(AH 12-13)
The Roaring Twenties
(Chapters 12 & 13)
The Search For Peace At Home
I. American Isolationism After WWI
Source: The Americans (Cd-Rom)
(AH 12-13)
II. Problems at Home (post-WWI)
A. What were Wilson’s fears concerning the effect(s) that WWI would have on Americans and their society? Were his fears
justified? Explain.
- he feared war would make Americans ruthless and brutal; feared war would change America;
- his fears were somewhat exaggerated; some of them, however, were also well-founded
- a time of turmoil (strikes and labor unrest, Red Scare, radicalism, Prohibition/organized crime, KKK, nativism,
corruption, etc.
B. Economic Problems:
1. What caused the massive inflation that took place immediately after WWI? Explain.
- going from “guns to butter” (from making war products to consumer products) resulted in high demand
and low supply of products for a period of time;
- soldiers returning with money to spend, and people needing to buy replacement products, led to increased
demand;
- 1919 cost of living rose 77% beyond pre-war levels; in 1920, it rose another 28%
2. Why were there suddenly more labor strikes following the end of the war than there were during the war?
- workers and unions had put-off labor disputes during the war but now wanted improvements in “bread
and butter” issues (esp. wages due to inflation)
- management connected unions and strikers with radicalism to make them lose public support
- government began once again to side with management
Visuals (following page):
Graph #1: Notice the spike in the number of strikes following the end of WWI (right before 1920).
Graph #2: Notice the massive increase in the percentage of non-agricultural (non-farm) workers during
the same period. This crippled the economy.
(AH 12-13)
Graph #1:
Number of Strikes: 1880 - 1945
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014498311000271
Graph #2:
Percentage of Non-Agricultural Workforce on Strike
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014498311000271
3. Identify some of the more notable strikes that took place immediately following the end of the war.
Notable Strikes:
a) Boston Police Strike (Aug. – Sept. 1919):
- strike put down by Calvin Coolidge with use of national guard; he gained fame from this;
- “There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anywhere, any time.”
b) Coal Strike (Nov. 1919)
c) Steel Strike (Sept. 1919)
d) Seattle General Strike (Feb. 1919)
4. What were the demands made by the labor unions at this time? Be specific.
- mainly “bread and butter issues”; pay increases needed because of inflation
5. What effect did the police strike in Boston have on the career of Calvin Coolidge?
- shot him into national spotlight;
- eventually became president
(AH 12-13)
NOTE: Sections III-V of the packet involve extreme groups/people.
radicalism (definition):
(from our “Political Spectrum” PowerPoint):
– favor a rapid, fundamental change in the existing social, economic and/or political order (situation); usually use
revolutions to bring about this massive and fast change
- will use extreme measures including violence to achieve their goals. (Communist)
III. The Red Scare
Note: The following website has some decent Red Scare-related propaganda cartoons.
http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/museum/exhibits/1920s_exhibit/red%20scare.htm
A. Who was Vladimir Lenin? The Bolsheviks? How did America react to them? Why?
- founder of communist Russia; led the Bolsheviks (“the majority”)
- goal of communists was to create a worldwide revolution that would result in the overthrow of capitalism
everywhere (private property would be taken – was seen as being extreme in U.S.)
- Americans reacted in fear, especially once 70,000 radicals joined the Communist Party in the U.S.;
- several dozen bombs were sent to the government and businesses; people feared Communists were taking
over
Visual: A pro-Lenin painting depicting Lenin’s leadership of the Russian people. (Source: The Americans Cd-Rom)
B. What was the “Red Scare” and when did it take place?
- fear of communism spreading to the U.S. during years of 1919-1920
C. What had caused this fear to come about in America at this particular time?
- communist and radical movements Europe
- associated with radicalism, anarchy, random violence, srikes
- some people believed they were seeing signs of these things in U.S. (being brought over by immigrants?)
- in reality, communists in U.S. quite few (made up less than ½ of 1% of U.S. population)
- violence (bombs sent to important people); it was later determined not to be done by communists
D. What groups were people becoming increasingly more afraid/suspicious of during this time? (Be sure to focus especially
on the connection between the negative public reaction to labor unions and a fear of communism and, in general,
radicalism.)
