after wwi, america would become the world’s leading economic power. but the 1920s would be a time...
TRANSCRIPT
“The Roaring 20s”
After WWI, America would become the world’s leading economic power.
But the 1920s would be a time of great change in America. People began to question long-held beliefs about the world.
New Ideas
A religious revival at the beginning of the 20th century led to a growth in religious fundamentalism.
Religious fundamentalists believe that the Bible is literally true and, because it is from God, cannot contain errors.
Fundamentalists read the Bible literally, and used it to hypothesize that the world is around 6,000 years old.
The ideas of Charles Darwin and others challenged this view. Scientists had theorized that the world was actually around 4 or 5 billion years old.
Furthermore, some people looked at the devastation of WWI and questioned the existence of God.
New Ideas
The debate between scientific theory and religious fundamentalism gained national attention in the “Monkey Trial” of 1925.
A teacher named John Scopes was arrested for violating a Tennessee law that forbade teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution, instead of the Bible’s account of creation.
Fundamentalist William Jennings Bryan volunteered to prosecute John Scopes.
Clarence Darrow was the lawyer defending Scopes. He was a lawyer for Eugene Debs during WWI.
The trial reached a climax when William Jennings Bryan took the stand himself to testify.
Scopes Trial
Through his questioning, Darrow was able to get Bryan to say that he does not interpret everything in the Bible literally. (clip)
Scopes was ultimately found guilty and fined $100 after the jury deliberated for 9 minutes.
The law against teaching evolution remained in effect.
Scopes Trial
Henry Ford was able to make cars cheap enough for regular people to buy through “mass production” using the assembly line.
He also wanted to his workers to be able to buy his cars, so he paid them an unheard of $5 per day.
By the 1920s, a Model T car cost about $260. The car changed America. People could live in a
different area than they worked. The car and public transportation systems led
to the development of some of the first suburbs in America.
It was also much easier to go on dates with the use of a car.
New Technology
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The assembly line meant that people could afford things that they could not before.
Radios and refrigerators became more common in homes.
Sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines greatly reduced the amount of time people had to do chores at home.
This led to more leisure time and a bustling nightlife, when people would venture out into the city after dark.
Mass media also formed during the 1920s. Mass media came in the form of radios, newspapers, and magazines.
Consumer Goods and Mass Media
Because of the radio, people around the country enjoyed the same shows and hearing the same news reports.
The movie industry also boomed. The first movies were actually silent pictures, and then moved to movies with sound called “talkies.”
“The Jazz Singer” was one of the first very popular talkies.
Consumer Goods and Mass Media
By 1920, half of the American population lived in large cities. Large cities had very different, less traditional cultures.
The movement of people to the cities changed the role of women during the 20s.
During WWI, women had taken new jobs that men had to leave to go and fight. When the men returned, they took their jobs back.
Suffrage means the right to vote. Women had been fighting for suffrage since the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848.
Finally, women got the right to vote when the 19th Amendment was passed.
Women in the 1920s
Many people were worried about the decline of morals during the 20s. They were especially worried about the decline of women’s morals.
Women began to change their dress and behavior. They started wearing shorter hairstyles and skirts.
They began going out on dates instead of having men come to their homes with their parents or a chaperone supervising.
These new women were called “flappers.” Some of the behavior that people found
unacceptable: premarital sex, using birth control, listening to jazz music, drinking, smoking, etc.
Women in the 1920s
From about 1910 to 1930, blacks in the south began moving to cities in the Midwest and North.
Jim Crow laws, violence, and lynching were “push” factors for blacks – meaning they were reasons why blacks LEFT the south.
Meanwhile, cultural change and jobs were “pull” factors for blacks – meaning reasons they CAME to the north.
This was called “The Great Migration.” A black middle class developed in the cities as
blacks were able to hold steady jobs.
Blacks in the 1920s
1900
As the black middle class grew, blacks began taking pride in their history and culture.
A movement of writers, artists, and musicians in New York City during the 1920s drew attention to black culture.
This movement was called the Harlem Renaissance.
Two of the major writers of this movement were James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes.
This movement helped draw attention to the fact that blacks were still second class citizens.
