Chapter 24: The 1920's
1. What were the achievements and limitations of
'people's of capitalism'?
After the World war had settled the people began
to think differently. Under the administration of President Harding things
sought a modern route and there came the beginning of the modernist era. People
relied on science more than the justifications of the bible or religion and due
to Americas heightening economy the people could finally enjoy amenities and
pleasures of the wealthy. It appeared the gap between the wealthy and poor was
slowly started to cease existence. Rather, the quantity of impoverished
populous dropped exponentially in numbers and the people could afford a house,
car, nice clothes and stock. Or rather live the American dream. However most of
these individuals had to sacrifice one amenity or luxury for the other, for
example one family could not afford nice clothes but enjoyed having a luxurious
car. This issue was resolved later when financing plans came into play allowing
consumers to put a down payment and promise to pay the difference in
installments.
2. Why is the 1920s sometimes described as the
'age of celebrity', and what caused this culture to arise?
People’s capitalism and the dawn of a new
America had sent people into the pursuit of happiness. They sought pleasure,
the view on sexuality had changed from strictly birth to pleasure, and citizens
could afford luxurious amenities. However as technology advanced so did the
market and media. I see this era as the marketing boom because the media
utilized celebrities in ways that would have been deemed in precedent to the
era to maximize profits. Simple professional athletes achievement would be
announce to an audience of millions through the radio, newspapers, word of
mouth, and promoters. Marketing and celebrities were the new bubble.
3. What were the key similarities and
differences in the policies of Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover?
All were conservationists who did not believe in
the centralization of government or interference in people’s lives and the
economy. Harding desired to bring society back to "normalcy" and
immediately decrease the power of the central government. Coolidge sought after
big businesses and desire to lessen governmental control over the economy. He
implemented the Revenue act that slashed the high income and estate taxes
established by progressives and were know for his laissez fair attitude. Hoover
believed in associating and cooperating industries. His policy was
associationalism and sough to convince corporation to negotiate, cooperate, and
be of public service.
4. Who were the traditionalists of the 1920s,
and what did they believe?
The traditionalists consisted of white Protestants,
racially inferior foreigners were overrunning most of which resided in rural
areas and small towns that believed the country. Although the 1920s benefited
prosperity for many the traditionalists encountered overproduction that was
impoverishing a substantial number of farmers.
5. How were the experiences of ethnic and racial
communities in 1920s America similar to each other and how were they different?
Despite benefitting from the prosperity of the
1920s much of the immigrants still faced severed discrimination and prejudice.
European Americans populated the Northeast and Midwest, and were mostly skilled
and unskilled laborers but still faced harsh treatment. Italian was outraged by
the case of Sacco and Vanzetti and Jews were frustrated with the prohibition
from schools like Harvard. African Americans generally populated the South and
benefitted from a great cultural bloom with jazz. However, they were still
racially discriminated and even prohibited from a jazz bar and nightclub in
Harlem. Mexican Americans were mostly farms and also populated the south; the
immigration restriction act and newly found border patrol greatly restricted
the flow of migrants. They were severely underpaid and seen as racially
inferior.
Terms:
'Peoples Capitalism':
After the World war, America industries and
economy was greatly strengthened and therefore close the gap between the
impoverished and wealthy. America became the land of opportunity where a poor
man could come to riches. The middle class had become majority and could
finally afford similar luxuries and amenities the rich embellished themselves
with.
Flappers:
During this era many women had lucidly began to
change their ideals. They began to think unconventionally and asserted their
individuality. They were very fashionable and sought out to break the informal
rules governing the lives of young women. They created a new saucy, outspoken
female personality with a new appreciation for the pleasures in life.
Spirit of St. Louis:
During the age of celebrity a young pilot,
Charles Lindbergh piloted his monoplane 34 hours without sleep to be the first
individual to cross the Atlantic. When he landed in Paris, 4 million Parisian
and fans waited for him. He essentially exemplified that a simple man could
make a difference in an increasingly industrialized and bureaucratized world.