- immigrants (especially from “New” wave countries), anarchists, unions/strikers, radicals
- capitalists/business owners viewed an increase in number of strikes to be a sign that communism and
radicalism was spreading in the U.S.; led to a widespread negative views of unions and strikes by the
public
(AH 12-13)
Political Cartoon Analysis:
Analyze the political cartoon
shown to the right. Consider the
following:
1. Who are the people? Are they symbolic
of a type of person, symbolic of a group,
or do they represent real, specific
historically important individuals?
2. What is the significance of the writing
in the cartoon? The boards over the
window? The rays of light coming through
the boards. The title shown at the bottom?
The facial expressions? The physical actions?
3. What is the overall message of the cartoon?
How does the artist want you to feel about the
individuals and this situation? To be against
it/them? To be supportive?
4. How does the cartoon and its content fit into the
historical context (the date of the cartoon
1920)?
Other Examples of Anti-Communist/Radical Propaganda:
“STEP BY STEP”
“COMING OUT OF THE SMOKE”
“HE WOULD TURN THE CLOCK BACK 1,000 YEARS”
(AH 12-13)
E. Palmer Raids:
1. Who was A. Mitchell Palmer and why did he conduct the raids?
- series of raids (1919-1920) in search of communists that were ordered by Attorney General Palmer
a.
Palmer gave some insight into his fears. Read the following quote. Be knowledgeable about the
contents of this quote.
“The blaze of revolution was sweeping over every American institution of law and order … eating its way
into the homes of the American workman, its sharp tongues of revolutionary heat … licking the alters of
the churches, leaping in to the belfry of the school bell, crawling into the sacred corners of American
homes … burning the foundations of society.”
2. Describe the importance of the raids, focusing especially on their effects.
- effects:
- the constitutional rights of thousands violated; hundreds of innocents deported; some states
had passed sedition acts stronger than those passed during war; nativism lingered (resulting in
new immigration restrictions), and added to the rise of KKK
3. What organization was created to oppose (fight against) the actions taken during the Palmer Raids?
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Critical Thinking Question:
Is it ever okay for the government to take away some of the civil rights of people in times of a perceived
emergency? Explain your reasoning.
IV. The Sacco and Vanzetti Case
A. Who were Sacco and Vanzetti and with what crime were they charged?
- immigrants (Italians) and anarchists (radicals); charged with murder of workers at shoe factory;
Visual: Sacco and Vanzetti; (Source: The Americans Cd-Rom)
B. Why did this case cause so much controversy?
- little solid evidence to support the charge, but still resulted in conviction
- judge, who privately referred to them as “those anarchist bastards”, basically stated that they may not be guilty of
this crime, but were still guilty because their beliefs went against the government
- they were singled-out mostly because of who they were (immigrants), where they came from, and what they
believed (anarchism)
(AH 12-13)
C. What was the verdict of the case? What happened to the men?
- guilty; sentenced to die by electric chair, which they did
D. Describe the connection of this case to the Red Scare.
- immigrants, like them, became increasingly more associated with communism and radicalism by the public;
- their trial was a symptom of the anti-communism and anti-immigrant hysteria that had gripped the U.S.
E. Did the U.S. government and society learn from the mistakes that were made during this trial? Explain.
- no; Japanese internment camps were created out of fear following bombing of Pearl Harbor
- fear of Arab-Americans and Arab immigrants following 9/11
- McCarthyism of the 1950’s (fear of communists once again)
V. The Return of the KKK
A. What is the KKK and what were its goals back in the 1920’s?
- an extreme organization formed after end of Civil whose original goal it was keep W.A.S.P.s in power and
“keeping blacks in their place”
REASONS WHY IT’S POPULARITY AND POWER ROSE:
The KKK reemerged around the time of WWI due largely to:
-
increased immigration from southern and eastern Europe (“New” immigrant areas), which brought in
people who were very different from the WASP members of the KKK.
the Great Migration (the movement of African-Americans to the North)
T
The members of the KKK were scared of the changes that these people might bring to their way of life.
