Politics and Life in the 1920’s

US History

Chapter 27-29

Post-War America

• Renewed isolationism• Increased suspicion of foreign-born people• Increased political conservatism (traditional

values)• Turning away from progressive reforms

• Fear of Communism• Communism – an economic and political system

that advocates a single political party and state ownership of property

The “Red Scare”The “Red Scare”The “Red Scare”The “Red Scare”

““What a Year Has Brought Forth” – What a Year Has Brought Forth” – NY NY WorldWorld

““Red Scare” -- Anti-Red Scare” -- Anti-CommunismCommunism

““Red Scare” -- Anti-Red Scare” -- Anti-CommunismCommunism

““Put Them Out & Keep Them Out” Put Them Out & Keep Them Out” – – Philadelphia InquirerPhiladelphia Inquirer

““RedRed Scare” – Palmer Scare” – Palmer RaidsRaids

““RedRed Scare” – Palmer Scare” – Palmer RaidsRaids

A. Mitchell Palmer’s Home Bombed, A. Mitchell Palmer’s Home Bombed, 19201920

Return of the Klan

• By 1924 membership = 4.5 million• Beliefs

• Keep “blacks in their place”• Drive Catholics, Jews, and foreign-born out

of the country• Enforce prohibition• Oppose labor unions

Picnic with the Klan

MilwaukeeWe promise a “hot” lunch!!

Welcome noteto a Madison, WIAfrican-American

What is the symbolism?

Anti-Labor Movements

• Unions tied to Communist beliefs• Decline in Union Membership

• Rise in immigration• Movement from rural areas• Exclusion of African-Americans

““If Capital & Labor Don’t Pull If Capital & Labor Don’t Pull Together” – Together” – Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune

Consequences of Labor Consequences of Labor UnrestUnrest

Consequences of Labor Consequences of Labor UnrestUnrest

““While We Rock the Boat” – While We Rock the Boat” – Washington Washington TimesTimes

Coal Coal MinersMiners

’ ’ Strike Strike - 1919- 1919

Coal Coal MinersMiners

’ ’ Strike Strike - 1919- 1919

““Keeping Warm” – Keeping Warm” – Los Angeles Los Angeles TimesTimes

Steel Steel

StrikStrike - e -

19191919

Steel Steel

StrikStrike - e -

19191919

““Coming Out of the Smoke” – Coming Out of the Smoke” – New York New York WorldWorld

““He gives aid & comfort to the He gives aid & comfort to the enemies of society” – enemies of society” – Chicago Chicago

TribuneTribune

Boston Police Strike - Boston Police Strike - 19191919

Boston Police Strike - Boston Police Strike - 19191919

““Striking Back” – Striking Back” – New York Evening New York Evening WorldWorld

Return to ‘Normalcy’

• Kellogg-Briand Pact• International agreement against using war

as an instrument of national policy• Small problem:

• No way to enforce

• Immigration Quota System• Maximum number of people allowed to

enter US by foreign country (changes from year to year)

Immigration Changes

Red = North/WestEurope

Blue = South/EastEurope

Business of America

• Impact of the Automobile• Paved roads• Urban sprawl• Independence and economic revolution

• Airplanes• Electric Conveniences

• Radios ($75), washing machine ($150), sewing machine ($60)

• Advertising, credit, and consumer choices

Ford Model T and Model A

Model T

15 million produced

Model A

2 million people Viewed in NY on First day

The Prohibition Experiment1920-1933

• Causes• Various religious groups

thought alcohol was sinful

• Need to protect the public’s health

• Alcohol leads to crime, domestic abuse, and job issues

• Nativism – against foreign born brewers and immigrants that used alcohol

• Effects• Widespread disregard for

the law• Increased smuggling and

bootlegging• New source of criminal

income• Birth of organized crime

Prohibition

The Twenties Woman

• Fashion • What do clothing styles reflect?

• Actions• Smoking, dancing, and drinking

• Relationships• Marriage• Double standard• Birth Control – Margaret Sanger

• Work• 10 million women workers (24% of the total)

Twenties Fashion

History Repeats Itself• Parents feel their children

are staying out too late• Crime is on the rise• Drunkenness is a serious

problem• People are risking their

savings on stocks• People are spending

money on things they don’t need

• Young people spend too much time listening to music

• Young people don’t spend enough time on schoolwork

• Women spend less time at home being wives and mothers

• Young people are going out in cars and it is unsafe

• Today’s new music is terrible and ruining young people

• “Nice” girls shouldn’t smoke, wear tight clothes or drink

Entertainment of the 1920’s

• Sports Heroes• Baseball – Babe Ruth (60 HR in 1927)• Boxing – Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney

(150,000 viewers)• Football – Notre Dame & Knute Rockne

(Five undefeated seasons)• Swimming – Gertrude Ederle – first woman

to swim the English Channel

Tunney vs. Dempsey

More Entertainment

• Charles Lindbergh’s Flight – first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic (34 hours = $25,000 prize)

• Movies – from silent to sound • Music & Literature

• George Gershwin – composer• Sinclair Lewis – first American Nobel Prize for

literature• Ernest Hemingway• Newspapers and weekly magazines (Time,

Reader’s Digest)

Mass Culture: The Movies

• A new culture of youth and celebrity emerged with the popularity of the movies.

Mass Culture: The Movies

• Rudolph Valentino and Clara Bow- two sex symbols and film icons of the Jazz Age.

Mass Culture: Radio

• As the popularity of radio expanded, advertisers began sponsoring radio shows to appeal to consumers.

• By the end of the decade, 40% of homes had radio receivers.

Mass Culture: Music and the Music Industry

• As America developed mass culture through film, advertising, and radio, previously isolated musical styles blended to produce lively and often rebellious radio hits.

African-Americans

• Great Migration• By the end of the 1920’s almost five million

African-Americans lived in cities (40%)• Huge numbers of race riots (25 in 1919)

• Goals – NAACP • Protest racial violence• Promote legislation to protect African-

American rights

Marcus Garvey

• Founded Universal Negro Improvement Association

• Promote African-American businesses• Support a ‘Back to Africa’ movement

• Black Star Line• Colonize a nation

• Convicted of mail fraud and jailed

• Legacy = black pride, economic independence and reverence for Africa

Harlem Renaissance

• Literary and artistic movement celebrating African-American culture

• Why Harlem?• Mix of southerners, West Indies, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and

Haiti• World’s largest black urban community

• Key figures• Claude McKay – militant poet• Langston Hughes – poet• Louis Armstrong – Jazz musician• Duke Ellington – Jazz musician

Science vs. Religion

• Fundamentalism – literal interpretation of the Bible

• Adam & Eve or a Monkey?• Evolution theory• Creation theory

• The Scopes Trial• Dayton, Tennessee

The Defendant

The Lawyers

The Outcome

• Scopes – Guilty $100 fine• Darrow wins verbal war by:

Asking Bryan if God created the world in 6 days (as we know a day)

Bryan’s answer cast doubt on the length of the day (which weakens the fundamentalist argument)

1920s Review

• Sacco & Vanzetti • Causes/Effects of

Prohibition• Impacts of the

Automobile• Union issues• Great Migration• Harlem

Renaissance

• Double standard• Fundamentalism• Scopes Trial