Roaring 20s: Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover

Lesson 1 - Boom Times

• American industries experienced significant growth in the 1920s, which led to changes in the way of life for many Americans.
• Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover were key political figures during this era.
• The Teapot Dome scandal involved corruption among Harding's presidential appointees.
• The Kellogg-Briand Pact was an agreement among nations to outlaw war.
• The Model T, produced using the moving assembly line, made automobiles more affordable.
• The post-World War I era led to factories reducing production and rising unemployment.
• Prices increased more rapidly than wages, causing labor strikes.
• Voters attributed the economic difficulties to the Democratic Party under Wilson.
• Harding promised stability and prosperity in his campaign, securing a landslide victory in the 1920 presidential election.
• Coolidge assumed the presidency in 1923 after Harding's death and addressed corruption within the administration.
• As president, Coolidge lowered taxes for the wealthy and raised tariffs on foreign goods.
• The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928, signed by the U.S. and 14 other countries, aimed to prevent war, but its enforceability was questioned.
• U.S. manufacturing doubled between 1921 and 1929, resulting in increased jobs, wages, and consumer spending.
• Henry Ford's Model T and moving assembly line reduced production costs, making cars more affordable.
• Installment plans made it easier for people to purchase cars.
• Increased mobility and a sense of freedom were some of the effects of the automobile on American life.
• New businesses, like gas stations and motels, developed due to increased travel.
• The availability of electricity spurred the creation of new household appliances.
• The advertising industry grew significantly as companies competed to sell goods.
• Herbert Hoover was elected president in 1928, promising to maintain economic prosperity.

Lesson 2 - Life During the 1920s

• The 1920's brought new opportunities, challenges, and fears to Americans as society underwent significant changes.
• Terms like "flappers," the "Twenty-First Amendment," "fundamentalism," the "Great Migration," and "Marcus Garvey," describe the change to America
• A new youth culture emerged as more young people moved to cities after World War I.
• High school attendance doubled, and college enrollment increased.
• Women's presence in the workforce grew, and they took on new roles in politics.
• Flappers challenged traditional views of women's behavior.
• The Eighteenth Amendment, which outlawed alcohol, was difficult to enforce and had varying levels of support in rural and urban areas.
• By 1933, the Twenty-First Amendment ended prohibition, due to the unpopularity of the Eighteenth Amendment.
• Religious leaders promoted fundamentalism and a literal interpretation of the Bible, leading to opposition to the teaching of evolution in public schools.
• Tennessee teacher John T. Scopes was put on trial in 1925 for teaching evolution and was found guilty.
• Minority groups organized to demand civil rights after the war.
• The Great Migration involved many African Americans who moved from the South to find jobs in northern factories.
• The NAACP published advertisements highlighting lynchings in the South to raise awareness of racial injustice.
• Marcus Garvey advocated for black pride, cultural expression, and economic independence.
• The League of United Latin American Citizens was formed in 1929 to combat prejudice and fight for civil rights.
• In 1924, The Indian Citizenship Act granted citizenship to all Native Americans and they also fought to prevent the government from seizing reservation lands.

Lesson 3 - The Jazz Age

• The Jazz Age saw the flourishing of American popular culture through musicians, artists, actors, and writers.
• Terms like "talkie", "Jazz Age", "Harlem Renaissance", "Lost Generation", "expatriates", "Louis Armstrong", "Duke Ellington", "Langston Hughes", “Georgia O’Keefe contribute to the American lexicon
• Radio and movies contributed to a shared sense of national culture.
• The formation of national radio networks like NBC and CBS increased access to music, news, and sports.
• Movies became a significant industry and source of entertainment, with "The Jazz Singer" (1927) being the first "talkie."
• Sports grew in popularity, with athletes like Babe Ruth gaining celebrity status and huge fanbases.
• Jazz music gained popularity during the Jazz Age, originating in New Orleans and blending African American, European, and West African music influences.
• Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington made significant contributions to jazz music.
• Blues music, originating in the rural South, expressed the experiences of African Americans during slavery.
• The Harlem Renaissance was a period of African American artistic and cultural growth that was centered in Harlem, New York City.
• Harlem Renaissance writers like Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Zora Neale Hurston made lasting contributions to American culture.
• Writers who were critical of American society were called the Lost Generation.
• Many members of the Lost Generation moved to Paris and formed a community of expatriates.
• Writers like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Sinclair Lewis were part of the Lost Generation.
• Artists experimented with new styles of painting.
• Edward Hopper depicted loneliness in modern urban life, while Georgia O'Keeffe painted detailed flowers and scenes of the Southwest.
• Art deco became a popular style of architecture, characterized by clean, machine-like lines.