The Great Migration
The map below shows the flow of African-Americans from the South to the North during the period of WWI and the 1920’s.
The KKK reacts to this migration of African-Americans by renewing its focus on keeping African-Americans from exercising
their existing rights and from gaining any additional ones.
(AH 12-13)
Which of the following statements is supported by the
data in the graph?
a) Between 1860 and 1930, many African-Americans
migrated to the North.
b) Between 1860 and 1930, African-American declined.
c) In 1910, more than half of African-Americans worked
in factories.
d) By 1930, most African-Americans lived in the North.
B. Who did the KKK persecute (attack)? Why?
- African-Americans, Jews, Catholics, immigrants
- they blamed many of these people for the country’s various problems
- some whites had come to feel threatened (economically, politically, socially, etc.) by these groups
C. What methods did the KKK use to expand its membership and to try to achieve its goals during the 1920’s?
- terror/violence: lynching, beatings, tarring-feathering, branding)
- paid members to recruit new members
- got elected into government; also got in law enforcement
D. Identify some of the successes and failures of the KKK at this time.
- got elected to local, state, and federal governmental positions (including law enforcement)
- membership climbed to about 4.5 million by 1925 out of a population of about 125 million (1 of every 26 people)
Visual: Members of the KKK march through the heart of Washington, D.C. in 1925. The Capitol Building is in the
background. (Source: http://racismandnationalconsciousnessnews.wordpress.com/2008/11/page/2/)
E. What do you think? Should the KKK have the right to come to your community and preach ideas of hate and prejudice?
Explain your answer on the back side of this paper.
(AH 12-13)
VI. The Anti-Immigration Movement (A Quick Review)
A. Be able to answer the following questions; they are the same things on which we focused in our “Immigration” unit.
1. Why were some people against the “new” immigrants who were coming to the U.S.?
2. Identify the two very significant nativist and restrictive immigration laws that were created during the early
1920’s.
3. Explain how these laws discriminated against some immigrants but not others? In your opinion, is it okay to let
some people into our country but not others? Explain your answer.
The following graph and question are from: http://www.phschool.com/curriculum_support/taks/pathways_1.cfm?unit=4.
Based on the graph, what was the fundamental trend in immigration to the United States from 1921-1926?
a) immigration from all regions decreased
b) immigration from all regions increased
c) immigration from Asia increased more than that from other regions
d) immigration from Northwestern Europe decreased more than that from other regions
(AH 12-13)
The Politics of “Normalcy”
“Return to Normalcy” (definition):
The idea of returning America back to the way things were before Progressivism and WWI. This would
mean a smaller, less active government (more “hands-off” with the economy) and less involvement in
world affairs (isolationism).
Try to decipher Warren G. Harding’s call for a “return to normalcy” in the following
speech excerpt. Identify specific passages of his speech that seem to support the
previously mentioned definition.
Warren G. Harding calls for a "Return to Normalcy," Boston, MA, May 14, 1920
“There isn’t anything the matter with world civilization, except that humanity is viewing it
through a vision impaired in a cataclysmal (devastating) war. Poise (calm) has been disturbed,
and nerves have been racked, and fever has rendered men irrational (not thinking clearly);
sometimes there have been draughts (sips) upon the dangerous cup of barbarity, and men
have wandered far from safe paths, but the human procession still marches in the right
direction.
America’s present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums (a fake medicine that makes
exaggerated claims about its ability to heal), but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration; not
agitation (disturbance), but adjustment; not surgery, but serenity (peace); not the dramatic,
but the dispassionate (calm); not experiment, but equipoise (balance); not submergence
(diving into) in internationality, but sustainment in triumphant nationality (focusing on things
at home)…
My best judgment of America’s needs is to steady down, to get squarely on our feet, to make
sure of the right path. Let’s get out of the fevered delirium of war, with the hallucination that
all the money in the world is to be made in the madness of war and the wildness of its
aftermath. Let us stop to consider that tranquility at home is more precious than peace
abroad, and that both our good fortune and our eminence are dependent on the normal
forward stride of all the American people. …”
Source: http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=954
VII. The Needs of Americans
A. What three things did Americans want after WWI?
1. peace
2. prosperity
3. limited government
(AH 12-13)
VIII. Attempts to Prevent War: The Washington Naval Conference and the
Kellogg-Briand Pact
A. Washington Naval Conference:
1. When was the Washington Naval Conference held? Who attended? What was it intended to do? Was it
successful?
