Chapter 21-Normalcy and Good Times
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Transcript Chapter 21-Normalcy and Good Times
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Chapter 21: Normalcy and Good Times
American History
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The Harding Administration
Harding’s slogan was to return to normalcy,
or normal life after World War I
However, Harding’s presidency was littered
with scandal
Ohio Gang: hired old poker buddies for
political jobs; abused their positions and
caused scandal
Teapot Dome Scandal: Secretary of Interior
Albert Fall leased lands containing Navy oil
reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming in
exchange for bribes
Daugherty scandal: Attorney General Harry
Daugherty accepted bribes from a politician in
connecting with gaining access to a German
company’s valuables
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The Coolidge Administration
Coolidge was more withdrawn than
Harding, and contrasted heavily from
the “Roaring 20’s”
Was quiet, withdrawn, and did not seek
attention
“Keep Cool with Coolidge”
Believed that prosperity rested on
business leadership, and that the
government should not interfere with
business
Easily won the election of 1924
against a weary Democratic Party
and a dying Progressive Party
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The Automobile and the Assembly
Line
During this time, mass production, or
large scale manufacturing, had
increased, resulting in consumer costs
With the invention of the automobile
(Model T) by Henry Ford came the
development of the assembly line
Divided operations into simple tasks that
unskilled workers could do
Cut unnecessary motion to a minimum
Reduced the price of goods due to speedy
manufacturing and using less materials
and man-power
Increased worker’s wages and decreased
worker’s hours and days of working
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The Consumer Goods Industry
With the development and manufacturing of
the automobile came the growth of other
industries, such as rubber, plate glass, nickel,
and lead
The automobile also helped create small
business, such as garages and gas stations,
and eased the isolation of rural life by making
it easier for farmers and townspeople to travel
into the city
Other products, such as electric razors,
disposable facial tissues, frozen foods, home
hair dye, hygiene products, vacuum cleaners,
electric irons, and refrigerators became
available for the public to own
A major focus on fashion and youthful
appearance also took shape
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The Airline and Radio Industries
With advancements in airplanes during
World War I came the development of the
airline industry
Airplanes were used for stunts, at first, but
then developed into mail-carrying vessels
With Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight over the
Atlantic came the possibility that airplanes
can be used for transportation
In 1913, Edwin Armstrong invented the
radio, and in a few years, it would be a
household item for entertainment
In 1926, the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC), followed by the Columbia
Broadcasting System (CBS) established a
permanent network of stations, selling time to
advertisers and performers
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The Consumer Society
The 1920’s was a decade of spending, which kept the economy booming
Consumers built upon lines of credit and debt, figuring they would be
able to pay it off over time
Advertising became a booming industry, using ads to lure consumers
into spending
Companies went through a managerial revolution, where the company
became more structured, with a manager in charge
Industrial workers were offered to participate in welfare capitalism, or
use the option of buying company stock, participate in profit sharing, and
receive benefits
Companies offered the option of an open shop to workers, which did not
require them to join a union
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The Farm Crisis
Farmers did not share the same fortunes as
everyone else in the 1920’s
Even with the development of fertilizers,
pesticides, and farm equipment, which led to an
increase in production of products, the demand
was low, and so were prices
The government encouraged farmers to sell
their crops in Europe, but once the war
ended, farming returned to normal
The government passed bills to help farmers
sell their surpluses overseas, but Coolidge
vetoes these bills, saying that the farmers
would grow a greater surplus, eventually
limiting the government to sell their products
overseas
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Promoting Prosperity
Andrew Mellon devised programs and goals to help continue the
raging American economy
Cut government spending, reduced taxes, and balanced the overall
budget
Believed lowering taxes would give people more money to invest, which
would help the economy grow, which would give the government more
money, in the long run, from taxes: supply-side economics
Herbert Hoover also helped develop the nation’s economy
Called on his philosophy of cooperative individualism, which
encouraged manufacturers to form trade associations, which would give
secrets to the government
Also created several agencies to help keep the economy stable
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Trade and Arms Control
The majority of Americans favored isolationism, or staying
out of world affairs, but the government viewed the United
States as an instrument for world peace
Banker and diplomat Charles Dawes negotiated with Great
Britain, France, and Germany, and established the Dawes
Plan to help continue economic stability in Europe
The United States would loan money to Germany to pay for the
reparations for World War I, and in turn, France and Great Britain
would pay more on their war debts to the U.S. and demand less
from their reparations
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Disarmament and Abolishing War
The U.S. government held meetings, known as the Washington
Conference, with Great Britain, France, Italy, China, Japan, Belgium,
the Netherlands, and Portugal, to discuss halting armament
production
Proposed a 10 year moratorium, or pause, in the construction of new
warships
The Five-Power Naval Limitation Act formalized the plan
The Four-Power Treaty recognized possessions of islands in the Pacific
The Nine-Power Treaty guaranteed China’s independence
The Kellogg-Briand Pact outlawed war in the United States
62 nations ratified it
Hailed as a victory in peace, but did little to keep countries from arming
soldiers and from tangling into war