The RoaringTwenties

The Roaring Twenties• The 1920s gains the nickname of the

Roaring 20s because of the economic boom that occurred during the time.–The average American wage soared

22%–Work hours and days decreased, leaving

more time for entertainment–Many Americans were getting a

vacation for the very first time.

TechnologyInventions and their effect on culture

A New Consumer

Culture

• Man new goods came on the market to take advantage of the new disposable income.

• Most were advertised on the radio– National Broadcasting Company

and the Columbia Broadcasting System became the first national broadcasts

– Ads for products as well as for political candidates (Hoover)

• People began buying high-priced items on credit – enjoy now, pay later!

• Quickly, credit was applied to all purchases, big and small, inflating ideas of the public wealth and security of purchases

Putting America on the Move

• By 1920, the automobile was a way of life for many Americans.

• Henry Ford produced the first affordable automobile by using the assembly line.– 1913: Workers could build a

car every 93 minutes. Sold for $490.

– 1925: Workers finished a new Ford every 10 seconds. Sold $295.

• Model T was nicknamed the “Tin Lizzie” or “Flivver”

“You can get the Model T in any color you wish, as long as

that color is black.”

Effects of the Automobile• Created a new industry that

would drive America's economy for the next 50 years.

• The automobile gave American youth the opportunity to pursue interests away from parents.

• Allowed people to move farther away from the cities

1920 Ford Model T

• In 1919, a New York City hotel owner offered $25,000 to the first aviator to fly nonstop from New York to Paris.

• Several pilots were killed or injured while competing for the Orteig prize.

Orteig Prize

Charles Lindbergh• An American aviator who made the

first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean on May 20-21, 1927.

• Total flight time: 33 hours, 30 minutes, 29.8 seconds. Charles Lindbergh had not slept in 55 hours.  

• Lindbergh's feat gained him immediate, international fame. The press named him "Lucky Lindy" and the "Lone Eagle."

• Americans and Europeans idolized the shy, slim young man and showered him with honor.

Amelia Earhart

NORMALCY AND GOOD TIMES

Politics of the Roaring Twenties

Harding’s Presidency

• Harding was chosen because he was “folksy” – a man of the people, as a contrast to Wilson’s elitist professorial persona.

• He was tall and handsome, and looked the part of President

• Was gullible and of average intelligence

A Return to “Normalcy”• Harding promoted a return to

“normalcy” after the war.• The Ohio Gang: Friends and political

allies Harding appointed to high government positions from his home state of Ohio.

• Many members were corrupt– Sold government positions, gave

criminal pardons, laundered money, etc.

The Republican “Old Guard” Returns

• Under Harding’s administration, business boomed, largely to the return to laissez faire economics and a setting aside of Anti-Trust laws

• The labor movement struggled badly, causing strikes, riots, and distrust

• Fordney-McCumber Tariff raised rates to 38%, helping domestic business, but hurting European countries that needed to export to the US to pay back their WWI debts to us.

Teapot Dome Scandal• Harding’s gullibility

allowed for dishonest men to take advantage of his administration

• Sec. of Interior Albert B. Fall was to manage natural resources, and when oil was found near Teapot Dome, WY, he had the land secretly placed under his control, accepting bribes for oil drilling rights.

• Word leaked out and the case dragged on for six years, adding jury and evidence tampering to the scandal

Forging Peace• The Washington Disarmament

Conference was held to discuss the limitation on weapons to be held by each country, in hopes of preventing future wars, but had no method of enforcement.

• Kellogg-Briand Pact: Outlawed war; nice idea, not gonna happen.

“Silent Cal”• Harding died of pneumonia• Coolidge was calm, shy, moral,

boring, and quiet• Was even more pro-business than

HardingMeep.

Stay “Cool”

• Coolidge was reelected as a conservative, dedicated to isolationism, business, and war debt repayment

• First presidential election where women were allowed to vote in all states

“The chief business of the American people is business.”

Changes to Business

• Modern organizational structures developed during this time– Divisions were created, e.g. sales, marketing, accounting, etc.– Managers freed executives from dealing with day-to-day

functions, allowing them to focus on long-range plans.– Helped the middle class grow

• Welfare capitalism: Companies allow workers to buy stock, participate in profit sharing, and receive pensions and medical benefits.

• Unionization lost popularity – times were good, so why join a union?

Tough Times on the Farm• During WWI, famers enjoyed a

boom with increased demand for agricultural goods

• After the war, demand dropped, and new technologies made produced crops faster, thus dropping prices even further.

• McNary-Haugen Bill: Congress tried to keep agriculture prices high by buying surpluses and then selling them to other nations. It was vetoed twice by Coolidge.

The Dawes Plan• Charles Dawes, an American banker and

current VP, gave a $200 million loan from US banks would help stabilize the German economy

• It set a more realistic repayment plan than the German reparations plan under the Treaty of Versailles• They could pay back

Britain and France, who could then repay the US

Election of 1928• Herbert Hoover became the

nominee for the Republicans, promoting “rugged individualism” - America had been made by strong, self-sufficient individuals

• Democrats nominated NY Governor Alfred E. Smith, a well-liked man, but he was Catholic, which was the death blow for the South.

• With the popularity of the radio, Hoover had the advantage over Smith’s grating New York accent.

Master Mellon• Andrew Mellon: Secretary

of Treasury; believed government should operate like a business– Goals: balance the budget,

reduce government debt, and cut taxes.

• Supply-side/“Trickle-down” economics: Theory that lower taxes (especially for the wealthy) will boost the economy as businesses and individuals invest their money, thereby creating a higher tax revenue.

Hoover’s Administration• Cooperative individualism: A policy of

encouraging manufacturers and distributors to form their own organizations and volunteer information to the federal government in an effort to stimulate the economy

• Centered on eliminating waste and increasing efficiency in business and industry.

• The US retreated into isolationism after WWI, hoping to avoid further foreign entanglements. It also left them without allies.