- held Nov. 1921- Feb. 1922
- attended by major countries, including U.S.
- purpose was to reduced size of navies mostly in the attempt to help prevent a future war (by reducing
militarism)
- led to 9 different treaties:
- one of them led to a 10-year “naval holiday” on the production of large naval ships
- led to some countries being forced to scrap (destroy) existing ships and ones being built
B. Kellogg-Briand Pact:
1. When was the pact signed, who signed it, and what was it intended to do?
- signed by 15 countries in 1928
- essentially declared that war was illegal and that problems had to be solved peacefully
- proved impossible to make countries follow it, so it did not work (the outbreak of WWII showed that)
2. Do you think this was a good idea or foolish?
IX. The Republican Platform (especially Harding and Coolidge)
Visuals: Presidents Warren G. Harding (left) and Calvin Coolidge (right).
Sources:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/presidents-worst-environmental-records-460808
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/presidents/calvin-coolidge-1417415.html
A. Describe President Warren G. Harding, as well as his plans and policies for the post-WWI U.S.. Focus especially on his
plans for the economy.
- simple man with small-town tastes; senator from Ohio
- government keep hands-off economy (very little governmental interference; laissez-faire)
- make government run more efficiently
(AH 12-13)
B. Important Economic Policy Makers (Mellon and Dawes)
1. Who was Andrew Mellon and what was his plan for creating economic growth in the U.S.? Use the reading
shown below to help you answer the question.
- banker; sixth-richest man in U.S.; appointed Sec. of Treasury (held longer than anyone in history)
- encourage economic growth by cutting taxes on industry (corporations) and wealthy people
- even though tax rates went down, the government collected more tax dollars because of the
increasing economic prosperity
- allowed government to pay its expenses and then spend the surplus (extra money) on
reducing the national debt
2. Who was Charles G. Dawes? Describe his ideas (and actions) for creating economic growth in the U.S.
- job to bring federal spending under control:
- he cut govt. expenses by 1/3 and created a surplus = to almost ¼ of total budget
- used surplus to pay national debt, which had grown by 25 times because of WWI
a.
How do the plans and policies of these men compare to the plans of the Bush and Obama
administration’s plans and policies for the economy? Explain.
- Bush’s policies were quite similar (“trickle-down” economics) to Mellon’s, but not so
much to Dawes because Bush did not really made it a priority to pay-down the deficit;
the deficit and national debt grew tremendously during his terms
- Obama dramatically increased spending in the attempt to stimulate the economy
(the “Stimulus”);
- deficits have been large for the past few years; claims he did not want to do this but was
forced to do so because his administration inherited a financial crisis;
C. What was the Fordney-McCumber Tariff and what were its effects?
- set tariffs far above existing tariffs to protect U.S. industries, including agriculture
- gave Pres power to raise (or lower) protective tariffs on his own in some cases, by as much as 50%
- helped create economic growth for a brief time after the war
VISUAL: ECONOMIC GROWTH
The following chart shows the increase in Real Gross National Product (GNP) per person from 1919-1930.
http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/Smiley.1920s.final
(AH 12-13)
D. Overall, identify the three-part formula of the Republicans for bringing about economic growth.
The Republican Formula
1. lower taxes for industry
2. lower governmental spending
3. higher tariffs (protective)
X. Labor
A. What was the American Plan? Who created it? Whose support did its creators have? (pp. 321 old)
- anti-labor union policy, created by business leaders and supported by the fed. govt.;
- said it was un-American to join a union in order to get a job in a particular plant;
B. What incentives (rewards) did companies that used this plan offer to its workers to convince them unions were
unnecessary.
