UNIT 4: TURBULENT DECADES
CHAPTER 12-13: THE JAZZ AGE
TIME OF TURMOIL
—During WWI, the U.S. government had taken away some of the liberties of American citizens.
Many people who opposed the war were arrested. After the war an atmosphere of distrust
remained. Also, at the same time, the Russian Revolution was deeply disturbing some
Americans. The Bolsheviks (Communists) had taken over Russia in 1917 and established a
communist state. Many Americans believed that “bolshevism” threatened American government
and institutions. This wave of fear led to the Red Scare, a period when the government went
after “Reds”—as Communists were known—and others with radical views. Thousands of
people were arrested and deported. The Palmer Raids were a series of raids where police
arrested many people who were suspected to be radicals or communists, but they were simply
innocent immigrants. The most famous case of discrimination against immigrants was when two
Italian immigrants, Sacco and Vanzetti were executed after being found guilty of murdering 2
men during a robbery. Despite having no proof that Sacco and Vanzetti committed this crime,
they were still found guilty and executed. America had great anti-foreign and antiradical
feelings in the 1920s. Because of this, the government allowed less immigration. Congress
passed the National Origins Quota Act, which set a numerical cap on how much immigration to
allow from certain countries.
—During WWI, more than 500,000 African Americans had left the South for new jobs in the
North (the Great Migration). Many Northern whites resented African American competition for
jobs. There was a big rise in racial violence in the 1920s because of this, as well as more cases
of discrimination, murder, and lynching. There was more KKK involvement.
REPUBLICANS IN GOVERNMENT
—In the presidential election of 1920 Republican candidate Warren G. Harding promised the
American people a return to “normalcy”. What Harding meant by “normalcy” was not really
clear, but the word sounded reassuring to those Americans who wanted an end to foreign
involvement and domestic turmoil. Harding’s vice-presidential running mate was Calvin
Coolidge and they both successfully won the 1920 election.
—President Harding gave a lot of jobs in government to many of his friends and political
supporters; they were called the Ohio Gang and were very corrupt. By 1922 Washington was
buzzing with rumors of corruptions and scandals within the Harding administration. The biggest
scandal was called the Teapot Dome Scandal and involved the Secretary of the Interior, Albert
Fall. He secretly rented government oil reserves to private oil companies. He made more than
$400,000; was convicted and sent to jail. Teapot Dome became the symbol of corruption of the
Harding administration. During this time, Harding went on a trip out west where he became ill,
suffered a heart attack, and died.
—Calvin Coolidge now became president upon Harding’s death. Coolidge in many ways was the
complete opposite of Harding. Coolidge had a reputation for honesty. He allowed the
investigations in the Harding scandals to proceed without interference. He fired and replaced the
members of the Ohio Gang with honest officials. However, both men held similar political
views such as very little government intervention in the life of the nation. Under Coolidge the
government took an active role in supporting business. He and Congress created a favorable
climate for business to promote the nation’s economic prosperity. They cut government
spending, lowered income tax rates on the wealthiest Americans and on corporate profits, raised
tariffs, and overturned laws regulating child labor and wages for women (meaning that they
lowered the wages so that corporations can have more profits). He grew popular and was
reelected in 1924.
—The Coolidge administration favored world peace and the policy of isolationism. The U.S.
signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact in 1928 which called for outlawing war, however lacking
enforcement. The U.S. had also signed treaties with other nations to limit the size of navies. The
U.S. had returned to isolationism because of WWI, which includes downsizing our navy and
military (we began to demilitarize).
A BOOMING ECONOMY
—The economy began a steady growth in the 1920s. Technology made rapid industrial growth
possible, and electricity powered American industry. Electricity was cheaper than steam power.
By cutting costs, businesses could lower prices and increase profits. Employers adopted new
work methods to increase productivity—how much work each worker could do. Many
businesses adopted mass production techniques using the assembly line, first introduced in
Henry Ford’s automobile factories. Assembly line methods increased productivity and cut
production costs. The 1920s was also the decade in which the automobile industry boomed
because many Americans were buying cars. This also stimulated other industries such as steel,
glass, rubber, asphalt, wood, gasoline, insurance, and road-construction.
—As electricity became more available, demand grew for appliances using electric power.
Consumers eagerly acquired refrigerators, stoves, vacuum cleaners, fans, and radios. These
appliances transformed daily life. People did not have to spend as much time on household
chores; now they had more leisure time. This is also the time when many Americans begin to
