THE 1920’S

““The parties were The parties were bigger...the pace was bigger...the pace was

faster, the shows were faster, the shows were broader, the buildings were broader, the buildings were

higher, the morals were higher, the morals were looser....”looser....”

-F. Scott -F. Scott FitzgeraldFitzgerald

1920’s POLITICS

THE ELECTION OF 1920 Republicans

Warren G. Harding U.S. Senator from Ohio

Democrats James Cox Reformist Ohio governor

American’s tired of Europe and American intervention.

“A return to normalcy”- Warren G.

Harding’s political promise

Harding wins- first U.S. Senator to become President.

Harding’s “Front Porch Campaign

First campaign covered by the press.

Harding stays at home lets the people come to him.

600,000 travel to Marion, Ohio.

First campaign to use celebrities for photo opportunities.

The Harding Presidency

A study in success and A study in success and controversycontroversy

THE HARDING CABINET

The CabinetThe Cabinet ““The best and The best and

brightest men brightest men of the time.”of the time.”

All are All are confirmed by the confirmed by the

Senate in less Senate in less than 10 minutes.than 10 minutes.

President Harding

Vice-President Calvin Coolidge

Charles Evans Hughes, Secretary

of State•Former NY governor•Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

John Weeks, Secretary of War

•Naval service•Former 4 term Congressman•Former 2 term Senator

William Hays, Postmaster General

•Republican Party Chairman•Leaves 1 year later for job with the Motion Picture Assoc.

Albert Fall, Secretary of the

Interior•Former miner, oil driller and rancher•New Mexico Senator•Close associate and confidant to Harding

Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Commerce

•Former head of the Food Administration and the American Relief Administration

Andrew Mellon, Secretary of the

Treasury•Second-richest man in

America

Edwin Denby, Secretary of the

Navy•Former Marine

•3 term CongressmanHenry Wallace,

Secretary of Agriculture•Iowa State professor of agriculture

• outspoken liberal farm magazine

editor

James J. Davis, Secretary of Labor

•Immigrant from Wales•Puddler in the steel

mills•Wealthy banker

•Active labor union member

Harry Daugherty, Attorney General•Former Harding

campaign manager•Highly criticized by newspapers as being

incompetant

President Harding Woodrow Wilson has Woodrow Wilson has

been away from his job been away from his job for 17 months.for 17 months.

“The country is a mess.” Wants the United States to

be a world power by not participating in the League of Nations, but would assist others when necessary.

The United States must return back to its “normal” ways of “Reconstruction, Readjustment, and Restoration.”

Ohio Gang Harding appoints corrupt Ohio

friends to high political offices.

Harry M. Daugherty, Attorney General

Thomas Miller Charles Forbes- Head of

Veteran’s Bureau

Veteran’s Bureau Scandal 1923 Charles Forbes was selling

government hospital supplies to private contractors.

Harding orders an investigation.

Forbes lies, claiming he is saving the govt. $650,000 in storage fees.

Forbes has an affair with his partner’s wife- partner turns him in to the govt.

Forbes goes to Europe, and then resigns.

Eventually convicted of pocketing $200 million and then leaving the country.

“Bootlegger” Scandal Jesse Smith, a close

associate of Attorney General Daugherty is caught selling govt. liquor to bootleggers out of a local Washington house.

Harding tries to run Smith out of town.

Smith found dead in his apartment. Suicide??

Daugherty disassociates self from scandal, and is never indicted.

Alien Property Scandal Thomas Miller appointed

head of the Office of Alien Property.

Illegally transfers ownership of a German-owned metal company to an American syndicate.

Miller receives $50,000, Jesse Smith- $224,000, and Daugherty- $50,000.

Miller is sentenced to 18 months in jail, Daugherty is never convicted- reputation is ruined.

Tea Pot Dome Scandal 1923 Albert Fall, Secretary of the

Interior Secretly leases government

land in Elk Hills, CA and Teapot Dome, WY (near Casper) to oil companies.

In exchange, the companies would store refined oil for govt. use by the Navy.

Montana Senators Thomas Walsh and Burton K. Wheeler order investigation.