- offered benefits, such as higher wages or stock ownership
C. Was the American Plan effective?
- yes; union membership declined
from 5 million to 3.5 million from 1920-1925
- Notice how the following graph illustrates this fact.
http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/Smiley.1920s.final
(AH 12-13)
XI. Political Scandals (An Era of Corruption)
(pp. 420-421 new, pp. 322 old)
A. What was the “Ohio Gang” and who was in it?
- group of friends and advisors, many from Ohio, whom Harding surrounded himself with
- many were corrupt and/or inept (lacked ability)
B. Describe each of the following scandals that took place during Harding’s presidency, including their significance.
1. Teapot Dome Scandal (Albert B. Fall):
- leased government oil reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming to oilmen who gave him kickbacks worth
hundreds of thousands of dollars
- took over $400,000 in bribes
- Fall went to jail for a year after paying a $100,000 fine
- was the first cabinet member in history to go to jail for dishonoring his office
Visual: A political cartoon indicating that the Teapot Dome Scandal would lead all the way back to the
White House (the president).
(Source: http://fame10decades1920.blogspot.com/)
2. Other Important Scandals:
a. Charles R. Forbes & the Veterans’ Bureau Scandal (swindled veterans)
b. the Jess Smith suicide (associated with selling pardons and political appointments)
c. Attorney General Harry Daugherty (charged with bribery and fraud)
- Harding’s presidency goes down as one of the most corrupt in history
(AH 12-13)
XII. Coolidge’s Presidency
A. How did Calvin Coolidge become President?
- gained popularity from the police strike in Boston
B. What kind of President was Calvin Coolidge? Describe his style of leadership, including his average day as President.
- “hands-off”; very laissez-faire attitude
- slept 10 hours, took mid-afternoon naps, and worked about four hours a day
- became known as “Silent Cal” because he often refused to comment on controversial issues
C. What was Coolidge’s approach to business? Describe it. Refer to the cartoon on pp. 426 to get an idea about how some
people viewed it.
- “The business of America is business.”
- believed business would thrive if government took a “hands-off” approach;
- continued to pay-off national debt, which dropped about $1 billion a year during much of 1920s
- his policies could be partly to blame for the coming depression because they let the economy, and big business
leaders, get “out of control”
http://www.slhs.net/20021061131359417/lib/20021061131359417/CB6_422-427.pdf
(AH 12-13)
XIII. A Time of Prosperity (superficial?)
A. Describe the condition of the economy in 1924 as Coolidge began his second term.
- economic boom; wages rising, as well as productivity (due to technology)
- Americans had more money to use to consume radios, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, telephones, cars, etc.
B. Explain how the automobile industry was a key part of the nation’s economic prosperity. Identify other industries that
were affected by the automobile industry. (pp. 324-325 old, pp. 423 new)
- steel, rubber, glass industries grew because these things used in cars;
- construction industry grew;
- new federal and state highways needed to be built;
- houses were developed in suburbs because cars made traveling to the city easier
- motels and gas stations sprung-up
- Note: The automobile industry and housing construction industry are seen by economists and historians as having
been the core of the economy in the 1920’s, as they are, even today. Once problems began to occur in
those areas without the necessary attention being given to them, the economy was almost doomed to crash.
C. Identify the process of producing the automobile that made i increasingly cheaper to produce and buy over time. How
much did the price of the Model T drop during the decade? (pp. 324-325 old, pp. 423 new)
- the assembly-line resulted in mass production, which resulted in spreading costs over more products produced;
that can lead to lower retail prices (economies of scale)
- prices dropped from $950 in 1909 to $290 by 1925
- increased ability to travel quickly added to growth of suburbs
D. How were women affected by the developments of the 1920’s?
1. Shedding Old Roles
a. Women were affected by the prosperity of the time. Several new
developments allowed women to shed old roles in the 1920’s.
Those developments included:
1. new work opportunities provided by the new industrial
economy (e.g. telephone operator, secretary, etc.);
2. increase in time-saving appliances in the house (e.g.
vacuum cleaners, clothes washers, refrigerators, etc.);
3. increased educational opportunities (e.g. high school and
college).
