Transcript Slide 1

The ‘Roaring’ Twenties
Where
does it
hurt?
Rirghhh Heerrre
A a result of the rise of mass production and mass
consumption in the early Twentieth Century, the United
States became the richest society the world had ever
seen!
Government Economic Policy
Republicans held the Presidency from 1921
to 1933 and during that time, they enacted
pro-business policies.
Andrew Mellon: member of the Republican Party,
served as Secretary of the Treasury under
presidents, Harding, Coolidge and Hoover. During
his period in office (1921-32), Mellon followed
policies that involved cutting income tax
rates and reducing public spending.
Andrew Mellon
These policies favored rapid expansion of capital investment,
leading to as increase in the buying of stocks by more people
and business growth but in the process, reduced the amount
of taxes that rich people had to pay, thus thrusting the burden
onto the middle class.
Why would a reduction in income taxes encourage capital investment?
Are there any possible dangers to the rapid growth in stock purchasing
and business growth?
Mass Production: the manufacturing of large quantities of a
standardized product; the phrase first came into common use
If only
I had listenedmethods
to my
to describe the
production
of Henry Ford.
Humanities teachers and
What product diddone
Ford
mass
better
in produce?
school.
Now I’m stuck in this
What production method
didboring,
he use?
repetitive,
Why are mass production
methods
such
dangerous and
thankless
jobLine
for the
of my life.
as the Assembly
so rest
efficient?
Benefits of mass production:
1. Lowered wages led to reduced
cost for consumers;
2. Increased job opportunities to
those that did not possess highly
specialized skills (farmers,
immigrants, women, minorities);
3. Interchangeable parts allowed
consumers to have broken products
fixed at a lower cost.
Are there any
downsides to mass
production?
The Automobile
The increasing popularity of the automobile provided
Americans with more freedoms, luxuries
and
privacy.
Slow
Down!...
You’re
How did the automobile provide new
too close to the car
freedoms?...luxuries?...privacy?
in front of
When Mr. Jones became the first one in
you!...The light is
By 1929, 26 million motor vehicles were
the neighborhood with his very own car,
red!...Watch out for
registered
in he’d
thealso
U.S.
he didn’t
realize that
be (1
thecar
first per 4.9 Americans)
those kids!
one Automobile
in the neighborhood
with
his
very
Industry provided over 6 million new jobs!
own back-seat driver!!
I wish my model
didn’t come
standard with an
airbag!
What types
of “new”
jobs
developed
as a result of
the
automobile?
Mrs. DeTample’s Great
Grandmother!! (It’s hereditary)
The Airplane
Between 1903 and 1918, airplanes were “slow
to get off the ground” as an invention for
practical use. However, after WWI, they really
“took off.”
In 1920, the first transcontinental air
route was established between New
York and San Francisco.
By 1927, airplane technology had
improved enough to allow Charles
Lindbergh to fly solo across the
Atlantic Ocean. What types of
industries would you
expect to benefit from
reliable airplanes?
Besides pilot, what
types of new jobs
would the airplane
industry produce?
Mail Service Airplane 1920
Being a former Boy Scout,
Ralph had wings installed on
his hat so he could fly off to
safety in case of engine failure.
The Radio
The first voice-carrying radio station (KDKA) began
broadcasting in Pittsburgh, PA.
Just as the automobile lured
Americans away from their homes,
the radio pulled them back.
How does this 1924 ad try to convince
you to buy a radio?
Families gathered around the radio
to listen much like families gather
around televisions today.
During the show
“Amos ‘n’ Andy,”
cities were said
to come to a
standstill and
crime was almost
non-existent.
What industries might benefit from radio?
Advertisement
I use Barbasol
As the numberand
of you
newcan’t
products increased, the industry of
even tell
I have
advertising found
new
methods to sell merchandise.
an abundance
Advertisers
of facial hair! used
persuasion, ploy,
seduction and
sex appeal to
lure buyers.
Mrs.
McHale
How do
advertisements like
these signal a shift in
the culture of the
United States?
Have advertisers
pushed the
boundaries further
today?
Advertisement
In 1925, Bruce Barton’s bestseller The Man Nobody Knows,
claimed that Jesus Christ was the perfect salesman and
that advertisers should study his techniques.
Why would this be offensive
to many people?
Can you think of any
challenges to traditional
religious ideals during the
decade?
Here’s a hint, but we’ll be
covering this soon anyway.
Sports
With the advent of radio and an increase in leisure time, sports
Go ahead, I dare
such as baseball, boxing and football
gained in popularity.
ya! Make fun of
How could radios help sports
in popularity?
my gain
tights.
Aug. 5, 1921 First Radio Broadcast of a Baseball GamePittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies on KDKA
Sept. 6, 1920 First
Radio
Broadcast
of a Prizefight -Jack
I hit
714
career
Dempsey vs. Billy Miske
homeruns
Nov. 25, 1920WITHOUT
First Radio Broadcast
of a Collegiate
steroids!
