APUSH CHAPTERS 30-31 SG
Discuss how Hoover went from being a symbol of twenties business success to a symbol of depression failure
Before the depression, the country was going well and was in a good situation with a lot of money, when the depression hit, he refused the pleas of the people to help with the Depression and step in because he believed the people should all work it out themselves. Even when he did step in, his ideas never ended up taking foot and actually helping the economy better itself, instead it worsened the situation.
Explain how the cultural changes affected women
During World War I, there were many changes that were on the verge of taking place in the U.S. For example, the women's liberation movement had really heated up inside the country prior to the war. Montana had become the first state to allow for women's suffrage, and President Woodrow Wilson was seriously entertaining the notion of tackling the issue at the federal level... However, with the Luisitania tragedy and other precipitious events led the federal government to shift focus toward the war. That said, there are many changes to how both females and minorities were viewed in World War I. First, in the army, units were still largely segregated; however, in the naval force, it was not practical to segregate the troops... This, I believe, led to more association among the races (granted a small step; but it had to begin somewhere). For women, this war was one of change in that those that were left behind in the country had to make their first mass movement into the workplace (outside of the home). For those who went abroad, they were not allowed to serve in the military as of yet... however, that didn't mean they couldn't work for the military... in several vital positions such as nurses, switchboard operators, even a few cargo drivers.
Describe the rise of mass consumption economy, led by the automobile industry
During the 1920s, Americans became much more oriented towards consumption. There were more goods and services available for them to buy and they wanted those things more than they had.This change is often associated with the automobile industry, but it owes just as much to the practice of selling on credit and to advertising. The 1920s were the first time that modern advertising was used to make people feel they needed things that they had not previously needed. For example, advertising was used to make people feel the need to use Listerine by making them worry about bad breath. The consumer culture was made possible by the introduction of buying on credit. This allowed consumers to buy many more of the new goods that they had come to desire.
Describe the cultural revolution brought by radio, film, and mass consumption
During the 1920s, some Americans—especially young college students—challenged traditional notions of proper behavior. Buoyed by the decade's prosperity, young people threw raucous parties, drank illegal liquor, and danced new, sexually suggestive steps at jazz clubs. One of the symbols of this decade was the flapper, a name given to the fashionable, pleasure-seeking young women of the time. The archetypal flapper look was tomboyish and flamboyant: short bobbed hair; knee-length, fringed skirts; long, draping necklaces; and rolled stockings. Although few women actually fit this image, it was used widely in journalism and advertising to represent the rebelliousness of the period. The traditional bastions of American morality lamented these developments, and especially criticized the new dances and college students' proclivity for drinking and smoking. These critics, however, soon found themselves facing much larger opposition as the older generations began to adopt some of the socially liberated practices of their children.With new social thinking and activities came new social conventions.
Indicate how Hoover's response to the depression was a combination of Rugged Individualism and the new view of federal responsibility for the economy
He had the trickle down philosophy where it still left a good portion of bringing the economy back up into the people's hands but still gave the companies the money to start back up. He did get groups to start jobs but was not super involved in them and they ultimately did not have enough money to make a lasting impact.
Analyze the political conservatism and economic prosperity of the 1920's
President Harding continued the laissez-faire policy that McKinley had put into place. Harding appointed four Supreme Court justices, which impacted the decisions made by the court in favor of the president's policies. Large corporation began to gain power again. the government turned much of the control it had held during wartime over to pricate companies, and the labor movement lost momentum. The economy, however, was flourishing. The country was on full throttle following the war. New inventions came out, and people bought more and more things on credit.
Explain the republican administrations policies of isolationism, disarmament, and high tariffs.
Railroads were returned to private management in the 1920s and Congress passed the Esch-Cummins Transportation Act of 1920 which guaranteed their profitability. The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 withdrew the government from shipping as well, asking to rid of the war ships that were hastily built. Congress passed the Fordney-McCumber Tariff Law in 1922, hiking up tariffs to an average 38.5%. Duties on farm produce were increased, and the principle was proclaimed that the general rates were designed to equalize the cost of American and foreign production. This spurred Europe to hike up their prices as well, resulting in hurt to both countries. Isolationism also reigned under Harding as he disagreed with many League of Nations movements.
Compare the corruption of the Hardings years with this successor Coolidge
The 29th U.S. president, Warren Harding (1865-1923) served in office from 1921 to 1923 before dying of an apparent heart attack. Harding's presidency was overshadowed by the criminal activities of some of his cabinet members and other government officials, although he himself was not involved in any wrongdoing. An Ohio native and Republican, Harding was a successful newspaper publisher who served in the Ohio legislature and the U.S. Senate. In 1920, he won the general election in a landslide, promising a "return to normalcy" after the hardships of World War I (1914-1918). As president, he favored pro-business policies and limited immigration. Harding died suddenly in San Francisco in 1923, and was succeeded by Vice President Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933). After Harding's death, the Teapot Dome Scandal and other instances of corruption came to light, damaging his reputation.
Explain how the stock-market crash set off the deep and prolonged Depression
The crash began on Oct. 24, 1929, known as "Black Tuesday," when the market opened 11% lower than the previous day's close. Institutions and financiers stepped in with bids above the market price to stem the panic, and the losses on that day were modest with stocks bouncing back over the next two days. However, this bounce turned out to be illusory, as the following Monday, now known as the dreaded Black Monday, the market closed down 13% with the losses exacerbated by margin calls. The next day, Black Tuesday, bids completely vanished, and the market fell another 12%. From there, the market trended lower until hitting bottom in 1932.
Analyze the movement toward social conservatism following World War I
The resurrection of the Ku Klux Klan. Although the Klan had originally been confined to the South and had fought racial segregation and equality, it now appeared throughout the country and dedicated itself to "100% Americanism. Aside from Blacks, the Klan targeted Jews, Catholics, and all immigrants.Prohibition. The "noble experiment was the greatest failure of the twenties aside from the stock market crash. It resulted from the crusade for morality and rightness that was sweeping the country. It gained much support from the fundamentalist movement.Nativism. The above answer seems to suggest that communists alone were targeted. In fact, anyone who was foreign born was treated with suspicion. Nativist sentiment was aided by the publication of The Passing of a Great Race by Madison Grant, and The Decline of the West by Oswald Spengler, both of which suggested that Anglo-Saxon society had entered a state of decline because of an influx of non-Aryan blood. Madison was a proponent of Eugenics, a false science which suggested improvement of society by natural selection and breeding
Describe the conflicts over prohibition
They were both issues that were related to the opinions of traditionalists and modernists. Prohibition caused an eruption of organized crime, such as speak easies, and a population of people who opposed the legislation and rebelled.
Describe the international tangle of loans, war debts, and reparations, and indicate how the US handled it.
When World War I ended, other countries owed the United States a great deal of money, either from reparations, loans, or war debt. The United States discovered that collecting this money was not going to be easily accomplished. The Allies weren't too enthused about repaying their debts, since they suffered tremendous losses in the war. Germany was crushed with heavy reparation payments and a declining economy after the war ended. As a result, Germany was unable to meet its financial obligations. The United States developed a plan in 1924, known as the Dawes Plan, in which the United States would loan money to Germany, and Germany would use this money to pay their debts to the Allies and to invest some of this money in the German economy.