From Boom to Bust: The Roaring 20s and the Great Depression

1. From Boom to Bust: The Roaring 20s and the Great Depression

2. Americans Struggle with Post War Issues The 1920s: Roaring or Racist?

3. Wanting to Return to “Normalcy” • A stressed nation • League of Nations Divided Nation • Progressive Era Changed Nation • Returning Soldiers Unemployment OR minorities out of jobs • Inflation cost of living had doubled • Trends in 1920s politics • 1. Renewed isolationism • 2. Resurgence of nativism • 3. political conservatism • Go against Progressive movement

4. The Threats to “Normalcy” • A. Communism • 1. Origins of Communism • a. “Communist Manifesto” ~ 1848 • Outlines communism • Achieving this government • Characteristics of this goverment • b. Communism spreads to Russia in 1917 • Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Revolution

5. 2. Americans fear communism a. Communist clubs began to spread around the U.S. b. Mail bombs were sent to prominent businessmen and government leaders c. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer began to combat the “Red Scare”

6. 3. Combating the Red Scare • a. Palmer Raids • Government agents sent to investigate suspected Communists, socialists, anarchists, and radicals • Questionable methods used • Raids failed to show any concrete evidence • Cost Palmer the trust of the American public

7. B. Immigration 1. Sacco and Vanzetti a. anarchists, evaded draft in WWI b. falsely accused of a murder in Ma in 1920 c. despite evidence that cleared them, they were found guilty and were executed in 1927 d. significance

8. 2. Resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan • a. Revived in 1915 • b. Devoted to “100% Americanism” • Against anyone not white, native born, and gentile • Against activities such as joining unions and drinking alcohol • Why do they feel threatened? • c. Activities

9. 3. Quota Systems • a. Emergency Quota Act 1921

10. C. Labor Unrest 1. background 2. Boston Police Strike, 1919 3. Steel Mill Strike, 1919 4. Coal Miners Strike, 1919

11. Labor Movement Loses Appeal Rulings in all the cases showed that Americans were distrustful of radicalism Growing sentiment that labor unions = communism Union leaders had a hard time organizing immigrants Farmers did not want to put their fate in someone else’s hands

12. Warren G. Harding 1920-1923

13. Warren G. Harding • Born in Ohio, 1865 • Key Players • VP: Calvin Coolidge • Sec. of State: Charles Evan Hughes • Sec. of Commerce: Herbert Hoover • Sec of Treasury: Andrew Mellon • Considered to be one of the least successful presidents to date • Why?

14. The Struggle for Peace Strike a balance – keep America in foreign relations economically but not politically Washington Naval Conference “Nine Powers Treaty” Kellogg-Briand Pact

15. Keeping America in the Economic Game • Fordney-McCumber Tariff • Germany refuses to pay debt • Mellon sent to Germany to negotiate reparations for Germany (12 billion dollars to France, England, and the US) • Problem: • Solution • Charles G. Dawes and the Dawes Plan

16. Domestic Scandals • “The Ohio Gang” • Veterans Bureau • Teapot Dome Scandal • Reform • Budget and Accounting Act, 1921

17. Death of Harding Died in summer of 1923 Legacy

18. Calvin Coolidge 1923-1928

19. Calvin Coolidge Disliked public attention Took long naps during the day Held the most press conferences of any president -520 in 4 years Spoke on the radio more than any other president “Let’s avoid trouble”

20. Foreign Policies • Supports Kellogg-Briand Pact • Latin America • Manages to dissuade a major rebellion against America

21. The Pro-Business President • Keep business taxes down • High tariffs • Strict economy • No farm relief • Refused to pass a Bonus Bill to help WWI veterans • Impacts

22. Troubles loom for American buyers Superficial Prosperity Installment Plan Low Interest Rates

23. Society During the 1920s

24. What characterized 1920s society?

25. 1. Religion v. Science Background Europe at the turn of the century WWI Religious Fundamentalism takes hold Protestants support the literal translation of the Bible A response to the fast paced society of the 1920s The Scopes Trial March 25, 1925: teaching evolution is illegal John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution and was backed by ACLU lawyer Charles Darrow Court ruled that although the Bible can be interpreted in different ways, the theory of evolution does not hold ground Scopes fines 100 dollars, laws stayed on the books

26. 2. Prohibition The 18th Amendment to the Constitution--passed by Congress in 1917, and ratified by 3/4 of states by 1919--prohibited the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages within the boundaries of the United States. The Volstead Act of 1919, also known as the National Prohibition Enforcement Act, gave the 18th Amendment some teeth. It clearly defined an alcoholic beverage as one with an alcoholic content greater than 0.5 percent.

