POSTWAR SOCIETY AND CULTURE: CHANGE AND ADJUSTMENT

1. POSTWAR SOCIETY AND CULTURE: CHANGE AND ADJUSTMENT CHAPTER 24 (640-667)

2. CLOSING THE GATES TO NEW IMMIGRANTS Immigration rose from 110,000 in 1919 to 805,000 in 1921 and continued to rise Congress passed an emergency act to place quotas on immigration – 3% of the foreign born population as of 1910 – in 1924 it was reduced to 2% and the base year shifted to 1890 – thus many southern and eastern Europeans were not allowed in In 1929, the number was limited to 150,000 – actually far fewer were allowed to enter The National Origins Act brought the foreign born population of America from about 13% in 1920 to 4.7% in 1970 – in 2005 it was 11% Anti-Semitism began to rise in America

3. NEW URBAN SOCIAL PATTERNS 1920 census – more Americans lived in urban rather than rural places for the first time More and more people married for love and attraction than social status than ever They married later and had fewer children Intra-family democracy emerged Advocates of “trial marriages” began to appear “scientific” child rearing – medical care and nutrition – but also rigid training vs. permissive approach Sexual freedom derived from anonymity

4. THE YOUNGER GENERATION The Jazz Age – young people sought freedom and entertainment The old ways were no longer any good – society was changing faster every year Dating became the norm, rather than calling on the girl – the man became responsible for driving and providing the entertainment Women smoked, shortened their hair, wore make-up, and shortened their skirts Sexual relationships became more open and accepted – a push was made to legalize birth control

5. THE “NEW” WOMAN Contraception was still focused on married couples Margaret Sanger began to focus on poor women to educate them about birth-control – she ran afoul of the law frequently and is associated with the eugenics movement. Some scientists began promoting birth control as a means to curb the productivity of “unfit” types (read poor and/or immigrants)

6. THE “NEW” WOMAN Divorce laws were being modified to be more equal More women were working – the Department of Labor established a Women’s Bureau in 1920 More women graduated from college but they were forced into subjects that made them better housewives There was still a huge double-standard Women were paid less and limited to the types of jobs they could do After the 19th Amendment was passed, many lost their desire to work for change, believing that the vote would fix everything – it did not, at least not right away

7. POPULAR CULTURE: MOVIES AND RADIO The first motion pictures were made about 1900 As they became more popular, technological advances increased to allow actual movies with sound and effects In the 1920’s the film industry settled in Hollywood, CA Theaters became popular, Daily ticket sales averaged 10 million – by the 1930’s, million dollar productions were common

8. POPULAR CULTURE: MOVIES AND RADIO As today, sex, crime, war, romance, comedy and luxurious living were common themes Many complained that movies were corrupting the youth and glorifying materialism Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney Radio was even more popular – important during the war, it was an overnight sensation afterward KDKA in Pittsburg was the first commercial radio station in 1920, soon there were hundreds Radio instantly communicated news, advertisements, and music In 1934 the Federal Communications Commission was formed to govern the radio industry

10. THE GOLDEN AGE OF SPORTS After the war, people had more money to spend and sports grew in popularity – add to that the ability to broadcast events over the radio Superstars began to emerge “Red” Grange – Illinois Football Jack Dempsey – Boxing “Big Bill” Tilden – Tennis “Bobby” Jones – Golf Helen Wills – Tennis Gertrude Ederle – Swimming Babe Ruth – Baseball New stadiums were built, football became prominent

12. URBAN-RURAL CONFLICTS: FUNDAMENTALISM Many rural people felt that the new city-oriented culture was sinful, materialistic, and unhealthy – though admittedly fascinating Out of this feeling a resurgence of religious fundamentalism grew – a very conservative frame of mind, rejecting evolution, resenting many aspects of modern culture William Jennings Bryan was a champion of many fundamentalist ideas – especially the anti-evolutionist idea

13. URBAN-RURAL CONFLICTS: FUNDAMENTALISM The Scopes Trial John T. Scopes, a biology teacher, was convinced to violate Tennessee law against teaching evolution – he was arrested Numerous big name lawyers came to his defense, including Clarence Darrow – Bryan was brought in by the state The whole trial was a show – both the evolutionists and fundamentalists came out looking foolish and weak – but both continued

14. URBAN-RURAL CONFLICTS: PROHIBITION The 18th Amendment (1919) prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages This was a rural triumph – the temperance movement had been alive since Jackson The war helped the movement because food production became so important and beer drinking was associated with Germans

