TRANSITION TO MODERN AMERICA

America: Past and PresentAmerica: Past and PresentChapter 25Chapter 25

The Second Industrial Revolution• U.S. develops the highest standard of U.S. develops the highest standard of

living in the world living in the world • The twenties and the second revolutionThe twenties and the second revolution

• electricity replaces steam electricity replaces steam • modern assembly introduced modern assembly introduced

The Automobile Industry• Auto makers stimulate sales through Auto makers stimulate sales through

model changes, advertising model changes, advertising • Auto industry fosters other businessesAuto industry fosters other businesses• Autos encourage suburban sprawlAutos encourage suburban sprawl

Patterns of Economic Growth• Structural changeStructural change

• professional managers replace professional managers replace individual entrepreneursindividual entrepreneurs

• corporations become the dominant corporations become the dominant business formbusiness form

• Big business weakens regionalism, Big business weakens regionalism, brings uniformity to America brings uniformity to America

Glenwood Stove Ad

Economic Weaknesses• Railroads poorly managedRailroads poorly managed• Coal displaced by petroleumCoal displaced by petroleum• Farmers face decline in exports, pricesFarmers face decline in exports, prices• Growing disparity between income of Growing disparity between income of

laborers, middle-class managerslaborers, middle-class managers• Middle class speculates with idle moneyMiddle class speculates with idle money

City Life in the Jazz Age• Rapid increase in urban population Rapid increase in urban population • Skyscrapers symbolize the new mass Skyscrapers symbolize the new mass

culture culture • Communities of home, church, and Communities of home, church, and

school are absent in the citiesschool are absent in the cities

Women and the Family• Ongoing crusade for equal rightsOngoing crusade for equal rights• ““Flappers” seek individual freedomFlappers” seek individual freedom• Most women remain in domestic sphereMost women remain in domestic sphere• Discovery of adolescenceDiscovery of adolescence

• teenaged children no longer need to teenaged children no longer need to workwork

• indulge their craving for excitementindulge their craving for excitement

The Roaring Twenties• Decade notable for obsessive interest in Decade notable for obsessive interest in

celebritiescelebrities• Sex becomes an all-consuming topic of Sex becomes an all-consuming topic of

interest in popular entertainmentinterest in popular entertainment

The Flowering of the Arts• Alienation from 20s’ mass cultureAlienation from 20s’ mass culture• "Exiled" American writers put U.S. in "Exiled" American writers put U.S. in

forefront of world literatureforefront of world literature• T.S. EliotT.S. Eliot• Ernest HemingwayErnest Hemingway• F. Scott FitzgeraldF. Scott Fitzgerald

• Harlem Renaissance--African Harlem Renaissance--African Americans prominent in music, poetryAmericans prominent in music, poetry

The Rural Counterattack• Rural Americans identify urban culture Rural Americans identify urban culture

with Communism, crime, immoralitywith Communism, crime, immorality• Progressives attempt to force reform on Progressives attempt to force reform on

the American peoplethe American people• upsurge of bigotry upsurge of bigotry • an era of repressionan era of repression

The Fear of Radicalism• 1919-- “Red Scare” 1919-- “Red Scare”

• illegal roundups of innocent people illegal roundups of innocent people • forcible deportation of aliensforcible deportation of aliens• terrorism against “radicals,” terrorism against “radicals,”

immigrantsimmigrants• 1927-- Sacco and Vanzetti executed1927-- Sacco and Vanzetti executed

Prohibition• 1918--18th Amendment ratified1918--18th Amendment ratified• 1920--Volstead Act prohibits production, 1920--Volstead Act prohibits production,

sale, or transport of alcoholic beverages sale, or transport of alcoholic beverages • Consumption of alcohol reducedConsumption of alcohol reduced• Prohibition resented in urban areas Prohibition resented in urban areas • Bootlegging becomes big businessBootlegging becomes big business• 1933--18th amendment repealed1933--18th amendment repealed

The Ku Klux Klan• 1925--Klan membership hits 5 million1925--Klan membership hits 5 million• Attack on urban culture, inhabitantsAttack on urban culture, inhabitants• Defense of traditional rural valuesDefense of traditional rural values• Klan seeks to win U.S. by persuasionKlan seeks to win U.S. by persuasion• Violence, internal corruption result in Violence, internal corruption result in

Klan’s virtual disappearance by 1930 Klan’s virtual disappearance by 1930

Immigration Restriction• 1924--Congress restricts all immigration1924--Congress restricts all immigration• Preferential quotas to northern Preferential quotas to northern

Europeans Europeans • Mexican immigrants exempt from quotaMexican immigrants exempt from quota

The Fundamentalist Challenge• Fundamentalism: stress on traditional Fundamentalism: stress on traditional

Protestant orthodoxy, biblical literalismProtestant orthodoxy, biblical literalism• 1925--Scopes Trial discredits 1925--Scopes Trial discredits

fundamentalism among intellectualsfundamentalism among intellectuals• ““Modernists” gain mainline churchesModernists” gain mainline churches• Fundamentalists strengthen grassroots Fundamentalists strengthen grassroots

appeal in new churches appeal in new churches

Politics of the 1920s • Republican party apparently dominantRepublican party apparently dominant• Urban wing of the Democratic party Urban wing of the Democratic party

emerging as the most powerful force emerging as the most powerful force

Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover• Republican presidents appeal to Republican presidents appeal to

traditional American valuestraditional American values• Harding scandals break after his deathHarding scandals break after his death• Coolidge represents America in his Coolidge represents America in his

austerity and rectitudeausterity and rectitude• Hoover represents the self-made manHoover represents the self-made man

Republican Policies• Return to "normalcy" Return to "normalcy"

• tariffs raisedtariffs raised• corporate, income taxes cutcorporate, income taxes cut• spending cutspending cut

• Coolidge blocks Congressional aid to Coolidge blocks Congressional aid to farmers as unwarranted interferencefarmers as unwarranted interference

• Government-business cooperationGovernment-business cooperation• Expansion of federal bureaucracyExpansion of federal bureaucracy

The Divided Democrats• 1924--Urban-rural split weakens 1924--Urban-rural split weakens

DemocratsDemocrats• Major shift in political loyaltiesMajor shift in political loyalties• Democrats gain more Congressional Democrats gain more Congressional

seats than Republicans after 1922seats than Republicans after 1922

The Election of 1928• Democrat Al Smith carries urban voteDemocrat Al Smith carries urban vote

• governor of New York governor of New York • Roman CatholicRoman Catholic

• Republican Herbert Hoover wins raceRepublican Herbert Hoover wins race• Midwesterner Midwesterner • ProtestantProtestant

• Religion the campaign’s decisive issueReligion the campaign’s decisive issue

The Old and the New• Old historical view: the Depression Old historical view: the Depression

ended the spirit of the twentiesended the spirit of the twenties• New historical view: the twenties laid New historical view: the twenties laid

the foundations of modern Americathe foundations of modern America