Transcript Chapter 8: The Jazz Age - Ash Grove R

Chapter 8: The Jazz Age
Lesson 1: The Politics of 1920s
Lesson 2: A Growing Economy
Lesson 1: The Politics of 1920s
The Harding Administration
• 1920 “Return to Normalcy” his Presidential
campaign slogan roughly meant back to the
era of monopolies.
• SCANDALS
• 1923 Harding dies of a heart attack
– VP, Calvin Coolidge took office.
The Ohio Gang
• Harding gave friends and political allies from Ohio
high level positons, known as “the Ohio Gang”
Another example of the Good ‘ol Boys club that
the Progressive Era worked hard to disband.
• The Ohio Gang used their position for personal
gain.
• SCANDALS-1923 Col. Charles R Forbes sold
medical supplies from the Veteran’s Affairs
Hospital and kept the $, costing the public $250
million
The Teapot Dome Scandal
• 1922 Teapot Dome Scandal (Teapot Dome,
Wyoming and Elks Hill, California)
• Secretary of Interior, Albert Fall took
political bribes to lease lands containing US
Navy Oil Reserves, illegally earning
$300,000. First Presidential Cabinet
member to go to prison.
President Calvin Coolidge
• was a quiet and different leader.
• Believed that prosperity rested on business
leadership and that government should
interfere as little as possible
• Laizzes-Faire Govn’t– Different from Progressives
Andrew Mellon
• banker, industrialist and Sec of Treasury,
• had 3 goals:
– Balance the budget,
– Reduce government debt
– Cut taxes- SUPPLY SIDE ECONOMICS-by cutting taxes
Americans would invest their $--economy would grow
and ppl make more $--so they will get taxed more ,
AKA
– 1928 Taxes cut down to .5% from 4% for most
Americans and 73% down to 25% for Wealthy
Americans
Isolationism
• a national policy of avoiding involvement in
world affairs, the US was too involved and
interconnected with other counties
economically to become isolationists.
Daws Plan
• American banks will loan $ to German to help
pay back the Allies from WWI.
• In return Germany will pay them less
• so that way France and Britain could pay off
more of their debts to the US.
US
LOAN $
Germany
Pay fewer
Reparations
Pay Reparations
From WWI
France and Britain
Kellogg-Briand Pact
• August 27, 1928-Peace treaty that outlawed
war. Economic power + Arms-Control
• All signing nations agreed to abandon war and
settle all disputes peacefully.
• The US and 14 other countries.
Lesson 2: A Growing Economy
The Assembly Line-
Vehicle
Divided operations into
simple tasks to cut
unnecessary motion
1908 Model T first automobile
built by Ford- affordable by 1925
due to mass production
Mass production- large
scale manufacturing with
machinery
Innovated American Way of Life
rising the Standard of Living
Industry
-Less farmer isolation
-Created Commuters
Airline
Radio
1918 US Post Office
1920 KDKA in Pittsburgh, PA
Used air mail
Public broadcasts- news, music,
entertainment
1926 Air Commerce Act
Built airports
1927 Charles Lindberg- 1st
to fly over the Atlantic
ocean alone
Nationwide- created a common culture
because everyone can get the same
information at the same time
Doesn’t require literacyvery popular
and easy
Lesson 2: A Growing Economy
Consumer Products
disposable income-electric razors, facial
tissue, frozen foods, home hair color,
Rise in Standard of Living -Concern for
hygiene-indoor showers, cleaning
supplies, electric irons, vacuum, washing
machines, refrigerators
LINES OF CREDIT larger than income
Mass Advertising
“Easier than sliced bread” Sell the
Americans things they didn’t realize
they needed
“Buy Now, Pay Later”
Society
Social Status appeared
Convenience, leisure, success and
style
Play on consumers’ anxieties, fears,
insecurities
Farm Crisis
A Common Culture
“quiet depression”
Radio and Air mail made
communication easier to
the masses
Technology enhanced farming
output but restrictions on trade
post WWI made international
sales low
Farmers earned 1/3 less than
other American workers
Buying and selling,
entertainment and news
avaliable