Football Game - Texas University vs. Mechanical College of
Texas - WTAW What about you
Barry?
Aug. 6, 1921 First Radio Broadcast of a Tennis Match Australia vs. Great Britian, Davis Cup - Harold Arlin on KDKA
How did media such
Baseball took
as radio help athletes
Jack Dempsey became a
advantage of the
attain much higher
household name, partly due
popularity of Herman
salaries?
to the coverage his fights
“Babe” Ruth and
A Tyson-Holyfield fight in
received on the radio.
went through a
1997 paid $75 million
Golden Age.
between the two fighters. In 1921, Dempsey fought for a
$500,000 pursue, considered a
In 1927, when Ruth
Alex Rodriguez is
staggering amount for a fight
was in his prime, he
being paid $26.2
at that time.
was paid $70,000/year!
million a year today.
Social Norms
With the passage of the 18th Amendment, alcohol became
illegal in the U.S.
Mr. McHale, after reading the
Although many people violated
this law, it did have some
positive impacts on society.
class writing assignments.
Personal savings
accounts increased.
Worker absenteeism
decreased.
Why would savings accounts increase as a result of prohibition?
Why would absenteeism decrease as a result of prohibition?
What improvements might we see in today’s society if alcohol was
illegal?
I’m sensing
Education
that many of
you find me
John Dewey: professor at
Columbia
boring.
University; believed that education
should be based on “learning by
doing” and the “education for life”
should be primary goal of schools.
How do schools of today teach “education for life?”
Evolutionists versus Creationists
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution made many creationists
upset, as it challenged their religious beliefs.
What was Darwin’s Theory of Evolution?
A Tennessee school challenged a law
forbidding the teaching of evolution and a
court case ensued. The case became a media
event as William Jennings Bryant assisted the
prosecution and Clarence Darrow, a famous
attorney, represented the defense.
Few people were aware of
Dewey’s psychic abilities.
Creationists
weren’t the
only ones
offended by
the idea that
man came
from
monkeys!!
Foreign Policy
July, 1921:
the U.S.
passed a joint
resolution in
Congress
officially
ending the
war against
Germany.
Why was with
this action by
With the “war to end all wars” over, the
Congress
world powers set out to ensure peace
necessary?
through a series of treaties.
Middle East:
Secretary of
State Charles
Evans
Hughes
secured
rights for
American oil
companies to
share in the
exploitation
of the region.
Four Power
Treaty (1921):
Japan, Britain,
Five Power Naval Treaty (1922): limited
France and the
Why would the
the numbers and tonnage of battleships
U.S. consider this U.S. agreed to
and aircraft carriers that could be built
maintain
action vital to
by the five superpowers (U.S.; Britain;
status quo in
national security?
Pacific.
Japan; France; Italy)
Foreign Policy
Nine Power Treaty (1922): preserved
the sovereignty of China
Why would this treaty be
important to the United States?
…(3) To use their influence for the purpose
of effectually establishing and maintaining
the principle of equal opportunity for the
commerce and industry of all nations
throughout the territory of China;
Kellogg-Briand Pact (Pact of
Paris): Secretary of State Frank
Kellogg won the Nobel Peace Prize
for his role in establishing this
treaty that said all nations signing
would no longer use war for
offensive purposes.
How effective do you think this
treaty will be?
Why would this treaty, with little
chance of succeeding, be signed?
The Bad Side of the Roaring Twenties
Despite the country’s economic growth and cultural
explosion, many Americans found the decade to be a
struggle. From fears of communist plots to continued
struggles between workers and employers, the problems
of the decade were many.
One, Two,
Three…Ten.
Ready or not,
here I come!
Thanks to my
camouflage,
he’ll never find
me behind this
tree!
I was
wrong!!!
If you can’t afford to lose It, don’t gamble It!
The rapid expansion of capital investment,
and the increase in the buying of stocks by
more people that spurred business growth
eventually backfired on the economy.
The economic system was built on
“fragile credit” through over-speculation
and buying on margin.
Buying on margin allows an investor to
purchase stock using the money of the
brokers instead of his/her own money.
When the stock goes up, they sell it off,
paying back the broker and keeping the
profits.
Are there any dangers to this type of
investing?
How did Andrew Mellon’s policies
encourage this type of investing?
Mass Production = Deskilling
Deskilling: term used by labor supporters to describe mass
production techniques; knowledge of how to run a factory
and the production process is taken out of the hands of
skilled craftsmen and put into the hands of the managers and
machine makers
Jobs become more repetitive and
boring while alienating workers.
Why would workers
become more alienated?
Wages dropped.
Why would wages drop?
The Automobile
Although the positive implications of the automobile are
many, there were also some negative.
Early safety
measures
were
ineffective or
non-existent,
leading to
many serious
injuries or
death as a
result of
accidents.
By 1951,
1,000,000 had
died as a
result of the
automobile.
More than the
total number
of Americans
killed in all
previous wars
combined.