THE TEAPOT DOME SCANDAL

Oilmen, Edward Doheny and Harry Sinclair admit to lending Fall money.

Fall personally received $100,000 in money for his services.

Fall found guilty of bribery, eventually imprisoned for 1 year with a $100,000 fine.

DEATH OF HARDING Suffered from severe high

blood pressure and a heart condition.

Strain of scandals Teapot Dome Allegations of an illegitimate

child. “It’s not my enemies I have to

worry about, it’s my g**damn friends.”

While on holiday in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, suffers a stroke.

Rumored that his wife poisoned him to avoid humiliation from the scandals.

Dies days later in San Francisco.

Harding Remembered“Let who has felt compute the

strainOf struggle with abuses strong,The doubtful course, the helpless

painOf seeing best intents go wrong.We, who look on with critic eyes,Exempt from action’s crucial test,Human ourselves, at least are wiseIn honoring one who did his best.”

- Secretary of State, Charles Evan Hughes at Harding’s memorial.

CALVIN COOLIDGE Harding’s Vice-

President Is sworn in by his JP

father while at home in Vermont.

“Silent Cal” Restores public

confidence in the government.

Treats the presidency “like a business.”

The Progressive Party Election of 1924 Robert M. LaFollette

Presidential candidate Governor of

Wisconsin. Burton K. Wheeler

Vice-Presidential candidate.

Senator from Montana.

Election of 1924 Republican

Calvin Coolidge Democrat

John W. Davis Congressman from West

Virginia Attacks Harding

Administration scandals. Progressive Party

Robert M. LaFollete Backed by rural farmers w/

promises of govt. assistance. Gets 5 million votes- the most

ever for any 3rd Party. Dies days after the election.

Coolidge Wins

Election of 1924

FOREIGN AFFAIRS Soviet Union-

Communist Russia under Lenin U.S. refuses to

recognize as a nation.

Gives $20 million in aid to feed 10 million Russians.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS Kellogg-Briand Pact- 1928

Written by Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg.

Pact between the U.S. and 61 other nations that outlawed war.

No way to enforce without America in the League of Nations.

First attempt at disarmament- reducing a nation’s armed forces and weapons.

Life During the 1920’s

PROHIBITION

““Prohibition is an awful flop.Prohibition is an awful flop.We like it.We like it.

It can't stop what it's meant It can't stop what it's meant to stop.to stop.

We like it.We like it.It's left a trail of graft and It's left a trail of graft and

slime,slime,It's filled our land with vice It's filled our land with vice

and crime,and crime,It can't prohibit worth a dime,It can't prohibit worth a dime,

Nevertheless we're for it.”Nevertheless we're for it.”--

Franklin Pierce Adams, Franklin Pierce Adams,

New York WorldNew York World

18th Amendment• Made it illegal to make, Made it illegal to make,

sell, or transport any sell, or transport any drink that contained drink that contained more than .5 % alcohol more than .5 % alcohol in the U.S.in the U.S.

• Implemented under the Implemented under the Volstead Act of 1919.Volstead Act of 1919.

• Sponsored by Rep. Sponsored by Rep. Andrew Volstead of Andrew Volstead of Minnesota.Minnesota.

• Repealed in 1933 with Repealed in 1933 with the 21st Amendmentthe 21st Amendment

PROHIBITION• Alcohol consumption Alcohol consumption

goes down among the goes down among the lower class, but rises lower class, but rises among the middle and among the middle and upper classes.upper classes.

• Speakeasy- illegal barSpeakeasy- illegal bar• To get in, you had to To get in, you had to

“speak easy” to “speak easy” to convince the doorman convince the doorman you were not an agent.you were not an agent.

• Bootleggers- Bootleggers- smuggled liquorsmuggled liquor

• $40 million/year $40 million/year businessbusiness

• Consumption of 150 Consumption of 150 million quarts of million quarts of liquor/year.liquor/year.

ORGANIZED CRIME Direct result of

Prohibition Al Capone

Lead organized crime in Chicago.

Made over $100 million a year in illegal gambling, prostitution, and alcohol.

Corrupted politics, newspapers, etc.

Eventually jailed for tax evasion in 1931.

WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE 19th Amendment- gave

women the right to vote. Originally proposed in

1918 with Woodrow Wilson’s support.

Fails by two votes in the Senate.

Approved in June, 1919. Tennessee the last to

ratify in August, 1920.

RURAL V. SUBURBS WW I creates new jobs

for the cities. People move from the

country to the cities in search of new jobs. Creates a boom in the

housing industry Businesses consolidate Chain stores (Safeway,

A&P) replace small, local stores.

THE AUTOMOBILE Henry Ford

Founder of the Ford Motor Company in 1903.

Worked with automobiles for racing.

Admitted anti-Semite. Introduced the first

moving assembly line to automobile production in 1913.

The Ford Assembly Line

Reduces time needed Reduces time needed to produce an item. to produce an item. Chassis assembly Chassis assembly

went from 12 ½ hours went from 12 ½ hours to 2 hrs. and 40 min.to 2 hrs. and 40 min.

Raised pay to $5/hr. Raised pay to $5/hr. and cut shifts from 9 and cut shifts from 9 hrs. to 8 hrs.hrs. to 8 hrs.

By 1914 it took 93 By 1914 it took 93 minutes to assemble minutes to assemble a car.a car.

THE AUTOMOBILE

Model TModel T

•1908-1927

•Sold for $850

•Sold only in Black.

•15 million manufactured

Model AModel A

•1928-1932

•Straight 4 cylinder engine

•Variety of colors

•4 million manufactured.

THE AUTOMOBILE 1927- General Motors

passes Ford as the top auto producer. Variety of colors, better

engine. The automobile industry

helps to expand road construction, gas stations, hotels, restaurants. Increases American mobility.

IMMIGRATION

Millions of Europeans flee post-WWI Europe in hopes of a better life.

Many move west and settle on cheap land sold by the government.

IMMIGRATION Quota System- allows

only a certain number of people to immigrate from each country.

Mexicans excluded because they were needed for the Southwest farms.

Demanded by American labor unions whose members were losing work to immigrants.

THE RED SCARE Government

takes action against socialist radicals in America Thousands

accused and arrested.

All foreigners are under suspicion.

SCOPES MONKEY TRIAL OLD TRADITIONS v. NEW

THINKING Charles Darwin’s Theory

of Evolution All people evolved from a

simpler form of life. John Scopes- biology

teacher from Tennessee violates law by teaching evolution.

Clarence Darrow (defense) vs. William Jennings Bryan (prosecution).

Scopes found guilty

KKK Reemerges in the

South Attacks both

Blacks and Jews.

1920’s Culture

MOVIES

Hollywood becomes movie capital.

Silent Films the main attraction. Usually about

10-20 minutes long.

The Talkie Talkie- a movie

with a soundtrack

The Jazz Singer The first “talkie.” Features Al

Jolson White man

painted black because he could sing jazz.

EARLY MOVIE STARS

Charlie Chaplin

Douglas Fairbanks

Greta Garbo

Joan Crawford

Lon Chaney

Rudolph Valentin

o

Early Movie Stars (cont.)

Marlene Dietrich Mae WestWill Rogers Buster KeatonChief TahacheeHelen Kane aka

Betty Boop

MOVIES Academy Awards

First given in 1929. Only “sound”

pictures were honored.

Wings the official first recipient of “Best Picture.”

Walt Disney Begins animation

business in 1922. 1923- creates the Alice

comedies. Mix of live action with

animation. 1927- Oswald the Lucky

Rabbit. 1928- Loses rights to

Oswald to Universal Studios.

Creates Mortimer (later Mickey) Mouse.

First sound movie: Steamboat Willie (1928).

Steamboat Willie

Radio Dr. Frank Conrad- Engineer for

Westinghouse. Builds a transmitter to get

accurate time signals. Expands his invention in his

garage and creates radio station 8XK.

Transmits music which is picked up by war-time radio receivers.

Westinghouse begins to sell radio receivers to the general public.

Conrad moves to the Westinhouse Building in Pittsburgh and is assigned call letters KDKA randomly by the federal government.

Radio

1920- First commercial radio broadcast

KDKA PittsburghBroadcasted the Presidential Election results of 1920.

