4/23/2014 Topic 8: The Roaring Twenties I. The Business Landscape & A Decade of Prosperity A. Consumer Impulse Vitalizes the Economy - Electricity > Courtesy of Thomas Alva Edison > Economy of the 1920s spurred by the introduction of affordable appliances to make domestic life less taxing > You name it: refrigerators, ranges, washers, vacuum cleaners, fans, razors, etc. > Almost a built in obsolescence – as newer & improved models came rolling off the lines – necessitating a new purchase every few years - Radios (principle means of media) - Automobiles > Cars introduced around turn of century (1900) > In the twenties – Henry Ford, using the technique of the mass assembly-line construction – introduces the Model-T – that was eminently affordable > New vehicle registrations will jump from 8 million in 1920 to 23 million in 1930` > Increased car production has ripple-effect in the economy - Supportive industries flourish – rubber, oil/gasoline, advertising, road construction, car parts, etc. B. New Ways to Make, Organize & Market Products - Make (Production) > Ford’s introduction of assembly line techniques to spur other industries to do same > Workers not expected to craft a product from start to finish but assigned to stations…performing repetitive and simpler tasks for entire shifts > Introduction of electric lighting permits widespread use of (3) shift rotations > Having restored their reputation somewhat during the war – corporations, encourage by GOP-dominated administrations – given green light to resume mergers. Mega-Corps like GM, Ford, Chrysler, U.S. Steel, General Electric emerge during Twenties > By 1929 – 100 corporations controlled over 50% of nation’s business activity - Organize > Business introduces sophisticated methods of operations - specialists in: product development, market research, economic forecasting, quality assurance, employee relations - Marketing/Selling > Sophisticated system of selling products for consumer - mass consumption – leads to mass marketing (larger food chains beginning to replace the local grocers) - use of installment purchasing – ability to purchase bigger ticket items on credit > Age of sophisticated advertising comes into its own - Wide scale use of celebrities to hawk commercial products - Increased use of psychology – to prey upon social fears & social embarrassment…as well as tapping into personal desires and ambitions > Psychology & Marketing - 1923 Listerine Ad – preys on concerns/fears

II. Political Landscape: Republican Resurgence A. Fostering a Big Business Climate - Warren G. Harding & Isolation: A Return to “Normalcy” - Warren Harding Administration > Personal notes: - Ruddy complexion, well-liked, back-slapping kind of guy who loved good liquor, cigars, card-playing - various affairs w/women – including Nan Britton with whom he was accused of having fathered an illegitimate child > Campaign slogan – “Return to Normalcy” – somewhat harmless but it tapped into mood of the day. He went on to destroy the Democratic candidate in the election of 1920 > A most scandalous administration - surrounded himself with cabinet members who were more “cronies” than competent > 1924 Investigation: 1. Charles Forbes (head of Veteran’s Administration) – escaped with millions in bureau funds & had fled the country 2. Attorney-General Harry Daugherty – accused on influence-peddling. Forced from office but escaped conviction 3. Sec. of Interior – Albert Fall – jailed for leasing govt. oil reserves in CA & Teapot Dome, Wyoming. TEAPOT DOME was to Harding’s time what WATERGATE was to Nixon’s > Harding’s fatal coronary attack spared him from prosecution Calvin Coolidge (Harding’s vice president) - Real contrast to Harding – was sober, quiet - When he died in 1933 – humorist Dorothy Parker of the New Yorker remarked – “How could they tell?” - Won election of 1924 after finishing off Harding’s term - Proto-typical Big Business President > what little he had to say conveys the attitude of his administration & the country for that matter >By the time Coolidge’s own term came to an unremarkable close in early 1929: 1. US @ height of its golden era of prosperity 2. US a confirmed isolationist/non-interventionist nation 3. Business enterprises given free rein (laissez-faire capitalism) with no govt. regulation III. Mass Society & Mass Culture Americans as Consumers & Emergence of Urban Culture - Process long in the making becomes fulfilled in 1920s – more Americans living in cities than in rural areas - But more than just statistical – cities became the source/origin and heart of American culture - Those things that shaped American culture (radios, advertising agencies, corporations, the movies/theater, and mass consumer-oriented magazines were all anchored in cities) Technology and Consumerism reshape lives of ordinary Americans - All of the new consumer appliances of the era not only made life easier for the woman of the house – but it also gave them the luxury of time and time and leisure - Towards end of decade – radio becoming a mainstay of life at home. Programs began emerging: > comedies, plays, dramas, baseball broadcasts > FDR will use the radio to talk directly to American people in his famous “Fireside Chats” MISSED TWO CLASSES 4/30/2014 Marcus Garvey (1920’s) – Exploit Isolation Added Focus to Klan Revival - Tapped into concerns regarding the tide of European immigration into the US. Particularly disturbing were the numbers of southern and eastern European immigrants. The tone was anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic, and anti-Jewish - Demanded that quotas be established, greatly restricting immigration from these countries. - --Eventually in 1924-Congress passed the National Origins Act-that effectively curbed immigration from “undesirable nations - Endorsed by Pres. Calvin Coolidge: “America must be kept American” An appeal to Middle-Class respectability Nativists forgot that their ancestors were immigrants too Collapse of the Klan - No where was the Klan more entrenched than in Indiana. Under the leadership of David Stephenson – they controlled the state government - 1925 – Stephenson arrested. > he and some of his cronies forced bootleg liquor on a young secretary, pushed her into a car on a train heading to Chicago, then they raped her > Next morning – secretary tried to poison herself. Stephenson refused to find a physician…dumped her off @ her parents house…she dies a couple weeks later > Stephenson arrested Demise of the Klan - When Governor Jackson (member of the Klan himself) refused to pardon Stephenson - Consequently, the Klan is shattered & discredited - The majority of members turned in their robes > 1924 – clan had estimated 2 million members > 1928 – est. 40,000 members African-Americans in the Decade of Prosperity - Snapshot > Majority of Blacks continued to live in the South. Most were at the poverty line > Blacks who had moved up North during WWI and who survived the white backlash right after it…gravitated towards segregated neighborhoods in the big cities of the North > Virtually every city in the North featured a fairly thriving black community by the later Twenties. Each of these neighborhoods featured their own businesses - Marcus Garvey (exploit isolation) - Garvey & Universal Negro Improvement Society (UNIS) > Took a different approach to the reality of segregated, discriminatory American society > Emphasized Black Pride…promoted black businesses & all things black > Rather than accommodate or confront (Washington/Du Bois) – he sponsored a migration of blacks back to Africa. He was perceived as threatening to mainstream America society & Du Bois rejected him > Indicted & convicted for fraud by the government, imprisoned & deported back to Jamaica…and his movement faltered

