Decade - 1920s

One of the most notorious gangsters of the 1920s was Al Capone, also known as "Scarface." He was the leader of the Chicago Outfit and became infamous for his involvement in bootlegging, smuggling, and organized crime during the Prohibition era. Capone's criminal activities and violent tactics made him a prominent figure in American history.

The 19th Amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote

During the 1920s, there was a surge in consumerism and materialism. Americans bought more and cared about conspicuous consumption

People liked to go to elegant parties. Many liked to smoke. Women had bobs and wore flapper dresses.

The laissez-faire policies of the 1920s marked a significant departure from the regulatory reforms of the Progressive Era, which had aimed to address issues like corporate monopolies, labor rights, and social injustices. During the 1920s, the government adopted a more hands-off approach, prioritizing business interests and economic growth over social reform. This shift allowed for unregulated capitalism, resulting in increased wealth disparity and the eventual economic crash of 1929, highlighting the consequences of reduced government intervention. Thus, the 1920s' embrace of laissez-faire economics was a direct reversal of the Progressive Era's push for greater government oversight and social responsibility.

The 1920s saw significant social conflicts, primarily centered around race, gender, and immigration. The resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan and violent racial tensions highlighted the struggle for civil rights among African Americans, particularly in the context of the Great Migration. Additionally, the women's suffrage movement culminated in the 19th Amendment, leading to conflicts over women's roles in society and their newfound rights. Lastly, immigration restrictions and nativist sentiments fueled tensions against immigrants, particularly from Southern and Eastern Europe, as they were often scapegoated during economic uncertainties.

It is very common, after a major disaster or crisis occurs, for finger-pointing to begin, and whoever is in power at the time often gets some blame, whether that is fair or not. In this case, the major disaster was the crash of the economy. It was blamed on President Hoover because as conditions worsened, and more average Americans lost their jobs and their ability to feed their family, Hoover's policies seemed to only favor helping the wealthy. Whether that was true or not could be debated, but it quickly became a belief of average Americans that Hoover's laissez-faire approach to economic issues only helped big corporations and left everyone else to fend for themselves. Hoover also made his own situation worse because he had a media problem-- he was a very poor radio speaker in an era when using radio for communication had become essential for any politician. He failed to explain his policies in a way that gave Americans confidence, and the public turned against him, deciding a change of leadership was necessary if the US was to recover from the Great Depression.

The 1920s was an era of much positive social change (women getting the vote; more middle class young people attending college; black artists, poets, and playwrights leading the "Harlem Renaissance"; new technologies like radio bringing news, education, and entertainment to millions, etc). But it was also an era when the Ku Klux Klan experienced a dramatic increase in influence, and there was also an increase in prejudice directed at Jews, blacks, and immigrants. There was no one person leading the charge: a number of anti-immigrant groups surfaced, of which the KKK was the best known and best organized (they even had their own radio station to spread their message of hate for those who were not white and Christian).

But sad to say, anti-Jewish or anti-black bigotry was embedded in the popular culture. America was still segregated, and despite the advances many blacks experienced up North or the praise the members of the artistic community received during the Harlem Renaissance, minority rights were very much restricted throughout the country, and the Ku Klux Klan was able to capitalize on fear of upwardly mobile Negroes (as they were then called) gaining more power in society. The same was true about Jews-- many colleges, including Harvard and Dartmouth, put in quotas so that their schools would not have "too many Jews." While many Jews succeeded in certain professions like entertainment or science, they were still barred from numerous other occupations. And fear of "too many immigrants" led to restrictive policies and quotas on who could come to America. Nativism, the belief that only the "native born" should be allowed to live in the USA, or that only native born (white Protestant) Americans should hold power, was alive and well, one very negative aspect of an otherwise positive decade.

All of the above

-Many were farm workers invited from mexico by the US government

-They worked for low wages

-They faced housing discrimination

Why was the U.S. economy so important to the world economy in the 1920s? U.S. factories produced half of the world's industrial goods. The United States owed money to other countries at that time. U.S. citizens imported more goods than any other country. The United States was owed money by other countries.

The 1920s, often referred to as the "Roaring Twenties," saw significant changes in American culture characterized by a break from traditional values. This era witnessed the rise of jazz music, flapper fashion, and a burgeoning consumer culture fueled by mass media and advertising. Urbanization increased as people flocked to cities for jobs and entertainment, leading to a cultural shift that embraced modernity, independence, and a more liberal lifestyle. Additionally, the decade marked a notable movement toward social change, including greater visibility for women and the beginnings of the civil rights movement.

Who moved to the American Southwest in large numbers in the 1920s to work on farms and ranches as well as in mines and factories?

No, not really. People did buy things on credit-- but this meant they would work out a payment plan and pay for the item in installments. As far as we know, the first bank credit card did not originate in the United States until the mid-1940s, and such credit cards did not become popular (mainly with businessmen) till the mid-to-late 1950s.

Women did not dominate the workforce, and in fact the number of women in the workforce declined during the 1920s, especially professional women.

The 1920s was a decade of rapid industrial growth such growth is called the Roaring Twenties.

A major environmental issue that farmers in the Midwest faced was soil erosion, particularly during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Poor agricultural practices, such as excessive tilling and monoculture, stripped the land of its nutrients and topsoil, leading to significant degradation. This not only reduced crop yields but also contributed to severe dust storms that impacted air quality and health. Efforts to combat this issue included the implementation of crop rotation, conservation tillage, and reforestation initiatives.

D. A return to normalcy

Hope this helps someone in the future

Rural banks failed because farms failed in large numbers in the 20s. Less than 10 years earlier during WW 1, farm production had reached record levels because France and England had become dependent on US grain. This meant that farmers invested heavily in machinery, storage facilities and new land development, and the rural banks gave out huge amounts in loans to finance all that.

But after WW 1 and starting in 1920, England and France could once again grow their own crops; Prohibition meant that the demand for barley - normally required for the production of beer and spirits - plummetted; and Canada became a big wheat producer and a serious competitor fort US wheat.

The result: prices fell dramatically, farms had to close down and loans from the rural banks could not be repaid. With huge amounts of unpaid debts to write off, the collateral (the farms themselves) having become worthless, rural banks started to fail in large numbers.

The xenophobia characteristic of the late 1910s and 1920s influenced the development of the National Origins Act immigration policies.