Roaring 20s
A Republican Decade
 Strikes, arrests, revolution overseas—such events
frightened Americans in the 1920s and they turned
to Republican Party for stability and economic
prosperity
What is happening in this picture?
What concept is this political cartoon illustrating?
The Harding Presidency 1920-1923
 1920 election, Republican Warren G.
Harding promised “return to normalcy”
 1920 won presidency until death in
1923
 Foreign policy reflect America’s
desire for isolationism—policy of
avoiding political or economic
alliances with foreign countries
 No attempt to join League of Nations
 Yet President support efforts to
prevent future wars
 Disarmament—nations voluntarily give
up their weapons
Economically, he
favored:
Lower taxes
Less control over
businesses
Support high tariffs
(taxes) on foreign,
competitor goods to
make them more
expensive 
protect US
businesses/workers
 Culturally, as America became
more isolationist, they also
became more nativist—
movement favoring native-
born Americans over
immigrants
 Nativist Reasons = Anti-
Immigrant
 Never loyal
 Blamed for urban city problems—
slums & corruption
 Fear for loss of jobs
 Pass on anarchist (violent
overthrow of government) +
communist (opponent of
democracy + capitalism) ideals
End of President Harding…Literally
 Start of 1923, economy bouncing back +
strong popularity for president
 Mid 1923  corruption scandals in
Harding’s cabinet
 Biggest scandal  Teapot Dome Scandal
 Harding’s Secretary of Interior Albert
Fall bribed by oil executives to sell
government land in Teapot Dome,
Wyoming—oil
 Albert Fall became 1st cabinet member
imprisoned for crime while in office
 Harding died in 1923 during the scandal in
office
The Coolidge Presidency  1923-1928
 Vice President Calvin Coolidge
became president and cleaned
up scandals
 Elected president 1924-1928
 Major View  “The Business of
the American people is
business”
 Laissez-Faire  limited to no
government interference in
business
Election of 1928
 When Coolidge decided not to run for a 2nd
term, Republicans nominated Herbert Hoover
 Hoover promised more pro-business,
isolationism & small government = victory
A Business Boom...Mixed Success
 1920s gave birth to
much of modern
America
 Shopping centers,
fast-food, advertising,
mass media, cars,
radios, movies
Causes of Economic Growth
 Consumer Economy—depends on a large amount of
buying (consuming) by people who use products
 New & Improved products  Model-T cars, refrigerators,
radios, vacuums, ovens, telephones
 Income tax cuts (% taken out of paycheck for
government) left people with more $$$
 Higher wages gave people more money to spend on
movies, radio, sporting events
 Until 1920s, Americans generally paid cash for things
they bought
 Borrowing = unthrifty + immoral
 1920s saw new ways to purchase goods as
demand for them grew
 Credit—a way to delay paying for a
purchase (pay once you hit a certain
amount)
 Installment Buying—system allows
customer to make partial payments
(installments) over a few months
 Installment + Credit plans encouraged people
to buy things who otherwise would not 
even though they had to pay high interest
rates
Economic Troubles
 Economy appeared to be
healthy but looks can be
deceiving…uneven
prosperity
 Huge gap between rich
and poor  50% in
poverty
 Many Americans did not
prosper
 Farmers  over
production
 Minorities—African
Americans
New Roles for Women
 During 1920s, women had more freedom
than ever before  drove cars, sports,
college, teachers, nurses, social workers
 Some women in 1920s called
themselves flappers – young, rebellious
fun-loving, bold
 Stood for a longing to break with the
past
 Fashion  Shorter dresses, short hair,
make-up
 Manners  Smoked + drank in public
 19th Amendment gave women right to
vote
 1920s women developed a new attitude
toward marriage = partnership (men
agreed)
Mass Media
 Before 1920s, the majority of
Americans did not travel much
and was divided culturally
 Mass Media 
communications that reach a
large audience
 Film, Radio, Advertising 
peaceful propaganda
 Created a national culture
(things that people had in
common across the country)
 songs, dances, fashion,
slang, sports, news
Lost Generation
 For some, the decade after WWI
was not a time for celebration 
deep despair + resentment = Lost
Generation
 Lost in a greedy, materialistic
world
 F Scott Fitzgerald  The Great
Gatsby
 Focus on wealthy, sophisticated
Americans during Jazz Age
 Rich  self-centered and
shallow
Prohibition
 18th Amendment—ban alcohol
 Most Americans disregard law
 Bootleggers  suppliers +
smugglers of illegal alcohol
 Speakeasies illegal bars
 Rise of organized crime  Al
Capone
Jazz Age
 1920s—Jazz Age—was a time
celebrating new and modern
things
 Jazz music—mix of African
rhythms, ragtime, blues 
free spirit of the times
 Rebelled against values
which led to WWI
 Harlem
 Duke Ellington + Louis
Armstrong  musicians
Issues of Religion
 Religious movement called fundamentalism gained
followers and political power
 Fundamentalists took the bible literally (everything was
true)