Fundamentalism & Revivalism: Reaction to Modern Age - Fundamentalism spawns revivalism > Charismatic leaders/preachers emerged & took advantage of new channels of communication (Microphones & Radio) > Fundamentalism’s appeal cannot be understood as a isolated phenomenon. It provided a counterbalance to an era of societal change and revolution. It was a re-articulation of old time values, rooted in the countryside…against radical changes that the city was bringing - Most celebrated showcase of Fundamentalism vs. Change > Evolution Trial: Darrow vs. Bryan (Scopes Trial…”monkey trial”)

Topic 9: The Great Depression I. The Hoover Years (1928-1932) A. Election of 1928 - Issues: economic prosperity, prohibition & culture of America - Hoover (GOP) vs. Al Smith (DEM) - Al Smith: nicknamed the “The Happy Warrior” because of his comical look - On Economic Prosperity > Hoover - Hoover has the best advantage here…it seemed though the prosperity of the day was a result of GOP policies - Never had to defend the state of the economy > Smith - This was something he could never make a dent in - Made appeal to immigrant poor & workers who did not seem to enjoy the general prosperity - Prohibition > Hoover - Dry - While he understood the general ineffective nature of Prohibition law…he felt that the basic idea was sound and that the majority of Americans supported it > Smith - supported repeal of Prohibition - Culture > Hoover - Not particularly humorous…did not appeal to the new culture of the age > Smith - his wise cracking sense of humor appealed to the city voter but nobody else - Religion is a big issue: Hoover was Protestant. Smith was Catholic - Smith’s Catholicism, Big City Image & Wet Proclivities did not play well MISSED A CLASS

FDR: 1st 100 Days - Key here: FDR is going to dramatically increase the level of influence that the Federal Govt. will play in both economic RELIEF & RECOVERY. Introduction of BIG GOVERNMENT - 1. Banking Reforms: Declared a Bank Holiday – stop the bleeding of money from banks. Raise confidence in banks – introduces the Federal Depositors Insurance Corp (FDIC)…to insure bank deposits. - Repeal of Prohibition > One of FDR’s campaign promises - Other Actions > Government loans to help stall foreclosures on homes and farms. Farmers, more than anyone were hit hard…as prices for their goods dropped dramatically. In some cases, dairy farmers poured their milk into ditches to protest low prices > Creation of Agencies - T.V.A. – project to build dams & provide electricity to much of the Appalachian region - N.R.A. - National Recovery Act – to permit the president to regulate & work with industry to stimulate the economy - C.C.C. – Civilian Conservation Corps – designed to find useful employment usually in remote areas to restore the landscape/environment. Designed to employ/pay young men (18-25)…keep them occupied, improve the environment & buoy their spirits Dust Bowl - If things were not bad enough – drought and soil erosion on the Great Plains – led to several years of intense dust storms - Many of those in states like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas & the Dakotas – forced to move out west Philosophy of the New Deal - The system had collapsed - Normal swing of business cycles of boom, decline, & recovery had not/could not life the country out of this depression - Dramatic action needed. (American characteristics? Might not be certain that action resolve the matter…but prefer action to inactivity). - Federal government to take charge…Big Government needed to rescue system from itself - Government needed to show that it was compassionate & sensitive to misery of the people New Deal Under Assault - Supreme Court > Many members of Supreme Court had been appointed during the Republican administrations of the 20s > Many of the justices believed that president’s actions in his New Deal policy were unconstitutional & struck down a few of them > Roosevelt will attempt to pack the court with additional justices to get support for his policies. He will be checked in this attempt > A resignation & a death court eventually made for a more cooperative environment…but it is seen by most as a presidential setback - From the Left > There were those who believed the New Deal was not going far enough in revamping a system that had mired country in depression > Note – communist propaganda flourished…but the party enjoyed a membership larger than it ever did or ever would