Sultan of Swat:
George "babe" Ruth achieved greater
fame in the age of the celebrity than ever imagined possible. Not only that,
but he slugged more home runs than though humanly possible. He was know from
overcoming the hardships of a poor and orphaned youth and yet became the most
well recognized Slugging star.
NWP:
The National Women's party's president, Alice
Paul prevailed to pass the Equal Rights amendment through congress granting men
and women equal rights throughout the US and every place subject to it's
jurisdiction.
LWV:
Previously known as the National Women's
Suffrage Association, the League of Women Voters encouraged women to run for
the elective office, educated voters on the issues at stake, and aided the
impoverished, mentally ill, and female and child laborers. The LWV fought
against the NWP in equality, the LWV saw women as different and requiring
governmental protection in the workplace.
Teapot Dome Scandal:
Under Harding’s presidency, the K street house
became infamous as a place of business profiting the Ohio gang for selling
government appointments, judicial pardons, and police protection to
bootleggers. Secretary of interior Albert Fall convinced president Harding to
transfer control of large government oil reserves at Teapot Dome. Fall then
leased them secretly to two oil tycoons, Harry Sinclair and Edward Doheny, for
$400,000.
Associationism:
President Hoover sought to convince participants
to cooperate rather than compete, to negotiate rather than engage in conflict,
and be of public service rather than being selfish. Hoover didn't want
industries to be controlled by the government, but rather to convince private
corporations to abandon their selfish ways and alternate for cooperation and
public service. Hoover saw the economy built on the principle of association or
as historian Ellis Hawley called it "Associationalism".
Washington Conference:
President Hoover, although not an attending
negotiator, helped to design the Washington conference on the Limitation of
Armaments. His role played a great influence on the outcome of the conference, he
also helped Secretary of State Charles Hughes utilize the economic
information he had given him to effectively present lucid proposals of
disarmament. Fortunately they won stunning accord, the Five-Power treaty:
Britain, Italy, Japan, France, and the US agreed to scrap over 2 millions tons
of warships.
Dawes Plan:
During one of the conferences, Chicago banks and
Chief negotiator, Charles Dawes, produced the Dawes plan. This reduced
Germany's reparations from $542 million to $250 million annually and called on
US and foreign banks to stimulate the German economy with $200 million in
loans. J.P. Morgan raised $1 billion from American investors and the German
economy appeared to stabilize.
McNary-Haugen Bill:
To protect agricultural interests from failure,
congress proposed the McNary-Haugen bill, which called on the government to
erect high tariffs on foreign produce and to purchase surplus U.S. crops on the
world market for whatever prices they fetched.
Johnson-Reed Act:
After the World war the conditions of European
nations, specifically Germans, were in a horrid economic, political, and
societal condition. As a result, much of them left their lives to pursue a new
life in the land of opportunity. However, the vast influx of immigrants imbalanced
and crowded America's diversity. In order to preserve its diversity the
government regulated the inflow of immigrants by allowing only 2% of the
already settled European/Asian race to migrate. As a result annual immigration
from transoceanic nations dropped by 80%.
Scopes Act:
The Scopes trial sought widespread attention on
the issue of education. The ACLU to challenge the Tennessee constitutional law
of teaching evolution in class utilized a 24-year-old biology teacher in
Tennessee, John Scopes. He was immediately arrested and taken into trial,
William Bryan; the secretary of state quickly sought his prosecution. However
the trial dragged on as John incriminated himself and asked for Bryan's case on
the bible and truth just to ridicule him. Bryan was ridiculed and convinced
that not the entire bible was the "truth" and written by god.
Harlem Renaissance:
After the war racial discrimination and equality
only got worse. As a result the blacks realized that they were the last
advancing race and that they were being racially held back. They took stand and
a movement led by Marcus Garvey swept the blacks, they became assertive and
celebrate their rich culture. However even the cultural advances did not cease
the racial prejudice, blacks were seen as inferior and even prohibited from the
Harlem nightclubs.