15. URBAN-RURAL CONFLICTS: PROHIBITION Average consumption went from 2.6 gallons to under 1 gallon in the 1930s Arrests for drunkenness fell sharply Death from alcoholism fell also Fewer workers squandered their wages on drink Of course, strict enforcement was impossible, and smuggling became a major business Consumption of sacramental wine increased by 800,000 gallons Doctors proscribed alcohol more freely Saloons were replaced by speak easys – secret bars overlooked by the police Organized crime became more powerful

16. THE KU KLUX CLAN Reformed in 1915, the Klan admitted only native-born white Protestants By 1923 they claimed 5 million members They appealed to masses of people who were frustrated and hostile but afraid to express themselves – the Klan wore masks, hid behind crazy titles and mystical sounding jargon, intimidated people, burned crosses, and tried to influence people against blacks, Jews, and immigrants, and Catholics

17. THE KU KLUX CLAN They had little support in the North or in large cities, but had large membership in smaller towns in the mid-west, west, and south Their own activities led to factionalism and squabbling – they also made many enemies By 1930, they only had about 9,000 members and ceased to be important The third KKK was revived in 1946

19. LITERARY TRENDS After the Civil War literature trended toward realism – after WWI it trended toward disillusionment Many became intense critics of society and many flocked to places like Rome, Berlin, and Paris F. Scott Fitzgerald, Earnest Hemingway, Edith Wharton, H.L. Mencken, Sinclair Lewis

20. THE “NEW NEGRO” With the Klan and the backlash against black labor after the war, the post-war period brought despair for many blacks They were increasingly being forced into ghetto neighborhoods and treated poorly W.E.B. Du Bois became more militant calling them cowards and jackasses if they don’t rise up to fight Marcus Garvey, another black leader, preached “Back to Africa” and built racial pride among the poorer blacks – Du Bois couldn’t stand him

22. THE “NEW NEGRO” Ghetto life had some perks – By congregating they could elect their own representatives to congress They had economic opportunities More freedom (within the ghetto) Black writers, musicians, and artists found an audience there – Jazz was created there The ghetto was a black world where black men and women could be themselves The Harlem Renaissance – became the cultural capital, newspapers, theaters, magazines, and culture flourished

23. ECONOMIC EXPANSION Business boomed, wages increased, unemployment declined – 40% of the world’s wealth was in American hands Laissez-faire government toward business bolstered confidence The Federal Reserve kept interest rates low Pent-up wartime demand further stimulated it Continued mechanization and rationalization of industry kept it rolling – industrial output almost doubled between 1921 and 1929 By 1929, the US was producing more electricity than the entire world combined

24. THE AGE OF THE CONSUMER Needing to create new consumer demands, advertisers and marketers became very important to the business world Manufacturers continued to improve their products, installment payment plans were developed Radios, automobiles, electric appliances, gadgets, entertainment – all these influenced business

25. THE AGE OF THE CONSUMER The automobile industry was one of the most important By 1929, there were 23 million private cars on the road – nearly one per family The auto industry created other whole industries and consumed huge amounts of natural resources It triggered huge national road building projects The tourist industry grew rapidly

26. THE AGE OF THE CONSUMER The automobile changed recreational patterns Created a new generation of tinkerers and mechanics It gave Americans more freedom There were also bad side effects: Numerous billboards clogging the scenery Traffic jams and soaring accident rates Air pollution

27. HENRY FORD Henry Ford did not invent the automobile Ransom E. Old produced the first low-cost car the “Merry Oldsmobile” Ford’s contribution was in the realm of mass production – he developed the assembly line system, cutting costs, increasing efficiency, and increasing production Ford also recognized the importance of high wages to promote increased production

29. HENRY FORD Ford was also stubborn He didn’t change the Model T for nearly 20 years, allowing other car makers to take a large portion of his business He refused to deal with any unions He employed spies to investigate the lives of his workers and thugs to enforce his rules - He fired any employee not driving a Ford Ford was outspoken and not well liked – a genius manufacturer, he was not a successful politician or humanitarian

30. THE AIRPLANE The Write Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk in 1903, ushering in a new era Malcolm and Haimes Lockheed built the first passenger plane – the Model G - in 1913 – they gave rides for $5 Airplane technology was greatly advanced during eh war years as its limits were tested in battle Barnstormers – circus people of the skies Charles Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris in 33 hours in May 1927 – a striking achievement that increased the public’s awareness and interest in flight In July 1927, William E. Boeing began running passengers and mail between San Francisco and Chicago – this spurred more creativity and invention in the aeronautical world