Ch.24“The New Era”

Fear of Change• Nativism• Isolationism• Red Scare• Palmer Raids• Sacco and Vanzetti• KKK• Quota System• Strikes

PoliticsWarren G. Harding “Return to normalcy”• Return to old-guard conservative Republicans.• Limited government regulation

Domestic Policy: -Reduction in income tax-Increased tariff rates to the highest ever (Fordney-McCumber

Tariff)-Bureau of BudgetScandals and Death:Ohio Gang: Appointed good and some VERY bad men for

positions. (Teapot Dome) Bribery and scandal -Died suddenly in August 1923.

Harding & Foreign PolicyPeace Movement

• Washington Conference: Stabilize armaments. • Five-Power Treaty - Navy ratios: US 5, Britain 5, Japan 3, France 1.67, Italy 1.67.• Four-Power Treaty - US, France, GB, and Japan respect

each other’s territory in the Pacific• Nine-Power Treaty - Open Door Policy

• Kellogg-Briand Pact- All nations signed a pact to not use aggressive force to achieve national ends.

• Dawes Plan- A cycle to help Germany pay war reparations and Britain and France pay back borrowed money to the US.

PoliticsCalvin Coolidge “Silent Cal”“The business of America is business”

• Election of 1924: Wins reelectionVetoes and inaction: • Vetoed almost everything, wouldn’t help struggling farmers or

veterans. • Andrew Mellon (Secretary of Treasury)- Reductions in taxes,

personal income and inheritances. • Herbert Hoover: (Commerce Department)- “

Coolidge declines a second term Herbert Hoover runs for president

“New Era” Economic Development

• 1921: Postwar recession• Business prosperity: (1922-1928)

Standard of living higher, indoor plumbing, central heating, electricity, income increased for most middle and working class.

Reasons for Business Prosperity: • Increased productivity: Assembly line, mass production• Energy Technologies: Oil and electricity instead of coal. • Technological Advancements• Government policy

Questions: • What did both Harding and Coolidge promote during their

presidencies?

• What did the passing of numerous armament treaties as well as the Kellogg-Briand Pact signify?

• How did the automobile change American life?

• What advances were made in the airplane industry during the postwar years?

• In what ways did the increase of the standard of living change/improve life in America?

Prohibition• “Noble Experiment”• Defying the law- Popular to ignore the law and drink.• Speakeasies- Bars that gave access to bootleg liquor. • Gangsters- Al Capone used alcohol to strengthen his

posse. • 1933- 21th Amendment repealed the 18th

Women and Minorities

• Women: “Pink-Collar” Jobs- Low paying jobs (secretaries, salesclerks, telephone operators, etc…)

• Blacks: Janitors, garbage collectors, dish washers. *Neither group represented by unions*A. Philip Randolph- Sleeping Car Porters union

Flapper: Changing Family

Rough times for farmers • Increase in tractors/production• Better planting technologies: Hybrid corn• Overproduction led to lower prices.

• “Parity”- Gov. ensure farmers a certain price for crops -McNary-Hangen Bill- Wouldn’t pass.

Pop Culture

Decline of the “Self-Made Man”• “Self-Made Man” becomes more of a myth

than reality.• Men sought after other outlets for “manhood”• Heroes: Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and

Charles Lindbergh (Aviator flew solo across the Atlantic.)

Literature of Alienation

• Writing turned against religion and wartime. • Gertrude Stein called these postwar writers and

peoplea “lost generation”• F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, & Sinclair

Lewis, Ezra Pound, & T.S Lewis spoke out against -Ideals of earlier times-Materialism

Harlem Renaissance• Harlem NY became famous for black actors,

artists, musicians, and writers.

Poets & Musicians: -Looked at African American heritage-Jazz Age- Duke Ellington & Louis Armstrong-Blues- Bessie Smith, Paul Robeson