> Huey Long - began a vigorous program of building schools, hospitals, public housing & highways & did so by heavily taxing local businesses – especially oil interests - “Share the wealth” program – calling for heavy taxes on all incomes over 1 million dollars & outright appropriation of all income over $5 million - This money would be redistributed to all other Americans. This was REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH. This was a form of socialism that would disable the capitalist system itself - Was assassinated by a son-in-law of a judge who had been undercut by Long - From the Right > Those who felt that the New Deal was going too far & courting a brand of socialism/communism > Business leaders, conservative Republicans & Americans – even Al Smith who formed the American Liberty League – opposed to FDR’s New Deal > Several demagogues who suggested that what Hitler was doing for Germany might be good for America > Charles Coughlin: The Radio Priest - used the radio to broadcast his sermons and speeches - radical ideas but of the more National Socialist variety – hence a threat from the right - early supporter of the New Deal – calling it Christ’s Deal – but soured on it…denounced FDR as in collusion with international bankers…this theme was lace dwith a heavy dose of anti-Semitism…called for nationalization of banks - Eventually church leaders prevailed upon the Bishop of Detroit to shut down his radio program Second Phase of New Deal - Expanded Use of Alphabet 1. Labor: passage of NLRA/NLRB: - Also known as Wagner Act: it granted labor the right have unions of their own choice - Supreme court rejected it initially…but eventually it became law 2. Labor strikes reached a peak in the years 1935-1937. This marks the point where labor finally succeeded in getting capital to recognize organized labor. 2. WPA (Works Projects Adminstration) > government funded works projects > idea to put people to work improving the nations infrastructure > give people work, pay, encourage them to engage in the economy > although critics thought this was make-work….its impact was invaluable 3. Social Security Act REA – Rural Electrification Administration > Designed to bring electricity to million in the country side…who had been bypassed in the 20s > included much of Appalachia > Young congressman from the Hill Country of Texas (LBJ) became famous in Lone Star State from bringing electricity to his constituents Unemployment Dips, FDR Popular, Trounces GOP in 1936

New Deal in Twilight: Downturn in 1937-1938 1938: New Deal begins to decline - Many Reasons 1. For all its sound and fury – the New Deal measures might have provided relief but they did not spur recovery 2. Conservative critics charged that the New Deal was creating a socialist state of permanently dependent people 3. In order to run for an unprecedented 3rd term – FDR needed to mend political fences…and that meant cutting back 4. International crisis – rise of fascism in Italy, Germany and Japan were robbing New Deal of its momentum Evaluating the New Deal 1. Partial Success/Failure - New Deal did not succeed in the sense that it did not lift the nation into recovery - This was confirmed in the great economic slump of 1938 - Appeared as though only the increasing industrial/military needs of the last year (1938) began to lift the economy 2. Did address the profound misery in the form of relief 3. Did restore some confidence - Particularly in the case where American saw the government was willing to step in and respond to people’s plight - It instilled optimism and lifted spirits in a most depressing time - Traditionally, the Federal government had always remained aloof from the woes of ordinary people, favoring big business and relying upon it to lift the nation up. Here it is the government doing it 4. It may well have saved the American system of Laissez-Faire Democratic Capitalism - The misery and chaos of the era courted extreme solutions that captured many peoples’ imagination - Countries in the 30s that appeared to be succeeding were those who opted out of personal freedom for totalitarian regimes - Satisfied an American demand – that something be done…even if it doesn’t work 5. Did introduce a culture of BIG GOVERNMENT - A radical departure from the past – the New Deal inserted the notion that there was a distinct and major role that the federal government could/should play in the economic health of the nation - It created polarized political cultures – whose legacy was not challenged until the Reagan Revolution in the 1980s - Still the essential debate: How much power should be invested in the federal government. It is what politics is all about. 6. FDR - Dominating figure - Certainly some liabilities but his vigor and strengths tend to prevail - Injected the optimism into the Great Depression…during the greatest challenge (Lincoln & Civil War possible exception) in American history - Very flexible, innovative, open to new ideas…unwilling to let things happen like Hoover - Americans appreciated action during this era. They preferred programs that might not work in the long run versus a policy of doing nothing Topic 10: World War II Two-Front War – Europe/Pacific (Japan Empire) I. Rise of Fascism (Italy, Germany, Spain) & the coming of World War II Fascism – political movement where the nation becomes the focus point of all its people