SIGNIFICANCE:
All of these things made it easier for women to break-out of their old
roles as housewives and homemakers.
Image: http://www.msad54.org/sahs/socialstudies/finely/1920s/1920hk/women.html
XIV. Advertising and Credit
A. Explain why growth in advertising was so necessary during the 1920s.
- advertising skyrocketed because people needed to be convinced to purchase new products that were being
produced because none of them were a necessity
NOTE: Watch TV tonight. How many of the things do you see in commercials that you actually need
(versus want)?
(AH 12-13)
B. Explain the connection between the growth of advertising and the increased use of credit.
- consumers were encouraged to use credit and installment plans (many payments over a period of time) to purchase
Expensive and long-lasting products;
C. Identify the popular products purchased largely with credit.
- by 1928, more than 2/3 of all furniture, phonographs and washing machines bought on credit
- ½ of sewing machines, pianos, as well as vacuum cleaners
D. Most historians and economists agree that the prosperity of the 1920’s was superficial.
1. Define the term “superficial”.
- “skin-deep”; not very deep; unreal
2. Explain the connection between this claim and the rise in the use of credit in the 1920’s.
- Many economists and historians believe that the wide availability of credit in the 1920’s allowed people
to spend – and live – beyond their means. In effect, this led to more money being spent (and injected)
into the economy than was sustainable. In essence, the economy had a “boost” that could not last.
- It is much like an athlete who is on steroids. They can perform at an artificially high level
for a brief period of time. Soon enough, however, there will be side effects that show
up, such as rage, health problems, etc.. The athlete cannot continue the behavior forever
because their body cannot handle it.
E. At what rate did personal debt rise compared to personal income? Was this a problem? Explain.
- debt rising 2 ½ times faster than personal income
- can be bad if person in debt loses job because they cannot pay debt; bankruptcy
- credit-buying artificially stimulated production, which would suffer dramatically if people lost job
1. Does this issue relate to the present time?
XV. Prohibition (A Quick Review)
Again, be able to answer the following questions about Prohibition, which we have already studied.
A. What Amendment and law were created to bring about and enforce Prohibition?
- 18th Amendment & the Volstead Act
B. Why was Prohibition difficult to enforce and what were its negative effects?
- organized crime skyrocketed (supplied a “black market” for booze”
- murders, theft, corruption of officials
- people resented that taxes went up to pay for enforcement of Prohibition (more police, more federal agents)
- many people broke the law (bootlegging, speakeasies, moonshine, etc.)
- people did not like their personal behaviors being controlled
- many immigrants resented Prohibition (felt attacked by it due to some of their cultures having the drinking of
alcohol being a cultural tradition)
QUICK NOTE: The average person did drink less during Prohibition (drinking rates and amounts went down). It is
not true that there was no effect. The reason Prohibition disappeared is that society decided that
the costs of Prohibition outweighed its benefits.
C. Should the government have the power to prohibit the sale and use of something today, or should people be free to decide
whether or not they should use those things? Explain.
(AH 12-13)
XVI. Popular Entertainment
A. What three forms of entertainment became the focus of American popular culture? (pp. 326-327 old)
1. radios
2. movies
3. sports
B. What conditions allowed these forms of entertainment to thrive?
- shorter working hours and higher wages allowed Americans to have more time and spending money than ever
before
XVII. Music, Arts and Entertainment
A. Describe jazz, its development and its influences.
1. seen as perhaps the only true American art form in world cultural history
- born in New Orleans in 20th century
- blended ragtime w/vocal blues
- improvisation (making it up as you go along) of players and instruments
2. How did some whites respond to this music?
- spread quickly to other cities
- became quite popular with many whites
- popular for dancing
B. What was a “flapper”? Describe them in detail. How did they reflect the mood of a part of society at that time?
- a woman who ignored the old rules about what was expected of women, who gladly accepted new fashions and
urban attitudes of the day;
- wore close-fitting hats, bright waist-less dresses an inch above the knees, skin-toned stockings, sleek pumps,
strings of beads
- clipped hair short (boyish looking) and dyed it black
- more women becoming more assertive (stood-up for themselves, demanding), which was reflected by:
- demanding, and getting, suffrage;
- pushing for equal opportunity (employment);
- marriage becoming viewed as more of an equal partnership
Visual: “Flappers” having a good time out on the town.
