Unit VI: The 1920s and the Great Depression Chapter 20: Politics of the Roaring Twenties Chapter 21(1-2): The Roaring Life of the 1920s

Peace in the U.S.A. The Riches of America In what sense does wartime production make a country rich? Hint: Infrastructure What will wartime production assets turn to producing? America Turns Inward Why does America shun world leadership? How has WWI contributed to this attitude? Other ideological effects of the war?

The Search for Peace at Home The Shaky Postwar Economy We just talked about how great World War I was for the economy. How can it be shaky now? Why is there inflation? What do workers want to happen in response? What is the problem with this demand? Why is there such a backlash among workers in the United States? Why do you think there are so many strikes? Why doesn’t the public support them?

The Spectre of Communism The First Red Scare ( ) The Soviet Union Why does so much violence surround Communism? The Palmer Raids Why are these a violation of the Constitution? Why is it likely that so many people are ready to blame communists for unrest? Sacco and Vanzetti How does the scare influence this case? Why is it such a big deal at the time? Why are racism, nativism, and anticommunism so intertwined?

Nativism and Racism Rebirth of the KKK How does the KKK take advantage of the politics of the time? What prevents it from keeping its power? Emergency Quota Act Which people are least desired and why? International impact? Labor Problems Why did union membership decline?

“Normalcy” (which as far as we know is not even a word) The Election of 1920 Democrats support unions and government regulation of business Harding and the Republicans Return to laissez-faire economics Cut government spending Cut taxes Which will voters find more appealing? Labor and the American Plan What do employers offer workers to woo them away from unions?

War Debts and Reparations Washington Naval Conference Discuss: does disarmament work? The Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) Fifteen nations agree to give up war “as an instrument of policy” Why doesn’t this work?

Tariffs and Reparations Fordney-McCumber Tariff Why does this tariff both help and harm the United States? Other countries? The Dawes Plan (1924) Why do Europeans feel the United States should cancel their debts? Why does this make sense? Why doesn’t it? What does Dawes try to accomplish for Germany?

Harding and Coolidge Harding and the Ohio Gang Why is Harding generally known as one of the worst Presidents in the history of the United States? Albert Fall and The Teapot Dome Scandal Harding dies (1923) Silent Cal Doing Nothing With Style Why is Coolidge so popular? How does Coolidge benefit from Harding’s Presidency?

Prosperity The Election of 1924 What issue is most important to the American people at this time? The Power of the Middle Class The Model T Ford Why is the price dropping? What technological development contributes? How does it have an effect on the rest of the economy?

Rising Standards of Living Aircraft Industry Advertising Review: what sort of economic shift does the growth of advertising as an industry indicate? How does the growth of the middle-class lead to better education? What other new standards of living do people come to expect?

A New Lifestyle Credit What attitude do Americans have toward credit before and during WWI? Why does this change? What is the danger? Urban vs. Rural What factors lead to tensions between these two sections of society? Still visible today?

Prohibition Amendment 18 and the Volstead Act Where does Prohibition find the most support? What problems is it intended to solve? Why does it fail? Discuss: What is the difference between an enforceable and an unenforceable law? Why is alcohol particularly hard to outlaw? Organized Crime Why does this rise as a consequence of Prohibition?

Cultural Divides The Scopes Monkey Trial Discuss: What role may religion play in the actions of government in a democracy? What does this imply (or not) about the government’s role in education? Women’s Roles Flappers: Drinking, dancing, casual dating Why is there resistance to birth control? Why are there double standards, and do they still exist today?

News and Entertainment News Magazines As print journalism ages, what does competition do to the markets? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? What other medium competes with print news?