Blacks in the 1920s
When the Russian Revolution took place during WWI, many Americans were happy about it. The czar was replaced by a Republic.
But, when communism was instituted in Russia, many people in America were in fear.
Communism is when the government owns all property and tries to create a society in which there are no classes, meaning everyone has the same amount of property.
Many in the U.S. were scared that a communist revolution would occur here.
This led to a period known as “The Red Scare.”
The Red Scare
The United States Attorney General, A. Mitchell Palmer, took advantage of the Red Scare.
He authorized the Palmer Raids. Police arrested jailed 4,000 people who were believed to be Communists. Many of them were actually just immigrants who were innocent.
More than 500 people were deported back to their home countries.
Palmer predicted that there would be attacks in the U.S. by anarchists and Communists. This never happened, and people stopped taking him seriously.
The Red Scare
During the 1920s, xenophobia was widespread. Xenophobia is hatred of outsiders or immigrants.
Many who believed in Social Darwinism thought that the U.S. should not allow so many immigrants to freely enter.
So, during the 1920s, immigration quotas were passed. Quotas are limitations on the amount of immigrants who could enter the country from certain areas.
For most countries, the quota was set at 2% of the amount of people in that country.◦ Example: only 2% of Italians could come to the U.S. each
year. The quotas were aimed at preventing immigration
from three areas: Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and Asia.
Anti-Immigration
During the 1920s, the KKK made a resurgence. In order to attract new members, the KKK started
targeting other groups besides blacks. They targeted Jews, Catholics, and immigrants. The
Red Scare helped to fuel the growth of the KKK. During the 1920s, the KKK grew to become a national organization. People in small towns and cities across America joined the KKK, even in the Midwest and North.
The KKK saw themselves as helping to improve and shape the morals of society.
They targeted bootleggers and gamblers, burning crosses in their yards and beating or lynching them in public.
The (2nd) Ku Klux Klan
The KKK during the 1920s was different than the one after the Civil War. During the 1920s, the KKK was more organized and targeted more groups.
Also, in 1915, the movie “Birth of a Nation” intensified racism against blacks. It was a recruiting tool for the KKK.
The movie portrayed blacks as being sexually aggressive towards white women.
The (2nd) Ku Klux Klan
Gainesville, FL
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Since the 1830s, many groups supported temperance, which means the reduction of the use of alcohol.
Most of the supporters of the temperance movement were women.
During WWI, the support for prohibiting alcohol grew stronger.
This was due to the fact that there were grain shortages because of the war. Also, there was anti-German sentiment – and German immigrants were some of the biggest grain farmers.
Finally, during WWI, the 18th Amendment was passed.
The 18th Amendment made selling alcohol illegal.
Prohibition
It did not, however, make the consumption of alcohol illegal.
Soon, illegal sources of alcohol were being established all over the country.
These secret bars were called “speakeasies.” Bootlegging became a huge business. Gangs
took control of the selling alcohol. The government did not have the power to stop
these gangs from selling alcohol. It was impossible to enforce the Prohibition law.
So, in 1933, the 21st Amendment was passed. This amendment ended Prohibition and made alcohol legal again.
Prohibition
The Great Depression
During the 1920s, America seemed very prosperous. Industrial production (how much factories were
producing) was up, as well as average income. But this was deceiving because there was a growing
gap between the rich and the poor. The rich were getting very wealthy, while the poor were staying the same.
The majority of Americans lived below the poverty line in the 1920s. ◦ The poverty line was $2,500 in 1929 dollars.
Companies were making more money, but wages for their workers dropped or stayed the same for most.
To help workers pay for the things they wanted or needed, the installment plan was introduced.
The installment plan allowed people to buy expensive things and make payments on them.
Prosperity During the 1920s
But these installment plans actually led to workers paying more for the item they were trying to buy.
This drove many people into debt and workers could no longer be “consumers” – meaning they could not purchase things that companies produced.
This led to companies laying off workers since they were not making as much money as they had before, due to the fact that the workers not being able to buy things from them.
Furthermore, farmers were struggling during the 1920s. Prices of food coming from other countries were cheaper than their prices.