Lesson 1 - The End of Prosperity

• The stock market crash of 1929 played a significant role in starting the Great Depression.
• Terms such as "buying on margin," "Black Tuesday," "business cycle," "Great Depression," "Bonus Army," and "Franklin D. Roosevelt" are essential to understanding the events of the era.
• The stock market of the 1920s was a bull market, with rising stock values.
• Many people bought stocks on margin, purchasing stocks on credit.
• Stock prices peaked in the summer of 1929, and investors began selling stocks as prices dropped.
• Black Tuesday, October 29, marked the stock market crash as stock prices collapsed.
• Banks faced a crisis due to investment losses and customers unable to repay loans.
• Bank closures and public panic ensued as customers rushed to withdraw their money.
• Businesses were forced to cut back production and lay off workers, leading to soaring unemployment.
• The Great Depression was caused by a combination of factors.
• The business cycle, government monetary policy, overproduction, uneven wealth distribution, and declining world trade are all factors.
• President Hoover's response to the economic crisis was widely criticized.
• Hoover believed giving direct relief was not the federal government's job
• "Hoovervilles" emerged as a result of the lack of government action.
• The Bonus Army protested in Washington, D.C., demanding early payment of a military bonus.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt won the 1932 election by a landslide.

Lesson 2 - Roosevelt’s New Deal

• Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal aimed to alleviate unemployment and stimulate economic recovery through various government programs.
• Key terms associated with this lesson include "New Deal," "fireside chats," "Tennessee Valley Authority," "Frances Perkins," "Eleanor Roosevelt," "Social Security Act," "Congress of Industrial Organizations," and "sit-down strike."
• During the Hundred Days, Congress approved numerous new programs.
• The New Deal initiated programs to combat the Depression and promote economic recovery.
• Roosevelt worked to restore confidence in American banks.
• The Emergency Banking Relief Act led to banks being inspected before reopening.
• Roosevelt used fireside chats to communicate directly with the American people and address their concerns.
• New Deal programs, included:
  • Civil Works Administration (CWA): Built roads and airports.
  • Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC): Provided jobs.
  • Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): Brought electricity and employment to the Tennessee River Valley.
  • Farm Credit Administration (FCA): Helped farmers refinance mortgages.
  • Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA): Stabilized agricultural prices.
  • National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA): Addressed business concerns with the support of Frances Perkins, the first female Cabinet member
• Second New Deal comprised of:
• Works Progress Administration – employed 8.5 million
• National Youth Administration – gave part-time jobs to young workers
• Social Security Act – passed in 1935, worked to provide some financial security for the elderly, the disabled, children, and the unemployed
• New Deal Labor Programs:
  • National Labor Relations Act, or the Wagner Act: Allowed workers to join labor unions,
  • Congress of Industrial Organizations: Organized workers into unions based on industry, not skill level
• The Supreme Court ruled some New Deal programs unconstitutional, prompting Roosevelt to propose a plan for reorganizing the federal judiciary.
• Congress rejected Roosevelt's plan, but the Supreme Court stopped invalidating New Deal legislation.

Lesson 3 - Americans Face Hard Times

• Americans struggled to survive the Great Depression across the country.
• The Dust Bowl, led to enormous difficulties for farmers during the Great Depression.
• "Dust Bowl," "Mary McLeod Bethune," "John Steinbeck," and "Woody Guthrie" are important terms and people to note.
• Farmers had a tough time raising crops and faced mortgage foreclosure.
• The government provided price stabilization and loans to farmers through New Deal programs.
• 2.5 million people left the Dustbowl due to the harsh conditions brought about by the Dustbowl.
• Many families were forced to split up.
• Children had to drop out of school and find work.
• Mexican Americans faced increased competition for jobs as white families moved west.
• Many Mexican-born workers and their children were deported.
• African Americans were discriminated against and lost jobs to white workers.
• Several found employment through aid initiatives and programs.
• Mary McLeod Bethune served as an advisor to Roosevelt.
• The Works Progress Administration employed artists.
• Writers like John Steinbeck explored themes of Depression life in their writings.
• Folk singer Woody Guthrie expressed loss and struggle through his music.
• Swing music provided a means of escaping from troubles and raising spirits.
• Radios offered inexpensive entertainment, while films provided another avenue for escaping reality.
• Long-Reaching effects of the New Deal:
  • Expanded the role of the federal government
  • Some agencies and programs created during the New Deal still exist and remain a part of American society.
  • Social Security still provides economic relief
  • FDIC protects the savings of bank customers