(Source: http://ffwdmag.co.uk/140/Flapper-Skirts-As-Feminist-Symbols.html)
(AH 12-13)
C. What was the Harlem Renaissance? What did the movement allow African-Americans to do?
- a literary and artistic movement by African-Americans that celebrated and expressed black pride and history
- brought about partially by the Great Migration (movement of large numbers of African-Americans from the South
to the North) of the late Teens to early 1920’s
- SIGNIFICANCE: the movement allowed African-Americans to break through some traditional racial boundaries
(and becoming more accepted and appreciated by other races, including whites)
TWO EXAMPLES OF POEMS BY LANGSTON HUGHES (a great poet from this movement)
Democracy
I Dream A World
Democracy will not come
Today, this year
Nor ever
Through compromise and fear.
I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom's way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankindOf such I dream, my world!
I have as much right
As the other fellow has
To stand
On my two feet
And own the land.
I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I'm dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.
Freedom
Is a strong seed
Planted
In a great need.
Langston Hughes
I live here, too.
I want freedom
Just as you.
Langston Hughes
http://www.poemhunter.com/langston-hughes/poems/
XVIII. Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis
(pp. 449 new)
A. Describe Lindbergh’s achievement, as well as the reaction it brought about by the public.
- first transatlantic (across the Atlantic Ocean) flight from NY to Paris on May 20, 1927 using a plane named Spirit
of St. Louis
- the world – especially Americans – treated him as a hero
(AH 12-13)
Visual: Charles Lindbergh and his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis.
Source: http://top-10-list.org/2009/06/04/top-10-common-misconceptions-modern-technology/
B. What have been some long-term social, political, economic, geographic, and military effects of his achievement and the
general improvements made in the area of aviation over the years? Be specific.
- captured public’s attention regarding aviation;
- helped lead to investment and development of the aviation/airline industry
- by 1929: 48 airways with combined length of 20,000 miles, serving 35 cities
- military bombers, fighters in WWII and later wars (helped us win wars; used to drop atomic weapons on Japan)
- used for mail and shipping, which helps our economy and businesses to grow
- travel (leisure, work)
- has helped to create a tourism industry
- a natural outcome was interest in space travel
XIX. The Scopes Monkey Trial (pp. 438-439 new)
A. Describe the background of events that led to the Scopes Monkey Trial.
- Dayton, Tenn.; was poor (mining town that had been struggling economically); new law that made teaching
evolution in schools
recently passed in Tenn.;
- town leaders saw this as an opportunity for the town to attract national attention and people (visitors), which would
bring money to the local economy
B. Identify the main people who were involved in the trial and describe their positions.
- Scopes: a young biology teacher who broke the law prohibiting the teaching of evolution
- Clarence Darrow: Scopes’ defense lawyer; well-known speaker; nationally known
- William Jennings Bryan: prosecutor; former presidential candidate; defending fundamentalism (a belief in the
literal, word-for-word translation of the Bible)
C. What was the final outcome of the Scopes Monkey Trial? Why was it significant?
- Scopes convicted (fined $100 – paid by journalists covering the story); conviction later overturned;
- law remained, but was not enforced, which meant people could essentially teach evolution, which continues to this
day
- the fundamentalist argument looked weak compared to modern science’s; this caused a steady decline in
fundamentalism
1. What did the trial show regarding urban and rural Americans? Explain.
- showed cultural differences between the mainly conservative rural Americans and the more liberal
urban Americans
(AH 12-13)
E. How does this trial and its topic have a connection to the present time period?
- Creationism v. evolution being taught in some schools today; a renewed push for the teaching of Creationism in
schools has taken place, especially since 2000 since conservatives when conservatives gained control over
Congress and the White House
REVIEW EXERCISE:
Use the flow chart and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.