 Argued that public schools shouldn’t teach evolution—
theory that living things developed over millions of
years from simpler life forms
 Felt it contradicted the Bible  pass laws made
evolution teachings illegal
 1925, John Scopes broke law & found guilty
 Guilty verdict over-turned by state Supreme Court
 **Clash between modern beliefs vs. traditional values
The Harlem Renaissance
 1920s brought changes to the lives of many
African Americans
 Great Migration  North and Western cities
for economic and social opportunities
Confronting Racism
 As blacks moved out of the South the KKK
eventually moved with them
 By 1924, the KKK claimed about 5 million members
 ‘America for Americans’
 KKK carried out many crimes against African-
Americans, Catholics, Jews & immigrants
 Increasing violence against African Americans rallied
the efforts of the NAACP
 Worked in vain to pass anti-lynching laws +
protect voting rights
 Many African-Americans were
losing faith in the US  dreamed
of a place where they could live in
peace
 Marcus Garvey  Universal
Negro Improvement Association
(UNIA)  sought to build up
blacks’ self-respect + economic
power
 Garvey urged ‘Back to Africa’
solution since equality seemed
hopeless
 Failed
Rise of Harlem
 Late 1800s  wealthy white community
 Build up too much and buildings
remained vacant  real estate prices
fall
 Black businessmen started buying
cheap buildings and selling them to
African Americans
 By 1920, New York, Harlem, became the
unofficial capital of black America
 Soon Harlem produced cultural activity
called Harlem Renaissance
 Symbolized rebirth of hope and
culture for African Americans
 Writers, singers, painters, sculptors,
scholars move to Harlem
In Summary…
 New technologies led to social
transformations that improved the standard of
living for many, while contributing to increased
political and cultural conflicts.
 New technologies contributed to improved
standards of living, greater personal mobility,
and better communications systems.
 Technological change, modernization, and
changing demographics led to increased
political and cultural conflict on several fronts:
 Tradition vs. innovation
 Urban vs. rural
 Fundamentalist Christianity vs. scientific
modernism
 Native born vs. new immigrants
 White vs. Black
 Idealism vs. disillusionment
 The rise of an urban, industrial society
encouraged the development of a variety of
cultural expressions for migrant, regional, and
African American artists (expressed most
notably in the Harlem Renaissance
movement); it also contributed to national
culture by making shared experiences more
possible through art, cinema, and the mass
media.

Roaring 20s ppt

  • 1.
  • 2.
    A Republican Decade Strikes, arrests, revolution overseas—such events frightened Americans in the 1920s and they turned to Republican Party for stability and economic prosperity
  • 3.
    What is happeningin this picture? What concept is this political cartoon illustrating?
  • 4.
    The Harding Presidency1920-1923  1920 election, Republican Warren G. Harding promised “return to normalcy”  1920 won presidency until death in 1923  Foreign policy reflect America’s desire for isolationism—policy of avoiding political or economic alliances with foreign countries  No attempt to join League of Nations  Yet President support efforts to prevent future wars  Disarmament—nations voluntarily give up their weapons
  • 5.
    Economically, he favored: Lower taxes Lesscontrol over businesses Support high tariffs (taxes) on foreign, competitor goods to make them more expensive  protect US businesses/workers
  • 6.
     Culturally, asAmerica became more isolationist, they also became more nativist— movement favoring native- born Americans over immigrants  Nativist Reasons = Anti- Immigrant  Never loyal  Blamed for urban city problems— slums & corruption  Fear for loss of jobs  Pass on anarchist (violent overthrow of government) + communist (opponent of democracy + capitalism) ideals
  • 7.
    End of PresidentHarding…Literally  Start of 1923, economy bouncing back + strong popularity for president  Mid 1923  corruption scandals in Harding’s cabinet  Biggest scandal  Teapot Dome Scandal  Harding’s Secretary of Interior Albert Fall bribed by oil executives to sell government land in Teapot Dome, Wyoming—oil  Albert Fall became 1st cabinet member imprisoned for crime while in office  Harding died in 1923 during the scandal in office
  • 8.
    The Coolidge Presidency 1923-1928  Vice President Calvin Coolidge became president and cleaned up scandals  Elected president 1924-1928  Major View  “The Business of the American people is business”  Laissez-Faire  limited to no government interference in business
  • 9.
    Election of 1928 When Coolidge decided not to run for a 2nd term, Republicans nominated Herbert Hoover  Hoover promised more pro-business, isolationism & small government = victory
  • 10.
    A Business Boom...MixedSuccess  1920s gave birth to much of modern America  Shopping centers, fast-food, advertising, mass media, cars, radios, movies
  • 11.