This led to farmers losing their farms, which was very similar to what happened during the late 1800s.
Prosperity During the 1920s
During the 1920s, the government took a laissez-faire approach to economics.◦ Remember: laissez-faire means “hands off” of the
economy. This approach helps big businesses and hurts
workers and farmers. It encourages economic growth, but does not work to protect individual workers and farmers.
This was a change from the Progressive presidents who wanted to regulate businesses using the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
Government Policy During the 1920s
Three examples of policies that helped the rich during the 1920s:1) The government raised tariffs.2) The Supreme Court overturned limits on child labor
and minimum wage laws for women.3) Income taxes for the wealthy were cut dramatically.
But, these policies did nothing to help the economy.
The increased money that the wealthy had because of these policies was used to invest in the stock market.
Government Policy During the 1920s
Speculation is when investors buy a lot of something in order to sell it for more money later.◦ Example: buying a 50 pairs of limited edition Jordan’s at
$200 a pair, knowing that you can sell them in 2 weeks for $500 a pair.
During the 1920s, people saw that stock market was growing and businesses were growing in value.
So, by buying stock in the companies, they thought that they could sell them for more money later.
People even began buying stocks “on the margin.” “Buying on the margin” means that they did not
have enough money to buy all of the stocks they wanted, so they used loans to buy stocks.
Stock Market Speculation
The demand for stocks in companies led to stock prices being “inflated.”
This meant that the value of stocks for that company was actually a lot greater than what the company was producing.
As investors began to realize that companies were making less money, they began selling their stocks.
When an unusual amount of sales occurred in October of 1929, loan companies began asking investors to pay off their loans.
Investors were forced to sell their stocks at low prices in order to pay off their loans quickly.
As a result, stock prices plunged. This caused the Stock Market to crash.
Stock Market Speculation
On Tuesday, October 29th, 1929, the Stock Market crashed. The day would be nicknamed “Black Tuesday.”
Herbert Hoover had just taken office as President when the market crashed.
Many of the people who had bought stocks “on the margin” had lost everything.
Banks started calling on the people who owed them money and demanded it immediately, but they didn’t have the money. This caused banks to fail.
Stock Market Speculation
Government policies in response to the Great Depression actually made it worse.
The Federal Reserve is America’s central government bank. It controls the circulation of currency by giving loans to banks who then give loans to others.
During the 20s, the Federal Reserve had a very “easy credit” policy. It charged very low interest rates, making it easier for banks to get loans.
These banks could then give more people loans who were buying stocks “on the margin.”
This is what caused the Great Depression: speculation, buying on the margin, and “easy credit.”
Government Makes it Worse
After the Stock Market Crash, the Federal Reserve began a “tight money” policy.
This was meant to slow down the amount of speculation and buying on the margin by raising interest rates.
But, as a result, the effects of the crash were even worse because people could not get loans to start businesses and get out of debt.
If the Federal Reserve had cut interest rates, the Depression may not have been as severe or long-lasting.
Furthermore, Congress passed a very high tariff in 1930 to try and protect American businesses.
This made the situation worse. Foreign companies were not able to sell their goods in America.
Government Makes it Worse
Other countries responded by raising their tariffs, too. This made it impossible for American companies to sell their goods overseas.
Government Makes it Worse
The Depression psychologically devastated Americans. It was the worst economic depression ever.
The unemployment rate was 25%. There was no unemployment insurance. People
lost their homes because they could not pay their mortgage or rent.
Some went door to door selling items such as pencils or apples.
People who had money in banks rushed to get their money out, since many banks were failing.
This meant that the banks ran out of money. This is called a “bank run.”
The Depression’s Effects
Schools closed because teachers could not be paid. Some of them continued teaching for free.
The number of marriages dropped dramatically and the birthrate fell.
Families were finding it hard to eat. Women and children had to find work if it was available.
Veterans of WWI had been promised a bonus check for serving. They wanted the government to give it to them earlier since the economy was bad.
The government refused and the veterans gathered in Washington, D.C. to protest. This came to be known as the Bonus Army March.
The Depression’s Effects
President Hoover sent in federal troops to remove the veterans. Several people were killed. Americans disliked Hoover for this.
