Chapter 23 Affluence and Anxiety

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Chapter 23Affluence and Anxiety

• The American People, 6th ed.

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I. Postwar Problems
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The Red Scare

• As a result of the Russian Revolution, Americans
  imagined Communists as the worst possible threat
  to their way of life
• The ideals of Socialism and Communism were tied,
  often erroneously, to the American labor movement
• Strikes increased and the government responded
  with a series of raids by a young J. Edgar Hoover
  to round up suspected subversives and radicals

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The Ku Klux Klan

• Organized in Georgia by William J. Simmons
• Original Klan accepted almost anyone, 1919s Klan
  was thoroughly anti-foreign, anti-Semitic, and
  anti-Catholic
• Opposed evolution, endorsed religion, immigration
  restrictions, short skirts and demon rum
• Especially motivated to keep black Americans in
  their place

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II. A Prospering Economy
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The Rising Standard of Living

• Americans of the post-war years had more leisure
  time and a shorter work week
• Educational opportunities expanded for the
  right demographic
• Corporate mergers began to increase again, with
  an emphasis on professional management and
  employee care

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The Automobile Culture

• The manufacture of the automobile underwent
  enormous growth in the postwar years, stimulating
  the rubber, steel, and petroleum industries
• The growing affordability of the auto forced
  governments to pave more streets with federal
  assistance
• The auto contributed to the creation of city
  suburbs and rampant pollution

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A Communications Revolution

• During the 1920s, the number of homes with
  telephones increased from 9 to 13 million
• Radio and motion pictures began to solidify a
  shared identity of Americans through
  entertainment, news, and sports

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Hopes Raised, Promises Deferred
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Religious Fundamentalism

• Many of the religious faithful saw a major
  spiritual crisis in the sweeping changes of the
  1920s
• Fundamentalism survived the era of
  sophistication, modernization, and change
• Radio spread the message of the fundamentalist
  preachers and attracted numerous converts to
  those ministers who could readily adapt to the
  new communications technology

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Rural America in the 1920s

• American farmers, as a rule, did not share in the
  prosperity of the 1920s.
• A vicious cycle of overproduction to meet demands
  continually lowered market prices of produce,
  forcing many farmers into the poorhouse
• Advancements in agriculture (pesticides and
  advanced fertilizers) increased yield per acre
  and put many farmers out of business

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The Business of Politics
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Global Expansion

• The 1920s was a decade of dramatic expansion in
  business, finance, and trade for the United
  States
• Territorial expansion was also endorsed by the
  American government continued involvement in the
  affairs of Central and South America
  inconsistently promoted peace, stability, and
  trade in the hemisphere

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Progressivism Survives

• The Sheppard-Towner Maternity Act of 1921
  allotted 1 million dollars a year to educate
  expectant mothers on proper self-health issues
  and child care
• In 1919, Congress passed the Volstead Act which
  banned the brewing and selling of most alcoholic
  beverages this became the Eighteenth Amendment
  of Prohibition

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Stock Market Crash

• The prosperity of the decade came to a screeching
  halt in 1929 with the collapse of the nations
  stock market
• Many investors had responded to the booming
  economy by buying stocks on margin (borrowing to
  invest).
• An overextension of the market caused a crash
  with a represented loss of over 26 million on
  paper

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