2. Republican Dominance
• War-weariness, disillusionment,
and the onset of a recession in
1920 created a strong desire
among the American people for a
change of administration
• The American People elected
Warren G. Harding- “Return of
Normalcy”
3. Republican Presidents
• Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) against restraints on
business
-Tea Pot Dome Scandal: Interior Albert Fall leased
government oil reserves to friends like Harry F. Sinclair.
-Senate committee indicted Fall and Sinclair.
-Fall was convicted for accepting a $100,000 “loan,”
Sinclair set free; oil reserves went back to government
control.
• While traveling on the west coast of the U.S., Harding
became ill. He died of either a heart attack or a stroke
on August 2, 1923.
4. Republican Presidents continued…
• Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) pro-
big business led to economic
boom started by previous
president
• Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)
continued the policies of the
previous Republican presidents of
the 1920s
• Stock Market Crash of 1929-
October 28th
1929 “Black Tuesday”
5. Technology Transformed American
Society in the 1920s
• Electricity- Lights and
Appliances, Theaters and
Streetlights, Power-driven
Machinery and Electrified
assembly lines
• Automobiles: Workers
homes could be further
from jobs, new roads, new
auto related businesses,
increased mobility
An ad from the 1920s featuring
a new General Electric
convenience: the electric
stove.
6. Charles Lindbergh
• Charles Lindbergh would
become the first person to fly
solo across the Atlantic Ocean
in 1927.
• When he returned to the U.S.
he was treated as a hero. He
made a cross-country trip and
was honored with parades
everywhere he went.
7. Revolution in Manners and Morals
• Young women asserted themselves as
“flappers”
• The nation became increasingly
urbanized although rural culture
remained strong
• Birth control gave women more
control over their lives
• Appliances promised to relieve the
workload of women at home
• More women began to work outside
of the home
• Higher standards of cleanliness
promoted by advertising actually
increased housework
8. Feelings of Alienation From Society
• Disappointment of the lack of reform
(Progressivism stagnates)
• Disgust with materialism
• Pessimism about the future
• Racial hatred and violence against African
Americans
• Disillusionment following WWI- period of
isolationism
9. Creation of National Popular Culture
• Art increases pride in African
American history and culture
(jazz, Harlem Renaissance)
• Increases in spectator sports
(boxing, baseball)
• New forms of advertising
• Standardized news in
newspapers
• Influence of commercial radio
• Influence of the movies
• Installment financing
Jack Dempsey Babe Ruth
10. Creation of National Popular Culture
• Art increases pride in African
American history and culture
(jazz, Harlem Renaissance)
• Increases in spectator sports
(boxing, baseball)
• New forms of advertising
• Standardized news in
newspapers
• Influence of commercial radio
• Influence of the movies
• Installment financing
Jack Dempsey Babe Ruth
