The 1920‘s
...al way, clashed with the way the majority of people wanted to live their lives. It seemed the United States only had room for advancement, and threw out old traditional ways of living. The 1920’s were based on this. This was the onset of many changes that occurred during the decade. Weak leadership had a great deal to do with why the country was changing, and helped lead up to the end of the big boom. This decade saw three presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover. They all believed in Laissez Faire. This is why corporations and business grew so rapidly. Harding is remembered in this decade for his corruption. He liked to appoint his friends to office. They were known as the “Ohio Gang.” Most of them were very untrustworthy and shouldn’t have been given such important jobs in our government. When you think of Harding, you automatically think of the Tea Pot Dome Scandal. Harding is a prime example of weak leadership in our country. Coolidge was good at what he did during his presidency, which was absolutely nothing. He didn’t like to Pg. 3 talk much, earning him the nickname of “Silent Cal.” He was conservative and like Harding, believed in big business, and didn’t believe in government regulation. Hoover came into the presidency at one of the easiest times ever. However, he soon had to deal with one of the worst times ever in our country. He tried to help farmers deal with issues of pollution and created the concept of the eight-hour workday. A few major events that represent society differences during this period were prohibition, women’s suffrage, the rise of the KKK, and two major trials that impacted people’s views. The eighteenth amendment definitely had a huge impact on society. Prohibition was a major political movement of this time. On one side you had people determined to turn the United States into a dry society. . They used WWI to try and discourage people from drinking alcohol. One of the catch phrases was, you should be a “Sober Soldier.” They associated beer and pretzels with the German Empire. Conservative organizations against alcohol believed immigrants couldn’t be trusted with the consumption of alcohol. This is a great example of the mindset of some people against immigrants and alcohol. On the other side, were the Americans that just didn’t take prohibition that seriously? People wanted to keep their old way of life and drinking is involved in their beliefs in religion and tradition. To them, there are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed, and prohibition shouldn’t have came into affect. They just didn’t except this and found their own ways to work around it. These people spent most their time bootlegging, and in the “Underground Society.” Prohibition just made getting alcohol a priority to some Americans. Prohibition also was where organized crime originated. So, the law that was Pg. 4 meant to make society better, just sparked a lot of trouble. Maybe if American society hadn’t made drinking such a huge deal and forbade it, maybe it would be less of a problem today. This is major example of the clash of social points of view. Another would be women’s suffrage. Although women's suffrage wasn’t really a big part of the 1920’s, I think it was the start of the movement for women. Women were no longer as quiet as they use to be. More women were starting to join the workforce. They didn’t receive equal pay as men or a minimum wage, but they were coming out of the household. With prohibition came speakeasy's, that brought nightlife of drinking and socializing. The Flapper was a part of this cultural change. Women really started to come out of their shell. They cut their hair short, wore short skirts, and smoked cigarettes. Sex appeal was now a big issue. This appalled Conservative men and women. It led to a major clash in the idea of how a woman should act. This decade severely changed the way women acted. Two important cases emerged during the 1920’s. Both were very controversial. These cases are one of the major reasons I chose to label this time the way I did. They definitely jumped out at me. The first was the Scopes Monkey Trial. This dealt with a science teacher teaching evolution in his classroom. It made many people question their beliefs. Should they believe in science? Or their religion? Americans felt strongly about this case. There were preachers all over the street. Nearly everyone thought they had to make a decision, to believe in evolution or not. This created a major controversy. The second case brought up the term of nativism. The case of Saco and Vanzetti. These two men were charged with murder and robbery. However, it was believed they were sent to Pg. 5 prison more for their beliefs and their ethnicity, then the crime they had committed. The judge in the case definitely had nativism views. He believed them to be anarchists. This case stirred up a lot of mixed feelings. The KKK made a comeback in the 1920’s also. While some Americans were trying to make the world equal for all, others were trying hard to keep it the way it was. For example, the naive and terrifying members of the KKK ideas of what made a “perfect” society. The KKK was against anyone who was non-white, Anglo-Saxon, and protestant. They were obsessed with the idea of getting rid of anyone who didn‘t meet these requirements. An...