Thesis Statement: Although many social conflicts arose during the 1920’s,

political and economical conflicts proved evident throughout the time period
as well.

I. Introduction Paragraph

II. Political Conflicts in the 1920’s

A. President Harding and Scandals

B .Calvin Coolidge and Laissez-Faire Politics

C. President Herbert Hoover and Politics of Associations
D. Prohibition
E. Immigration Quota 1921
F. Immigration Restriction Act of 1924
G. Creation vs. Revolution
H. The Scopes/ Monkey Trial

III. Economical Conflicts in the 1920’s

A. Peoples Capitalism
B Rise of Advertising
C. Mass Marketing
D. Agricultural Depression
E. Coolidge’s Neglect Towards Farmers

III. Social Conflicts in the 1920’s

A. Attitude Change towards Sex and Marriage
B. Flappers
C. Women’s’ Appearance
D. League of Women Voters
E. Prohibition and Al Capone
F. The Ku Klux Klan
G. The Harlem Renaissance
 The 1920’s was full of social conflicts on the world view. Although many social conflicts

arose during the 1920s, many political and economical conflicts proved evident throughout the

time period. From Scopes Trial to President Hoover, many conflicts arose.

President Warren G. Harding had good intentions but unfortunately was surrounded by

scantling associates. The Tea Pot Dome scandal was a great example of that. he transferred the

lease of the Tea pot Dome oil reserve to Albert Fall, US Secretary of the Interior. then Fall traded

the oil reserve to Harry Sinclair of the Mammoth Oil Reserve for cash gifts and no interest loans.

Even though Harding was not personally connected with the transfer, his health plummeted after

that. He died before the extent of his wrong doing was determined. Calvin Coolidge was another

good political leader. He thought Government should be evolved in business as little as possible.

He left out the fate of the Agricultural people from the rural areas though. He did very little to

help farmers during the agricultural depression. He didn’t see them as important enough as the

people in the urban area businesses. Herbert Hoover was the next president. He cared too much

about personal life on his behalf and associates behalf. He did many great things but the right

thought just was not there. Prohibition also played a big role in the 1920’s. After the 18th

amendment had ban the sale, consumption, or production of liquor more people began to

smuggle liquor, mainly mobsters such as Al Capone. The Immigration Quota and the

Immigration Restriction Act of 1924 also brought along conflicts. Some of the supporters of the

Acts thought that certain ethic groups should be allowed to send more immigrants in to the US.

These groups were mainly Scandinavian, German, and British, who were racially superiors. This

was banned by the constitution because it supported racial discrimination. so the committee had

to formulate an annual quota of how many immigrants could enter the United States. the belief

and teaching of Evolution also arose conflict in the 1920’s. Fundamentalists thought that

creation was what should be taught in schools not Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Around 1924
Tennessee passed a law that forbade the teaching of evolution in the schools. the first to

challenge this was John Scopes, a 24 year old Biology teacher from Dayton, Tennessee, soon he

confessed and was arrested. He had Charles Darrow as his defense with William Jennings Bryan

as Prosecutor. As everyone figured Scopes was convicted. These political conflicts distributed to

the watershed of the 1920’s.

Many economical conflicts affected the 1920’s as well. People’s Capitalism was something

that virtually all Americans could participate in. Supposedly it banned poverty, everyone could

share amenities and luxuries. It banished the gap between rich and poor. Still many poor

Americans benefitted little from the consumer revolution. Some even gave up food and

necessities just to pay for luxury items such as cars and nice homes. The rise of advertising did

not help resolve these problems but instead helped to contribute to the problems. Cars especially

were advertised. The advertisements made many more people want what they usually couldn’t

afford. Many people gave up necessities for these luxuries but the Great Depression would be

one of the effects of that. Agriculture depression added on to the conflict of the time period.

Many farmers were not taking in enough income for what they were growing, and couldn’t

support their families. Urban areas were prospering way more than rural areas. President

Coolidge didn’t do much to aid these farmers either. He was more worried about the businesses

in urban areas than the rural country areas. Economic conflicts contributed a lot to the watershed

1920’s.

Though political and economical conflicts were high, social conflicts were very high as well.

Attitude change towards sex and marriage was a big conflict resource. The moderate women felt

more freely to show and distribute their sexuality. They were called flappers. They wore shorter

dresses and short hair dos. Traditional women wore long Victorian style dresses with long hair

dos and stayed at home caring for their families. They didn’t show as much sexuality as flappers.
Women gaining the right to vote set up conflict as well. They became known as the League of

Women Voters. They felt they should have just as much say as men in politics. Some women

did, but many women were left unheard. A strong issue supported by them was prohibition. This

led to more illegal smuggling, which also increased the number of mobsters. The crime rate rose

highly after this as well. All of these conflicts together led to the return of the Ku Klux Klan.

They didn’t only discriminate against the blacks but the moderates in general. They rebelled

against the life style influenced by the 1920’s. African Americans found their own place in

America though, in Harlem New York. They lived together, practicing their own traditions. This

led to the Harlem Renaissance. Whites still held some form of control over this. The Jazz singers

had to perform at the likes of whites. Poems had to be written about the jungle like life of

African Americans just to suit the taste of their white publishers. So many social conflicts took

place in the 1920’s that would help led to a more serious problem in the future.

In the 1930’s a Great Depression would hit the United States hard, and it would revolve

around many of these conflicts.