TRANSITION TO MODERN AMERICA

America Past and PresentAmerica Past and PresentEighth EditionEighth Edition

Divine Divine Breen Breen Fredrickson Fredrickson Williams Williams Gross Gross Brand Brand

Copyright 2007, Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman

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

living in the world living in the world • The 1920s and the second revolutionThe 1920s and the second revolution

• Electricity replaced steam Electricity replaced steam • Modern assembly introduced Modern assembly introduced

The Automobile Industry

• Auto makers stimulated sales through Auto makers stimulated sales through model changes, advertising model changes, advertising

• Auto industry fostered other businessesAuto industry fostered other businesses• Autos encouraged suburban sprawlAutos encouraged suburban sprawl

Patterns of Economic Growth• New technologies meant new New technologies meant new

industries: radio and motion picturesindustries: radio and motion pictures• Structural changeStructural change

• Professional managers replace Professional managers replace individual entrepreneursindividual entrepreneurs

• Corporations became the dominant Corporations became the dominant business formbusiness form

• Marketing and national brands spreadMarketing and national brands spread• Big business weakened regionalism, Big business weakened regionalism,

brought uniformity to America brought uniformity to America

Glenwood Stove Ad

Economic Weaknesses

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

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

City Life in the Jazz Age

• Rapid increase in urban population Rapid increase in urban population • Skyscrapers symbolized the new mass Skyscrapers symbolized the new mass

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

school were absent in the citiesschool were absent in the cities

Women and the Family

• Ongoing crusade for equal rightsOngoing crusade for equal rights• ““Flappers” sought individual freedomFlappers” sought individual freedom• Most women remained in domestic Most women remained in domestic

spheresphere• Discovery of adolescenceDiscovery of adolescence

• Teenaged children no longer needed Teenaged children no longer needed to workto work

• Indulged their craving for excitementIndulged their craving for excitement

The Roaring Twenties

• Sports, like golf and baseball, became Sports, like golf and baseball, became much more part of national popular much more part of national popular cultureculture

• Decade was notable for obsessive Decade was notable for obsessive interest in celebrities like Charles interest in celebrities like Charles Lindbergh & Gertrude Ederle Lindbergh & Gertrude Ederle

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

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

• Writers like Sinclair Lewis and H.L. Mencken Writers like Sinclair Lewis and H.L. Mencken criticized flaws and contradictions of 1920s criticized flaws and contradictions of 1920s

• Harlem Renaissance: African Americans Harlem Renaissance: African Americans prominent in music, poetryprominent in music, poetry

The Rural Counterattack

• Rural Americans identified urban culture Rural Americans identified urban culture with Communism, crime, immoralitywith Communism, crime, immorality

• Progressives attempted to force reform Progressives attempted to force reform on the American peopleon the American people

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

• 18th Amendment gave federal 18th Amendment gave federal government power to pass Volstead Act government power to pass Volstead Act of 1920 that prohibits production, sale, of 1920 that prohibits production, sale, or transport of alcoholic beverages or transport of alcoholic beverages

• Consumption of alcohol reducedConsumption of alcohol reduced• Prohibition resented in urban areas Prohibition resented in urban areas • Bootlegging became big businessBootlegging became big business• 1933: 18th amendment repealed1933: 18th amendment repealed

The Ku Klux Klan

• 1925: Klan membership hit 5 million1925: Klan membership hit 5 million• Attack on urban culture, inhabitantsAttack on urban culture, inhabitants• Defense of traditional rural valuesDefense of traditional rural values• Klan sought to win U.S. by persuasionKlan sought to win U.S. by persuasion• Violence, internal corruption resulted in Violence, internal corruption resulted in

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

Immigration Restriction

• 1924: National Origins Act1924: National Origins Act• 150,000 person quota on immigration150,000 person quota on immigration• Quotas favored northern Europeans Quotas favored northern Europeans • Mexican immigrants exempted from Mexican immigrants exempted from

quotaquota

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

Protestant orthodoxy, biblical literalismProtestant orthodoxy, biblical literalism• 1925: Scopes Trial discredited 1925: Scopes Trial discredited

fundamentalism among intellectualsfundamentalism among intellectuals• ““Modernists” gained mainline churchesModernists” gained mainline churches• Fundamentalists strengthened Fundamentalists strengthened

grassroots appeal in new churches grassroots 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

emerged as the most powerful force emerged as the most powerful force

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

traditional American valuestraditional American values• Harding scandals broke after his deathHarding scandals broke after his death• Coolidge represented America in his Coolidge represented America in his

austerity and rectitudeausterity and rectitude• Hoover represented the self-made manHoover represented 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 blocked Congressional aid to Coolidge blocked Congressional aid to farmers as unwarranted interferencefarmers as unwarranted interference

• Government-business cooperationGovernment-business cooperation

The Divided Democrats

• 1924: Urban-rural split weakened 1924: Urban-rural split weakened DemocratsDemocrats

• Major shift in political loyaltiesMajor shift in political loyalties• Democrats gained more Congressional Democrats gained more Congressional

seats than Republicans after 1922seats than Republicans after 1922

The Election of 1924

The Election of 1928

• Democrat Al Smith carried urban voteDemocrat Al Smith carried urban vote• Governor of New York Governor of New York • Roman CatholicRoman Catholic

• Republican Herbert Hoover won raceRepublican Herbert Hoover won 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