27. Prohibition was created education of alcohol consumption, which in turn would reduce: Crime Poverty Death Rates Improve the economy Improve quality of life

28. Per Capita Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages (Gallons of Pure Alcohol) 1910-1929.

31. A German visiting the United States during the 1920s described Prohibition like this: 'But,' it might be asked, 'where do all these people get the liquor?' Very simple. Prohibition has created a new, a universally respected, a well-beloved, and a very profitable occupation, that of the bootlegger who takes care of the importation of the forbidden liquor. Everyone knows this, even the powers of government. But this profession is beloved because it is essential, and it is respected because its pursuit is clothed with an element of danger and with a sporting risk....

32. Yet it is undeniable that prohibition has in some respects been signally successful. The filthy saloons, the gin mills which formerly flourished on every corner and in which the laborer once drank off half his wages, have disappeared. Now he can instead buy his own car, and ride off for a weekend or a few days with his wife and children in the country or at the sea. But, on the other hand, a great deal of poison and methyl alcohol has taken the place of the good old pure whiskey. The number of crimes and misdemeanors that originated in drunkenness has declined. But by contrast, a large part of the population has become accustomed to disregard and to violate the law without thinking. The worst is that, precisely as a consequence of the law, the taste for alcohol has spread ever more widely among the youth. The sporting attraction of the forbidden and the dangerous leads to violations. My observations have convinced me that many fewer would drink were it not illegal.

33. There was one way to obtain alcoholic beverages legally during the prohibition years: through a physician's prescription, purchasing the liquor from a pharmacy. Physicians could prescribe distilled spirits--usually whiskey or brandy—on government prescription forms. The government was even willing to allow the limited production of whiskey and its distribution when stocks were low.

34. Failure? Organized crime grew into an empire—Al Capone Disrespect for the law grew Massive murder/crime rates Bootleggers smuggled liquor The per capita consumption of alcohol increased dramatically City officials fell to gangsters and corruption Government lost money—Taxes Home brewing of alcohol became increasingly popular The rate of alcohol related deaths due to poisoning drastically increased from 1,064 in 1920, to 4,154 in 1925.

35. Success? United the country under nationalism Brought people together – united against a common enemy Led to better trained police forces Grain can be used for food supply

36. Flappers and the new Role for women

37. 3. The Speakeasy • “Speakeasy Language” • Beeswax ~ business • Bible Belt ~ The South • Beef ~ Complaint • Cat’s pajamas ~ the ultimate (same as Bee’s Knees) • Crush ~ infatuation • On the lam ~ on the run from the police • Ragamuffin ~ a dirty person • Joe ~ Coffee • Handcuff ~ Engagement Ring • Gold Digger ~ a women after wealth • Daddy ~ The Gold Digger’s husband • Glad Rags ~ Party Clothes • Giggle Water ~ Alcohol (Also Hooch) • Joint ~ a speakeasy club • Also, many slang words relating to premarital sex and “hooking up” and prevalent alcohol use

38. 4. Flag Pole Sitting

39. 5. The Charleston! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJC21zzkwoE

40. 6. Anything Egyptian!

41. 7. Increase in Education School enrollment on the rise High Schools offer vocational training Rise in school taxes

42. 8. Popular Culture • Beginning of radio • Expanding news coverage • Baseball is popular culture • Jazz • Famous celebs • Charles Lindbergh • George Gershwin • Louis Armstrong • Bessie Smith • Georgia O’Keefe

43. The “Lost Generation” and the Harlem Renaissance The Lost Generation The Harlem Renaissance • Langston Hughes • Zora Neale Hurston • Civil Rights • Marcus Garvey and the UNIA Why are they lost? F. Scott Fitzgerald Ernest Hemingway

44. The Great Depression Chapters 22 and 23

45. The Great Depression 1929-1941

46. Troubles Loom for Americans • Troubles in Industry • Mining and lumbering industries diminishes • Housing markets begin to decline • Farmers • Food prices drop and demand slows • Credit Cards • Too many people are buying on credit • Too many bills meant little spending • Uneven distribution of income • Lower class Americans were not receiving sufficient wages to meet the inflation rates • 5% of the country controlled 1/3 of the wealth • Stock Market • Risky business

47. The Volatile Stock Market • Dow Jones Industrial Average • Steady rising through the 1920s • Too many people are buying stocks

48. Election of 1920 • Herbert Hoover (R) v. Alfred Smith (D) • Why did Hoover win?

49. The Stock Market Crash • September 1929: Stock prices peak and then begin to fall • October 24, 1929: Investors start to pull out of the market • October 29, 1929: Continuous buying and selling of stocks causes stock prices to bottom out • Americans panic and pull money out of the banks

50. Worldwide Depression GNP is cut in half 85,000 businesses go bankrupt Unemployment rate goes from 3% in 1929 to 25% in 1932