1920s1920s

A New EraA New Era

PoliticsPolitics Through the 1920s, three Through the 1920s, three RepublicanRepublican presidents would presidents would control the executive branchcontrol the executive branch

Warren HardingWarren Harding, , Calvin CoolidgeCalvin Coolidge, , and and Herbert HooverHerbert Hoover

PoliticsPolitics Congress was Congress was

solidly solidly RepublicanRepublican

Republican ControlRepublican Control U.S. business U.S. business

boomedboomed Farmers & labor Farmers & labor

unions struggledunions struggled

Business DoctrineBusiness Doctrine

Limited Limited government government regulation as an regulation as an aid in helping aid in helping businessbusiness

Business DoctrineBusiness Doctrine The nation would benefit if business The nation would benefit if business

& the pursuit of profits took the lead & the pursuit of profits took the lead in developing the economyin developing the economy

New CultureNew Culture The Census The Census

reported that, for reported that, for the first time, more the first time, more than half of the than half of the American American population lived in population lived in urban areasurban areas

New CultureNew Culture Culture of the cities was based on:Culture of the cities was based on: Popular tastesPopular tastes Habits of mass consumptionHabits of mass consumption

New CultureNew Culture

Increasingly at Increasingly at odds with the strict odds with the strict religious and religious and moral codes of moral codes of rural Americarural America

New CultureNew Culture Jazz AgeJazz Age Harlem RenaissanceHarlem Renaissance ConsumerismConsumerism Impact of the AutomobileImpact of the Automobile

New CultureNew Culture Entertainment (radio, rise of movie Entertainment (radio, rise of movie

industry)industry) Popular heroes (Jack Dempsey, Babe Popular heroes (Jack Dempsey, Babe

Ruth, Bobby Jones)Ruth, Bobby Jones)

Literature of AlienationLiterature of Alienation Many leading writers of the postwar Many leading writers of the postwar

decade bitterly condemned the decade bitterly condemned the sacrifices of wartime as a fraud sacrifices of wartime as a fraud perpetrated by money interestsperpetrated by money interests

Lost GenerationLost Generation Disillusionment caused writer Disillusionment caused writer

Gertrude Stein to call these writers a Gertrude Stein to call these writers a ““lost generationlost generation””

F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair LewisHemingway, Sinclair Lewis

Lost GenerationLost Generation Expressed disillusionment with the Expressed disillusionment with the

ideals of an earlier time & with the ideals of an earlier time & with the materialism of a business-oriented materialism of a business-oriented cultureculture

Cultures in ConflictCultures in Conflict Dominant social and political issues Dominant social and political issues

of the 1920s expressed sharp of the 1920s expressed sharp divisions in U.S. societydivisions in U.S. society

Cultures in Conflict: DivisionsCultures in Conflict: Divisions

Between young & oldBetween young & old Between urban modernists & rural Between urban modernists & rural

fundamentalistsfundamentalists Between prohibitionists & anti-Between prohibitionists & anti-

prohibitionistsprohibitionists Between nativists & foreign-bornBetween nativists & foreign-born

Impact of AutomobilesImpact of Automobiles

Helped the economy to boomHelped the economy to boom Spurred the building of paved roads, Spurred the building of paved roads,

service stations, garagesservice stations, garages Gave people freedom to travelGave people freedom to travel Led to urban sprawlLed to urban sprawl Gave Americans a new status symbolGave Americans a new status symbol

Impact of AutomobilesImpact of Automobiles

Company or Product: Model T FordCompany or Product: Model T Ford Cost - $290 (Model A - $495)Cost - $290 (Model A - $495) Available in colors (Model A – black Available in colors (Model A – black

only)only)

Airplane IndustryAirplane Industry Established a new Established a new

means of means of transportation for transportation for people and goodspeople and goods

Gave people Gave people greater freedom to greater freedom to traveltravel

Electricity – Alternating CurrentElectricity – Alternating Current

Made it possible to distribute electric Made it possible to distribute electric power over greater areaspower over greater areas

Led to the electrification of homes Led to the electrification of homes and widespread use of electrical and widespread use of electrical appliancesappliances

Made housewivesMade housewives’’ work easier— work easier—freeing them up for other activitiesfreeing them up for other activities

Electricity – Alternating CurrentElectricity – Alternating Current

Helped the economy to boomHelped the economy to boom Company or Product—Electric Company or Product—Electric

refrigeratorrefrigerator

AdvertisingAdvertising Created greater demand for consumer Created greater demand for consumer

goodsgoods Increased sales and profitsIncreased sales and profits Turned luxuries into necessitiesTurned luxuries into necessities Helped the economy to boomHelped the economy to boom Company or product - ListerineCompany or product - Listerine

Installment PlanInstallment Plan Helped the economy to boomHelped the economy to boom Helped to create a false sense of Helped to create a false sense of

prosperityprosperity Allowed people to buy goods over an Allowed people to buy goods over an

extended period of time without extended period of time without having to put up much money at the having to put up much money at the time of purchasetime of purchase

Installment PlanInstallment Plan Company or Product - AutomobilesCompany or Product - Automobiles