XX. “The Great Migration” (a previous section also touched upon this concept)
A. Why did many African-Americans move away from the South throughout the 1920’s? To where did they tend to migrate?
- racism in South; economic opportunities in the more industrialized northern cities (businesses needed workers
during WWI and after; federal legislation had restricted immigration and, therefore, the supply of white workers in
northern cities);
B. What were the effects of this migration on the African-Americans?
- discrimination against them;
- segregation (neighborhoods, schools, public facilities, etc.);
- poor living conditions in cities
- some economic opportunity and chances for upward mobility
C. What was/is the N.A.A.C.P. and what was/is its purpose?
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
- created in 1909 by whites and blacks to combat racial discrimination
- concentrated on legal action, especially to help curb lynching (usually means murdering someone by hanging)
- 1,300 lynchings between 1900-1920
- organization still exists today; very influential
XXI. Long and Short-Term Effects of the 1920’s
A. Identify the short and long-term effects of the time period.
1. demographic changes (who people are and where they live):
- more people living in suburbs (you live there), as well as cities (urbanization)
- African-American migration from South to North
NOTE:
THIS HELPED LEAD TO THE REEMERGENCE OF THE KKK.
2. fear of foreigners and radicals:
- immigration limits (there are calls today for tougher laws against immigration – both legal and illegal)
- Red Scare (communist China could become our biggest economic and military threat)
NOTE:
THE INCREASE IN IMMIGRATION ALSO HELPED LEAD TO THE
REEMERGENCE OF THE KKK.
3. labor:
- increased strikes (not in recent years)
- fear of labor unions (has varied throughout history)
- power of unions decreased (also struggling today)
(AH 12-13)
4. technology/industry:
- growth of auto industry (U.S. industry struggling today)
- changes living and working patterns (growth of suburbs)
- led to growth of other industries (mining, glass, tire, motels, road construction, steel,
electrical, etc.)
- has changed the American landscape, as well as our houses (garages added to houses)
- introduction of airlines as transportation (still used)
- widespread use of electricity (still used today)
- increase in advertising (continues today)
5. economic:
- superficial prosperity
- growth of consumerism (continues today) and the standard of living:
- installment plans and credit (still used/overused today)
- new household inventions/innovations led to more leisure time and activities
- dishwashers, vacuums, canned foods, clothes off-the-rack, radios
- movies, radio, newspapers, sports
- growth in production of consumer goods (even today)
- growth of personal debt (continues today); our country has in recent times had a net negative savings
rate, meaning, as a whole, Americans spend more than we make (this is the first time since the Great
Depression – pathetic!)
- the recent severe recession has caused this to change, at least temporarily; we are now starting to
save
- irresponsible activities of the government, businesses, and the average American will helped lead to the
Great Depression, an era that has had many lasting effects upon our country, its people and its institutions
- seeing a repeat of the same behaviors – and even some of the effects - today
6. governmental:
- election of pro-business presidents (Where did/does Presidents Bush and Obama stand on this matter?)
- isolationism (Is this our national policy today?)
- increased tariffs (we still use tariffs)
- corruption: still exists at every level (gov. of Illinois rying to sell Obama’s Senate seat); how bad it is
varies from time to time)
7. new forms of entertainment:
- movies become national pastime (still popular today)
- radio the main source of entertainment (still popular; advances – satellite?)
- rise of sports heroes
8. new movements in the arts:
- composers create jazz and other new forms of music (Anyone in Jazz Band?)
- writers explore new topics (the “Lost Generation”)
- HARLEM RANAISSANCE:
- was an expression of African-American cultural pride and growth;
- this artistic and cultural movement allowed African-Americans to break traditional racial
boundaries (and becoming more accepted and appreciated by other races, including whites)
9. problems of urbanization:
- industrialization leads to growth of big cities
- cities struggle with organized crime
10. new attitudes and fashion:
- changing attitudes toward women allow for greater freedoms (freedoms were soon taken away, but some
have been regained)
- Americans adopt radical new styles and fashions
- traditional and modern ideas collide (evolution v. Creationism still being debated today)