R.S. Mclelland, standby

William Thomas,

transmitter

Leo Rosenberg, announcer

John Frazier,

telephone line

operator

RADIO August 5, 1921- First

sports play-by-play broadcast.

KDKA Pittsburgh Harold Arlin- first full

time radio announcer. Baseball game

between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies.

Radio Shows Amos and Andy

White men “playing” black men.

Ma Perkins Most popular radio

show of the 1920’s.

Harlem Renaissance

A Rebirth of Black Culture

Roots of the Harlem Renaissance

Carl Van Vechten White Iowan interested in

black culture. Writes Nigger Heaven

(1926) Exposé of Harlem life. Offended some members of

the black community. Its coverage of Harlem

helped draw thousands of sophisticated white New Yorkers to Harlem's exotic and exciting nightlife.

Stimulated a national market for African-American literature and music.

Louis Armstrong Jazz musician Trumpet player Could take a simple

melody and show listeners many sides of it.

OTHER JAZZ GREATS

Duke Ellington Jelly Roll Morton

Robert Johnson Blues guitarist “the greatest blues

singer of all time.” High pitched voice

and his use of the bass strings to create a steady, rolling rhythm and made him famous.

Claude McKay Jamaican

columnist, humorist, and writer.

Harlem Shadows (1922) First work by a

black writer to be published by a mainstream, national publisher.

New York Renaissance Basketball Team

Founded by Robert Douglas in 1923.

Blacks not allowed to play professional sports.

All-black team created to play white teams.

The “Rens” ended their team history with a record of 2,318 wins and 381 losses.

Considered to be the best team to ever play the game.

1920’s Sports

College Football Knute RockneKnute Rockne

Played for and Played for and later coached later coached Notre Dame to Notre Dame to many national many national championships.championships.

Stressed the Stressed the forward pass as forward pass as an offensive an offensive weapon.weapon.

Professional Football Red Grange

“The Galloping Ghost” 1924- Scored 4

touchdowns in 12 minutes for a total of 262 yards.

Signed with the Chicago Bears for a salary of $100,000.

Typical salary was $100/game.

Baseball Babe Ruth- played

for the New York Yankees.

Home-run Hitter 1927- Hits 60 home

runs in one season. Eventually broken in

1961.

Baseball Lou Gehrig

1st baseman for the New York Yankees.

“The Iron Horse” Played in 2,130

consecutive games between 1925 and 1939.

Record broken in 1995. Forced to retire when

he became disabled with a fatal neuromuscular disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

1927 Yankees Nicknamed Nicknamed

“Murderer’s Row.”“Murderer’s Row.” The 1927 seasonThe 1927 season

A winning record of A winning record of 110 win to 44 110 win to 44 losses.the next yearlosses.the next year

Won the American Won the American League pennant by League pennant by 19 games19 games

Swept the Swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1927 World the 1927 World Series.Series.

Boxing Jack Dempsey

World’s Heavyweight Champion from 1919-1926.

Nicknamed “The Manassa Mauler.”

1923- defends the title in Shelby, MT.

Financial disaster for the town.

Tennis Bill Tilden For 7 years, he never

lost a major tennis match.

Possessed what was called at the time a "cannonball" service.

Jailed for homosexual activity with young boys.

Golf Bobby Jones Won 13 major

championships in 13 years.

Exemplified the principles of sportsmanship and fair play.

Founder of the Augusta, Georgia Masters Tournament.

Sports Modern Olympic

Games 1st games held in

1896. 1920 games in

Antwerp, Belgium 1st Olympic Flag w/

rings 1st Oath of Athletes

1st Winter Olympics held in France- 1924.

1920’s Literature

F. Scott Fitzgerald Spokesman of the 1920’s. Wrote dozens of short

stories that treat themes of youth, despair, and age.

His heroes—handsome, confident, and doomed.

His heroines are typically beautiful, intricate, and alluring.

The Great Gatsby Wrote about the excesses of

1920’s.

Ernest Hemingway

•Novelist, short story writer, and journalist.

