1920s Dbq Outline

1920s period of tension tween innovative and changing attitudes on one hand and traditional values and nostalgia on the other. What led to the tension between old and new AND in what ways was the tension manifested?

I. Intro:

a. Thesis: Those who had fond reminiscences of the old United States and those who began with innovative and altering attitudes had a clear tension between them throughout the 1920s.

b. POA: During the 1920’s, tension between the old and new was evident economically, socially, and intellectually.

II. Economic

a. Railroads vs. Automobile (Henry Ford)

i. Henry Ford

1. Electric assembly line, from 14 hours to 93 minutes per car.

2. Wage motive, double.

3. 490 dollars to 260 dollars.

4. 4,000 in 1900, 4.8 million in 1929

ii. Railroads

1. Decline due to popularity of the car (soldiers), usage of mass production, rapid development of car technology: network of road by Federal Highway Act of 1921.

2. RR earnings down after depression, companies controlling 1/3 of track in nation bankrupt

3. Consolidation hampered until Transportation Act of 1920

4. 2 and a half times number of ton miles of freight in 1944 than in 1929, 4 Ѕ times passenger traffic.

b. Agriculture vs. Industry

i. Agriculture:

1. Excess supply, little demand: Wheat 2$ to 62c

2. Crops 50% drop tween 29 and 30

3. Worldwide overproduction after war due to increased harvests in nations such as Canada and Australia

4. Farm blocs in local legislatures, McNary-Haugen bill: gov buy crops in surplus, then sell them, Coolidge say farmers never made money, purchasing power of farmers constant even if prices in markets dropped

5. Federal Farm Board: eliminate unfair prices, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

ii. Industry:

1. Doc B

2. Production of goods in U.S. increased 25 percent tween 1921 and 1928.

3. Electric power, 70 percent of homes in the1920s

4. Output per working hour up 35 percent

5. Frederick W. Taylor output up 300 percent.

c. Get Rich Quick: Buy at low price, sell at high price

i. Land

1. Suburb building drove land prices up, Florida

2. 2 Hurricanes end Florida Land speculation boom

ii. Stock

1. 4,000,000 bought stocks in 1920s, inexperienced

2. On Margin selling

3. Loose Credit Policy of FRB lowered interest, increased money, encouraged spec, over-speculation

4. Stock Boom Spec increased until 1929, prices up 400% from 5 years earlier, investors sold, stock market collapsed on black Tuesday.

III. Intellectual

a. Socialism

i. Debs: Marxist, Social Democratic Party, Socialist Party, Industrial Workers of the World, 1912, ran as pres candidate for socialist party, spoke against war, arrested

b. Palmer Raids:

i. Raids due to Espionage Act of 1917 Sedition Act of 1918

ii. Alexander Mitchell Palmer is Attorney General, beliefs against communism and socialism.

iii. Bombs in 8 cities

iv. Got 150,000 names, over 10,000 arrested, 249 sent to Soviet Union , Emma Goldman

c. UNIA, Harlem Renaissance:

i. UNIA

1. Launched by Marcus Garvey in Jamaica, 1,100 branches over 40 countries, wanted to go back to Africa, Blacks rely on themselves for salvation.

2. Wanted to promote spirit of race, pride, love, assist needy, reclaim fallen of race, education of blacks,

3. Declaration of the Rights of the Negro Peoples