Chapter 22:
The New Era
II. Republican White House (1921-1933)
Harding (#29). Efforts were made to restore stability and prosperity in the
United States
High protective tariffs
Removing wartime controls over industry
Concerns about immigration and foreign populations, or anything less
than “100% American,” led Congress to address these fears
The Labor Movement Declined
Workers lost not only bargaining power, but also the support of courts,
politicians, and, in large measure, the American public
The Teapot Dome Scandal
Named after the nearby rock formation
Harding’s administration plotted to lease government land in Wyoming
to oil companies in exchange for cash.
Albert Fall resigned, was convicted, and sent to jail
Edwin Denby resigned
“Ohio Gang”
o Friends and close supporters of Harding whom he appointed in
his administration
Calvin Coolidge (30th President, Republican)
In August 1923, Harding died suddenly of a heart attack, and Vice
President Calvin Coolidge ascended to the highest office in the land
Focused on supporting business interests, lowering taxes from 66%
during the war to 20%, and maintaining high tariff rates
Continued to refuse to take action in defense of workers or consumers
against American businesses
“Active inactivity”
Prohibition (1920-1933) [Volstead Act became the 18th Amendment]
, 19th Amendment in 1920
Prohibited the manufacturing, sale, transportation or export of all
alcohol
Gangs and criminal enterprises
o Al Capone
o Smuggling alcohol from Canada
o “Blind Tigers”
Eventually, public sentiment turned against prohibition
Female Activism
Alice Paul and the National Women’s Party – The elimination of all legal
distinctions “on account of sex”
o Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
Herbert Hoover (31st President, Republican)
Politics in the 1920s dominated by the republican party
Herbert Hoover emphasized economic growth and prosperity
III. Culture of Consumption
1929 monograph, “Selling Mrs. Consumer,” – Christine Frederick – The
importance of consumer changes in American Society
New marketing strategies
Department Stores
By the 1800s – modern retail department stores
Innovations in service and spectacle
o Marshall Field and Co. – Pioneered many of these strategies
Cars and Credit
The rise of mail-order catalogs, mass circulation magazines, and
national branding further fueled consumer desire
The automobile industry
o Use of credit and Henry Ford’s Model T assembly line (Could
make a Model T every 10 seconds)
o Made cars accessible to middle-income Americans and
contributed to the culture of consumerism
By the late 1920s, 80% of the world’s cars were on American roads
The New Era
II. Republican White House (1921-1933)
Harding (#29). Efforts were made to restore stability and prosperity in the
United States
High protective tariffs
Removing wartime controls over industry
Concerns about immigration and foreign populations, or anything less
than “100% American,” led Congress to address these fears
The Labor Movement Declined
Workers lost not only bargaining power, but also the support of courts,
politicians, and, in large measure, the American public
The Teapot Dome Scandal
Named after the nearby rock formation
Harding’s administration plotted to lease government land in Wyoming
to oil companies in exchange for cash.
Albert Fall resigned, was convicted, and sent to jail
Edwin Denby resigned
“Ohio Gang”
o Friends and close supporters of Harding whom he appointed in
his administration
Calvin Coolidge (30th President, Republican)
In August 1923, Harding died suddenly of a heart attack, and Vice
President Calvin Coolidge ascended to the highest office in the land
Focused on supporting business interests, lowering taxes from 66%
during the war to 20%, and maintaining high tariff rates
Continued to refuse to take action in defense of workers or consumers
against American businesses
“Active inactivity”
Prohibition (1920-1933) [Volstead Act became the 18th Amendment]
, 19th Amendment in 1920
Prohibited the manufacturing, sale, transportation or export of all
alcohol
Gangs and criminal enterprises
o Al Capone
o Smuggling alcohol from Canada
o “Blind Tigers”
Eventually, public sentiment turned against prohibition
Female Activism
Alice Paul and the National Women’s Party – The elimination of all legal
distinctions “on account of sex”
o Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
Herbert Hoover (31st President, Republican)
Politics in the 1920s dominated by the republican party
Herbert Hoover emphasized economic growth and prosperity
III. Culture of Consumption
1929 monograph, “Selling Mrs. Consumer,” – Christine Frederick – The
importance of consumer changes in American Society
New marketing strategies
Department Stores
By the 1800s – modern retail department stores
Innovations in service and spectacle
o Marshall Field and Co. – Pioneered many of these strategies
Cars and Credit
The rise of mail-order catalogs, mass circulation magazines, and
national branding further fueled consumer desire
The automobile industry
o Use of credit and Henry Ford’s Model T assembly line (Could
make a Model T every 10 seconds)
o Made cars accessible to middle-income Americans and
contributed to the culture of consumerism
By the late 1920s, 80% of the world’s cars were on American roads
