Ch.24 “The New Era”

1. Ch.24“The New Era”

2. Politics Warren G. Harding “Return to normalcy” • Return to old-guard conservative Republicans. • Limited government regulation Domestic Policy: -Reduction in income tax -Increased tariff rates (Fordney-McCumber Tariff) -Bureau of Budget Scandals and Death: -Appointed good and some VERY bad men for positions. (Teapot Dome) -Died suddenly in August 1923.

3. 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.

4. Politics Calvin Coolidge “Silent Cal” “The business of America is business” • Election of 1924: Wins reelection Vetoes 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)- “Associationalism” – National organization of businessmen. Coolidge declines a second term Herbert Hoover runs for president

5. “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

6. Big Business & Unions • Concentration of business in large firms. • Modern Administration System- (Alfred Sloan) Efficient division • Trade Associations- Cooperation between businesses • “Welfare-Capitalism”-Keep the workers happy. Ex: Henry Ford (Shortened work week, wage raises, safety, sanitation, pensions, vacation, etc...) *Lessened power of unions, few actually influenced by it.* • Unions ineffective because they were conservative • Lose what they had gained during progressivism. American Plan: Open Shop- Allow workers to not join unions. “American Plan” -Supreme Court-Upheld limiting strikers rights.

7. 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 • Increased wages, shorter hours, etc… • Most minorities faced job issues/ union issues.

8. 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.

9. New Culture • Consumerism- (Tons of new products) • Automobile- (Increased transportation) • Advertising- (Buy things you NEED?) • Movies and Broadcasting- (Hollywood) • Professional Women- ( Barely growing)

10. New Culture • Changing Ideas in Motherhood- (Birth control, & roles) • Flapper- (Change in dress, hair-style, speech, behavior) • Women’s Rights- (League of Women voters, Sheppard-Towner Act-Protective legislature for women. • Youth Culture- Better education.

11. 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.)

12. Literature of Alienation • Writing turned against religion and wartime. • Gertrude Stein called these postwar writers and people a “lost generation” • F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, & Sinclair Lewis, Ezra Pound, & T.S Lewis spoke out against -Ideals of earlier times -Materialism

13. Harlem Renaissance • Harlem NY became famous for black actors, artists, musicians, and writers. Poets & Musicians: -Looked at African American hertiage -Jazz Age- Duke Ellington & Louis Armstrong -Blues- Bessie Smith, Paul Robeson

14. 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- 25th Amendment repealed the 18th

15. Nativism & the Klan Nativism: “old Americans” wanted to slow immigration Quota Laws: Congress passed 2 laws • 1921- Quota Act – Immigration limited to 3% • Second Quota Act (1924)- 2 % -Banned immigration from Asia completely. New Klan: • KKK huge supporters of nativism, Jew, Catholics, foreigners, and blacks. • Huge membership in Indiana and Texas • Hold onto traditional values • Declined because of corruption and immorality • David Stephenson- Leader convicted of murder.

16. Religious Fundamentalism • Modernism- New modern form of religion for Protestants. Change with the changing times. Accepted Darwin’s theory of evolution. • Fundamentalism- Condemned modernists and stuck to tradition. • Revivalists on the radio- Billy Sunday Scopes Trial • Tennessee debate over evolution on schools. • John Scopes taught evolution in school and was arrested. • Lawyer Clarence Darrow defended scopes • William Jennings Bryan was the prosecution. • Scopes was convicted but no answer was given to the question at hand.