•Noted for his “journalistic style” of writing.•A Farewell to Arms

•Wrote about WW I

Sinclair Lewis Known for giving

strong characterization to modern working women and for his concern with race.

Main Street Satirized the life of

small mid-western living.

1920’s Fads and Thrill Seekers

“THE FLAPPER” Young women

who declared their independence from traditional roles Used makeup. Drank and smoked

in public.

FASHION Fads- style of

fashion that becomes popular for a short time.

Flamboyant style with bobbed hair, long pearl necklaces, and knee-length skirts.

Considered slutty.

Harry Houdini Born in Hungary, but

claimed to be from Wisconsin.

Started out as a magician.

1920’s escape artist. Concealed lock picks by

regurgitation. Dislocated shoulders.

Died in 1926 from a “sucker punch” to the abdomen.

Houdini’s Great Escapes

Charles Lindbergh 1927- Flies The

Spirit of St. Louis from New York to Paris non-stop. Took 33.5 hours. Received a

$25,000 prize.

The Charleston A “kiss off” to the

traditional ballroom dancing.

Described as watching a bunch of drunken chickens.

Arms waving, knees buckled, toes pointed inward.

Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929

ELECTION OF 1928 Republican

Herbert Hoover Democrat

Al Smith Devout Roman Catholic- Americans fear that the

Pope would gain too much power in America. Herbert Hoover wins in a landslide

Promises more “good times.” Self-made millionaire Supports big-business Smith does not even win his home state of New York.

1920’s ECONOMY Installment buying- buying on credit

“buy now, pay later” Stocks- shares of ownership of a

company sold to investors Allowed the “average” person to

become a millionaire. People borrow money from the bank to

invest in the stock market.

1920’s ECONOMY Stock Market

More people invested in than ever before.

Stock prices rose so fast that people needed more money to buy and sell.

Bull market- “raging” stock prices Bear market- “sleeping” stock prices

Timeline (1929) September 3- Stock market September 3- Stock market

reaches a high of 381.17.reaches a high of 381.17. Thursday, October 24- Thursday, October 24-

Market begins to crash when Market begins to crash when a record 13 million shares a record 13 million shares are traded.are traded. To offset the trading, wealthy To offset the trading, wealthy

banker invest heavily in “blue banker invest heavily in “blue chip” stock (U.S. Steel)chip” stock (U.S. Steel)

Prices of stocks rose faster Prices of stocks rose faster than the values of the than the values of the companies.companies.

Monday, October 28- News Monday, October 28- News of the 1of the 1stst crash is reported. crash is reported. Stock market loses another Stock market loses another 13%.13%.

Stock Market Crash of 1929

October 29, 1929 (Black Tuesday)- stocks lose $10-$15 billion in one day.

Ushers in The Great Depression.

The Great DepressionThe Great Depression

1929-19331929-1933

Massive Unemployment Industry had invested too Industry had invested too

heavily in the Stock Market.heavily in the Stock Market. Only 11% of total profits Only 11% of total profits

went back to the worker.went back to the worker. Consumers have no money, Consumers have no money,

which forces factories to which forces factories to close.close.

1930- 6-7 million Americans 1930- 6-7 million Americans are unemployed.are unemployed.

1932- 12 million Americans 1932- 12 million Americans are unemployed.are unemployed.

Banks forced to close their Banks forced to close their doors because of no money.doors because of no money.

Soup Lines and Makeshift Homes

Unemployed wage earners forced to stand in line for free food.

Families forced from their homes.

Live in “makeshift” homes on the city limits.

Many made from scrap lumber.

Migrant Workers Many unemployed workers

“pack up” and head westward in search of jobs.

Willing to work for any amount of money.

The Dust Bowl Farmer’s hit the worst by Farmer’s hit the worst by

the Depression.the Depression. Prices fall each year. Prices fall each year.

Dust Bowl- huge drought in Dust Bowl- huge drought in the mid-western farm belt.the mid-western farm belt.

Hoover’s Response President Hoover blamed

for the Depression. He lays blame on post-

WW I Europe. Calls for voluntary efforts

to help the poor. Refuses to allow any

government aid.

“A Chicken in Every Pot and a Car in Every Garage.”

Hoover’s campaign slogan