran fliers of WWI became stunt pilots and
earned money giving rides.
– Charles “Lucky” Lindbergh flew solo across the
Atlantic Ocean in the Spirit of St. Louis.
Blues and Jazz
• The 1920’s are often called the Jazz Age.
• Jazz = Came from southern cities and is a blend of
African American spirituals, European harmonies, and
West African rhythms.
• Blues = developed in the Mississippi Delta region and
expressed the difficulties that African Americans faced
during and after slavery.
Literature and the Arts
• During the Great Migration, New York City’s, Harlem
became the largest African American community.
– During this time many African American artists
developed their talents and their art grew in
popularity. This is known as the Harlem
Renaissance.
Literature and the Arts
• Many writers also excelled during this period including:
– Edna St. Vincent Millay
– F. Scott Fitzgerald
– Ernest Hemingway
Literature and the Arts
• Architecture became “modernistic,” a style that is known
today as art deco.
– Includes many vertical and zigzag design elements.