Civi américaine 6.02.12

The middle class reformers tried to set sanitary standards. They tried to impose their own moral standards. Diversions that made city life more bearable for poor people were seen as moral traps for educated people. There were new laws that rose out of the progressive movement, like anti prostitution laws, age limit laws, etc. The turn of the century was the heaviest drinking time for the US.

In 1914, due to heavy lobbying, there was the narcotic act that was passed to restrict and eliminate heavy drug use (no more cocaine in Coca Cola).

Over 17 million immigrants came to the US between 1900 and 1917 coming from all over the world. NYC leaders had to find jobs and places to live for these people. Many of these immigrants came from different cultures.

The average work time went down to 50/40 hours a week. They had more time for leisure activities. Education was how the US government wanted to assimilate new immigrants. Little by little, if a child spoke his or her own language, they were punished, including in Louisiana.

The radio was invented in 1920 and was able to connect the nation. Movies were big business during the war and especially after the war. 1927: The Jazz Singer.

By 1930, there was as many as 100 million tickets being sold each week. Millions of weekly magazines were sold.

First solo transatlantic flight from NY to Paris made by Lindbergh.

Music was also important, especially jazz. A lot of people moved from the South to the North, bringing their music with them.

Many people of that time contributed to a very solid American literature. There was an advertizing boom, especially in marketing.

Henry Ford developed and improved the Model T.

The progressive movement passed a law that would outlaw alcohol. 11^th Amendment outlawed the selling, the making and the drinking of alcohol. It was almost impossible to enforce this law and a lot of speakeasies popped up and they were supplied by bootleggers. There were always lots of police raids. Rise of a lot of mafia and gangsters, especially in NYC, LA, and Las Vegas.  Al Capone was in Chicago.

Anti evolution laws in 1859 that outlawed the teaching of anything different from Christian theory (in opposition to Darwin’s theory); this was tested in ACLU in 1925.

John T. Scopes, a biology professor from Tennessee, taught the evolution theory. The officials filed a lawsuit against him because it was illegal according to the states’ law. He has only read the theory out loud.

The SC ruled later that similar laws had violated the constitution by promoting certain religious views.

There were other rebellion spirits against government officers. People were disillusioned after the Spanish American War and WW1. Many artists and writers were denounced as radicals. They were all committed to American ideals; they created an authentic national culture inspired by their literary efforts (they travelled a lot, for example to France, to discuss with other intellectuals). A lot of interesting literature was produced at that time.

The roaring twenties came to an end. A new president (republican) was elected. Hoover’s administration started out as a promising start. Social and economical changes. Massive overproduction. The prices were lowered. They could use credit to buy goods: installment buying. During this period, there was a “get rich quick” attitude: speculation, gambling, etc.

When a lot of small investors entered the market, if they couldn’t afford to buy stock at face value, the stock records let them buy on margin. Overproduction made some industries slow down. They didn’t have enough money to buy stuff as fast as they were being made.

Crop prices dropped, farmers couldn’t pay their loans for their machines or their land.

The effect of the crash snowballed.

A run-on-a bank: people are nervous. Everyone comes and wants to withdraw money. The bank doesn’t have enough money to give the people who are closing their counts. The banks have to close because they failed and people lost money.

Big financial depression. The US had insisted that their allies repay the wartime debt. Congress also raised import tariffs (very high