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Prohibition
Prohibition was a big issue in the 1920’s. In the eighteenth amendment, it was stated that the selling, production, and transportation of all alcohol was illegal. People opened up speakeasys to illegally sell alcohol. -
The Harding Administration
President Harding’s staff included his political friends from Ohio. During his presidency he was involved with a lot of scandals. The most famous scandal was the Teapot Dome. Another scandal of his involved General Harry Daughtery. After Harding died, Calvin Coolidge became president. He believed that prosperity rested on business and that his job as president was to make sure that the government interfered with business as little as possible. -
Period: to
1920’s
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Babe Ruth
During the 1920’s Babe Ruth was a very inspirational and influential figure. Baseball was growing in popularity and he was a very well liked player. He had a total of 714 homeruns during his career that lasted 22 years. -
Trade and Arms Control
The United States was a dominant economic world power. Many Americans favored isolationism. They were tired of being involved in the hostile and dangerous polictics of Europe. Instead of using the League of Nations, the United States attempted to premote peace by using Arms Control agreements and economic policies. -
The Farm Crisis
It was said to be a “quiet depression” in American Agriculture during the 1920’s. During the war, farmers had to produce more goods to meet the need for supplies in Europe. When the war was over, European countries had a very little amount of money to spend on American Farm products. The situation was made even worse after the Fordney McCumber Act of 1922 was passed because it had significantly raised tariffs. -
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was when new ideas and trends were created in literature, music, and art. This era was introduced by the flowering of African American arts. Jazz music was created in this era by Louis Armstrong. -
The Rise of New Industries
The first moving assembly line was adopted by Henry Ford, and the first product that it produced was the Model T car. Also, many everyday house hold appliances and needs were updated and made more efficient. At this time, the aviation industry was also growing rapidly. -
Causes of Prosperity
Within business innovation and technology, there were mass productions that caused goods to be sold at low prices, new industries involving autos, airplanes, and radios grew significantly, and businesses began to pay higher wages. Also, income became more disposable for people along with more readily available credit. The government at this time had cut taxes and debt and imposed higher tariffs in order to protect young industries. -
Arts and Literature
American art influenced by European art movements began growing, resulting in a new and diverse range of styles. Also, there were many famous poets and writers that came to be during this time. Earnest Hemingway was one of the many writers who were considered “lost writers”. They had written about “flawed individuals who still had heroic qualities.” -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was ignited by the crash of the stock market. Stockholders lost over 40 billion dollars. Also, banks began to fail and people were losing all of their savings. During this time, many people lost their jobs and unemployment rate was at 25 percent. Many people also lost their homes, making them homeless.
