The ‘Roaring’ Twenties

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!

Where does it hurt?

Rirghhh Heerrre

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.

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?

Government Economic PolicyRepublicans held the Presidency from 1921 to 1933 and during that time, they enacted pro-business policies.

Andrew Mellon

Mass Production: the manufacturing of large quantities of a standardized product; the phrase first came into common use to describe the production methods of Henry Ford.

What product did Ford mass produce?

What production method did he use?

Why are mass production methods such as the Assembly Line so 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?

If only I had listened to my Humanities teachers and

done better in school. Now I’m stuck in this

repetitive, boring, dangerous and thankless job for the rest of my life.

The increasing popularity of the automobile provided Americans with more freedoms, luxuries and privacy.

How did the automobile provide new freedoms?...luxuries?...privacy?

Automobile Industry provided over 6 million new jobs!

By 1929, 26 million motor vehicles were registered in the U.S. (1 car per 4.9 Americans)

The Automobile

Slow Down!... You’re too

close to the car in front of

you!...The light is red!...Watch out for those

kids!

When Mr. Jones became the first one in the neighborhood with his very own car, he didn’t realize that he’d also be the first one in the neighborhood with his very own back-seat driver!!

Mrs. DeTample’s Great Grandmother!! (It’s hereditary)

What types of “new” jobs developed as a result of the automobile?

I wish my model didn’t

come standard with an airbag!

The Airplane

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.

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?

The RadioThe 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.

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?

How does this 1924 ad try to convince you to buy a radio?

AdvertisementAs the number of new products increased, the industry of

advertising found new methods to sell merchandise.

Advertisers used persuasion, ploy, seduction and sex appeal to lure buyers.

How do advertisements like

these signal a shift in the culture of the United States?

Have advertisers pushed the

boundaries further today?

Mrs. McHale

I use Barbasol and you can’t

even tell I have an abundance of facial hair!

AdvertisementIn 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.

SportsWith the advent of radio and an increase in leisure time, sports such as baseball, boxing and football gained in popularity.

How could radios help sports gain in popularity?

Baseball took advantage of the

popularity of Herman “Babe” Ruth and went through a

Golden Age.In 1927, when Ruth was in his prime, he

was paid $70,000/year!

Aug. 5, 1921 First Radio Broadcast of a Baseball Game-

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies on KDKA Sept. 6, 1920 First Radio Broadcast of a Prizefight -Jack

Dempsey vs. Billy Miske Nov. 25, 1920 First Radio Broadcast of a Collegiate Football Game - Texas University vs. Mechanical College of Texas - WTAW

Aug. 6, 1921 First Radio Broadcast of a Tennis Match - Australia vs. Great Britian, Davis Cup - Harold Arlin on KDKA

Alex Rodriguez is being paid $26.2

million a year today.

How did media such as radio help athletes

attain much higher salaries?

Jack Dempsey became a household name, partly due

to the coverage his fights received on the radio.

I hit 714 career homeruns

WITHOUT steroids! What about you

Barry?

Go ahead, I dare ya! Make fun of

my tights.

In 1921, Dempsey fought for a $500,000 pursue, considered a staggering amount for a fight

at that time.

A Tyson-Holyfield fight in 1997 paid $75 million between the two fighters.

Social NormsWith the passage of the 18th Amendment, alcohol became

illegal in the U.S.Although many people violated this law, it did have some positive impacts on society.

Personal savings accounts increased.

Worker absenteeism decreased.

Mr. McHale, after reading the class writing assignments.

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?

EducationJohn Dewey: professor at Columbia

University; believed that education should be based on “learning by doing” and the “education for life” should be primary goal of schools.

Few people were aware of

Dewey’s psychic abilities. Evolutionists versus Creationists Darwin’s Theory of Evolution made many creationists upset, as it challenged their religious beliefs.

How do schools of today teach “education for life?”

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.

Creationists weren’t the only ones offended by the idea that man came from monkeys!!

I’m sensing that many of you find me

boring.

Foreign Policy

With the “war to end all wars” over, the world powers set out to ensure peace through a series of treaties.

July, 1921: the U.S. passed a joint resolution in Congress officially ending the war against Germany.

Why was with this action by Congress necessary?

Five Power Naval Treaty (1922): limited the numbers and tonnage of battleships and aircraft carriers that could be built by the five superpowers (U.S.; Britain; Japan; France; Italy)

Why would the U.S. consider this action vital to national security?

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, France and the U.S. agreed to maintain status quo in Pacific.

Foreign PolicyNine Power Treaty (1922): preserved

the sovereignty of China

Why would this treaty be important to the United States?

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.

…(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;

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

One, Two, Three…Ten. Ready or not, here I come!

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.

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?

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?

Mass Production = Deskilling

The AutomobileAlthough 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 IsolationismSeveral factors led many in the U.S. to favor policies that decreased the role of the country in world affairs.

Economic Recession: A short, but 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.

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 involved in European affairs.

Communism: The “red scare” of 1919-1920 swept across America as a small communist party formed and strikes became common across America. (More on this to follow)

How would isolationism help address these issues?

What are some of the possible negative consequences of isolationism?

All in all, its just another brick in the

wall.

• “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”

The “Red Scare”

1921: Many regarded the conviction of

Sacco & Vanzetti as a “judicial lynching” because they were Italians, atheists,

anarchists, and draft dodgers.

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?”

• 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.

During the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan, which had been all but wiped out during Reconstruction, underwent a large-scale

revivial.

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 organization was basically a membership fee racket. (Similar to a Pyramid Scheme)

Most historians credit the fraud within the organization for the

downfall, not the reaction to the violence.

Why would it take corruption to decrease membership?

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.

Immigration

How does this Act reflect isolationist

views?

Would the KKK support this Act? Why or why not?

Is this Act morally acceptable to

you? Why or why not?

Whoa Elmer! What did you

eat?

In 1921, the Act was replaced by Immigration Act of 1924: cut quota to 2%, and based it on 1890 population.

Immigration

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.

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.

Italian section German section

Irish section

There’s McHale’s great-grandfather. (You can see the family resemblance In the forehead region.)

Prohibition18th 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.

ProhibitionOther 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.

Gang wars of Chicago in 1920s saw over 500 murders with very few arrests or convictions.

By 1930, Organized Crime was making $12 to $18

billion/year, several times more a year than the federal

government!