    Causes of EconomicGrowth  Consumer Economy—depends on a large amount of buying (consuming) by people who use products  New & Improved products  Model-T cars, refrigerators, radios, vacuums, ovens, telephones  Income tax cuts (% taken out of paycheck for government) left people with more $$$  Higher wages gave people more money to spend on movies, radio, sporting events  Until 1920s, Americans generally paid cash for things they bought  Borrowing = unthrifty + immoral
  • 12.
     1920s sawnew ways to purchase goods as demand for them grew  Credit—a way to delay paying for a purchase (pay once you hit a certain amount)  Installment Buying—system allows customer to make partial payments (installments) over a few months  Installment + Credit plans encouraged people to buy things who otherwise would not  even though they had to pay high interest rates
  • 13.
    Economic Troubles  Economyappeared to be healthy but looks can be deceiving…uneven prosperity  Huge gap between rich and poor  50% in poverty  Many Americans did not prosper  Farmers  over production  Minorities—African Americans
  • 14.
    New Roles forWomen  During 1920s, women had more freedom than ever before  drove cars, sports, college, teachers, nurses, social workers  Some women in 1920s called themselves flappers – young, rebellious fun-loving, bold  Stood for a longing to break with the past  Fashion  Shorter dresses, short hair, make-up  Manners  Smoked + drank in public  19th Amendment gave women right to vote  1920s women developed a new attitude toward marriage = partnership (men agreed)
  • 15.
    Mass Media  Before1920s, the majority of Americans did not travel much and was divided culturally  Mass Media  communications that reach a large audience  Film, Radio, Advertising  peaceful propaganda  Created a national culture (things that people had in common across the country)  songs, dances, fashion, slang, sports, news
  • 16.
    Lost Generation  Forsome, the decade after WWI was not a time for celebration  deep despair + resentment = Lost Generation  Lost in a greedy, materialistic world  F Scott Fitzgerald  The Great Gatsby  Focus on wealthy, sophisticated Americans during Jazz Age  Rich  self-centered and shallow
  • 17.
    Prohibition  18th Amendment—banalcohol  Most Americans disregard law  Bootleggers  suppliers + smugglers of illegal alcohol  Speakeasies illegal bars  Rise of organized crime  Al Capone
  • 18.
    Jazz Age  1920s—JazzAge—was a time celebrating new and modern things  Jazz music—mix of African rhythms, ragtime, blues  free spirit of the times  Rebelled against values which led to WWI  Harlem  Duke Ellington + Louis Armstrong  musicians
  • 19.
    Issues of Religion Religious movement called fundamentalism gained followers and political power  Fundamentalists took the bible literally (everything was true)  Argued that public schools shouldn’t teach evolution— theory that living things developed over millions of years from simpler life forms  Felt it contradicted the Bible  pass laws made evolution teachings illegal  1925, John Scopes broke law & found guilty  Guilty verdict over-turned by state Supreme Court  **Clash between modern beliefs vs. traditional values
  • 20.
    The Harlem Renaissance 1920s brought changes to the lives of many African Americans  Great Migration  North and Western cities for economic and social opportunities
  • 21.
    Confronting Racism  Asblacks moved out of the South the KKK eventually moved with them  By 1924, the KKK claimed about 5 million members  ‘America for Americans’  KKK carried out many crimes against African- Americans, Catholics, Jews & immigrants  Increasing violence against African Americans rallied the efforts of the NAACP  Worked in vain to pass anti-lynching laws + protect voting rights
  • 22.
     Many African-Americanswere losing faith in the US  dreamed of a place where they could live in peace  Marcus Garvey  Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)  sought to build up blacks’ self-respect + economic power  Garvey urged ‘Back to Africa’ solution since equality seemed hopeless  Failed
  • 23.
    Rise of Harlem Late 1800s  wealthy white community  Build up too much and buildings remained vacant  real estate prices fall  Black businessmen started buying cheap buildings and selling them to African Americans  By 1920, New York, Harlem, became the unofficial capital of black America  Soon Harlem produced cultural activity called Harlem Renaissance  Symbolized rebirth of hope and culture for African Americans  Writers, singers, painters, sculptors, scholars move to Harlem
  • 24.
    In Summary…  Newtechnologies led to social transformations that improved the standard of living for many, while contributing to increased political and cultural conflicts.  New technologies contributed to improved standards of living, greater personal mobility, and better communications systems.
  • 25.
     Technological change,modernization, and changing demographics led to increased political and cultural conflict on several fronts:  Tradition vs. innovation  Urban vs. rural  Fundamentalist Christianity vs. scientific modernism  Native born vs. new immigrants  White vs. Black  Idealism vs. disillusionment
  • 26.
     The riseof an urban, industrial society encouraged the development of a variety of cultural expressions for migrant, regional, and African American artists (expressed most notably in the Harlem Renaissance movement); it also contributed to national culture by making shared experiences more possible through art, cinema, and the mass media.