What are some other potential negative consequences of the automobile?
A push towards Isolationism
Several factors led many in the U.S. to favor policies that
decreased the role of the country in world affairs.
Wartime Casualties: The high number
of casualties and the total devastation
of the war made many question whether
or not the U.S. should be willing to get
another
involvedjust
in European
affairs.
Economic
Recession:
A short, but
brick
in the
severe recession hit the country as the
economy adjusted to returning vets, a
shifting from wartime goods to
peacetime goods, and a higher
standard of living.
Communism: The “red scare” of 19191920 swept across America as a small
communist party formed and strikes
became common across America. How would isolationism help
address these issues?
(More on this to follow)
What are some of the possible negative
consequences of isolationism?
All in all, its
wall.
The “Red Scare”
• “Fighting Quaker” Attorney Gen.
Palmer led crusade against leftists
with suspect allegiance, 6000
suspects held.
• Dec. 1919: 249 alien radicals deported
to Russia on the ship Buford.
• Sept. 1920: Hysteria heightened by
bomb on Wall Street.
The “Red Scare”
Several states passed criminal syndicalism laws: mere
advocacy of violence for social change was criminalized.
1920: 5 NY legislators denied seats because they were Socialists.
Conservative business owners used “scare” against labor:
“open” shop was “American plan.”
What is an “open shop?”
1921: Many regarded
the conviction of
Sacco & Vanzetti as a
“judicial lynching”
because they were
Italians, atheists,
anarchists, and draft
dodgers.
During the 1920s, the Ku
Klux Klan, which had
been all but wiped out
during Reconstruction,
underwent a large-scale
revivial.
• KKK revival was more “nativist”
than just antiblack.
What does that mean?
• At peak in mid-20s it had 5 Million
members with large political
influence, especially in the
Midwest and South.
• KKK used secrecy, parades,
lynchings, burning of crosses,
rally songs, and other events to
advance their agenda.
KKK collapsed suddenly in late 20s
Terror tactics eventually
turned off most Americans.
•
• Embezzlement became
widespread throughout the
organization.
• A Congressional
investigation showed that the Most historians credit
organization was basically a
the fraud within the
membership fee racket.
organization for the
downfall, not the
(Similar to a Pyramid
reaction to the violence.
Scheme)
Why would it take corruption to decrease membership?
Immigration
After the war, “new” immigration pattern resumed,
but based more on isolationist ideas.
Emergency Quota Act of 1921: restricted immigration to
3% of nationality living in U.S. as of 1910 – relatively
favorable to new immigrant groups such as Mexicans
and Germans.
Whoa Elmer!
How does this Act
What did you
reflect isolationist
eat?
views?
Would the KKK
support this Act?
Why or why not?
Is this Act morally
acceptable to
you? Why or why
not?
Immigration
In 1921, the Act was replaced by Immigration Act of 1924:
cut quota to 2%, and based it on 1890 population.
Why would this change be made?
Keep the number of immigrants low but maintain a U.S.
culture dominated by Western/Northern Europeans.
The Act also barred any Japanese immigration, but
exempted Canadians & Latin Americans for work
purposes.
Why bar Japanese from
entering the country?
By 1931, more foreigners left
U.S. than arrived.
What other factors besides the Immigration Acts may account for this
reversal in immigration/emigration.
Immigration
The immigrant tide was now cut off, but those
that were in America struggled to adapt.
Immigrants
continued to make
up a large portion
of the work force.
Italian section
German section
What impact would
you expect this to
have on labor
unions?
Differences in race,
culture, and
nationality made it
difficult for unions to
organize, hurting
membership.
Irish section
There’s McHale’s greatgrandfather. (You can
see the family
resemblance In the
forehead region.)
Prohibition
18th Amendment: the manufacture, sale and
transportation of alcohol was prohibited in the U.S.
Prohibitionists overlooked the strong U.S. traditions for
alcohol and exposed the fact that laws must be based
on moral consensus.
Problems with enforcement:
1. After sacrifices made during WWI,
many Americans were unwilling to
make more sacrifices such as giving
up alcohol.
2. There were widespread reports
that Congressmen were still
consuming alcohol.
3. Soldiers returning from war
disapproved.
Prohibition
4. Lower class citizens became angry that they lost their
ability to drink beer while the upper classes could afford
to buy illicit alcohol.
5. The challenge to
break the law
became popular
itself.
6. Law enforcement
was understaffed,
susceptible to
bribery, and often
used violent tactics.
Prohibition
Other Impacts:
Hard Liquor gained in popularity
because it was easier to smuggle.
Diplomatic relations were strained with
Canada as U.S. border agents were often
overzealous.
Profits from illegal alcohol led
to rise of criminal gangs who
competed for alcohol market:
used violence and bribery of
police.
By 1930, Organized Crime
was making $12 to $18
billion/year, several times
Gang wars of Chicago in 1920s more a year than the federal
government!
saw over 500 murders with very
few arrests or convictions.