Americans were not satisfied with President Hoover’s reaction to the Depression. He told Americans to be patient saying, “prosperity is just around the corner.”
Many homeless people gathered in cities and built shacks. These shacks turned into villages that people called “Hoovervilles.”
Dissatisfaction with Hoover
Farmers had new technology during the 20s and were able to produce more. This led to overproduction; there was not enough demand.
Farmers had also damaged the environment from years and years of farming on the same land. This left the soil very barren.
Then, in the 1930s, a massive drought hit the Midwest. When storms hit, the top soil was swept off the ground.
This created huge clouds of dust which covered farms, towns, and cities.
This natural disaster was known as the Dust Bowl.
The Dust Bowl
The Election of 1932 brought some hope for Americans. They hoped that this election could change the Great Depression.
Americans elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt who immediately started relief and recovery programs that have become known as “The New Deal.”
The purpose of the New Deal was to stabilize the economy and stop the human suffering of the Depression.
Here are some of the measures that were taken to help the economy and the American people…
“The New Deal”
1) Roosevelt put the banks on a holiday and closed them down. This stopped the “run” on people removing all of their money.
2) He created the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). This meant that people’s money in the banks was backed by the government.
3) The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) was created to put regulations on the Stock Market so that a crash could never happen again.
4) The AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act) paid farmers to grow LESS crops which would decrease the supply and increase the price of food.
“The New Deal”
5) The TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) was created. This was a program of building dams for electricity. It put thousands of people to work.
6) The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) was created and employed young men to work on building parks.
7) The WPA (Work Progress Administration) gave federal money for writers, artists, and musicians.
These programs alleviated some of the despair the people were feeling and pumped money into the economy.
It did not pull America out of the Depression, though.
“The New Deal”
There was criticism of the New Deal from both liberals (“the left) and conservatives (“the right”).
Liberals claimed that FDR was not doing enough. They thought he should do more to redistribute income from the rich to the poor.
Conservative, wealthy business owners said that the New Deal was too expensive and was more like socialism.
The conservative Supreme Court ruled many New Deal programs “unconstitutional.”
In response to this, FDR tried to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 9 to 15.
Criticism of “The New Deal”
This would allow FDR to “pack” the court with judges that would pass the New Deal. It was called the “court-packing scheme.”
People saw this as FDR’s attempt to become like a dictator, and his plan failed when Congress refused to pass the law.
Criticism of “The New Deal”
Under FDR, a national insurance policy was established for the unemployed, disabled, the elderly, and dependent children.
This was called the Social Security Act. This was the most important New Deal act and the longest-lasting.
But critics on the right said that this law laid the foundation for America becoming a welfare state.
The New Deal also established minimum wage and maximum hours with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The Wagner Act gave workers the right to organize in labor unions and bargain collectively with owners. This had been a goal of unions since the late 19th century.
Long-Term Successes
In order to pass all of the New Deal programs, FDR’s Congress had to run an unbalanced budget.
Deficit spending is when the government does not have enough money and must borrow money to spend.
Conservatives criticized FDR for deficit spending. In response, FDR cut spending in 1937. But this caused the Recession of 1937.
Since the 1930s, deficit spending has been used by the government to prevent depressions.
Deficit Spending
In 1933, the unemployment rate for blacks was an astounding 48%.
But, the New Deal did not do much to help blacks. The money given to farmers did not help blacks because they did not own farms.
The CCC was segregated, blacks and whites worked separately. And the TVA gave the best jobs to whites.
But, FDR regularly met with a group of black government workers that was called the “Black Cabinet.”
Also, after blacks threatened to march on Washington, the Fair Employment Practices Commission was set up to make sure blacks had jobs during WWII.
Blacks in the Depression
As a result, many blacks in the north began voting for the Democratic Party.
Blacks in the Depression
During the Depression, women had to “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
They also had to find jobs, but were discriminated against because they were seen as taking jobs away from men.
The New Deal did not address the needs of women. Many of its programs were specifically designed to help men.
However, FDR appointed the first female Cabinet member ever – Frances Perkins.
He also relied greatly on his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, for advice.
Women in the Depression