Henry Ford --> First person to utilize the assembly line. He mass produced cars, raised the wages from $3 to $5 for his employees, and brought the cars prices down to the increase in supply. Without him, the cars wouldn't be so cheap, no one could use the cars except the wealthy. The road system of the United States wouldn't have been introduced as quickly as it was, and the migration west to California form the midwest would've been more violent and slow, perhaps causing many to stop short and settling maybe New Mexico or Arizona.
Charles Lindbergh --> He was the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean on virtually no sleep. He returned to America and everyone saw him as a hero. It put into perspective the accomplishes and achievements that made the nation fun. It gave people someone to look up to and new heroes and status symbols that would later be sports stars such as Babe Ruth.
Pool operators --> Pool operators were the political bosses in certain cities. They used their power to give immigrants jobs and cater to the needs of the people in order to cultivate votes for their candidate. Once they had received enough votes to get whoever they wanted into power, they shut off the services and gifts given to people and stopped caring all together once they had achieved what they sought out to do! D:
Stocks inflated --> The people were buying stocks because the stock market was becoming a nation-wide thing that the public was getting into. They were owning shares in companies that were in the process of coming into their own, instead already wealthy companies that established world prowess. For the first time in American society, it seemed like everyone was investing, and the economy was flowing smoothly in appearance. However, in order to buy such stocks, there was such thing as paying in 10-20% incriments, and borrow money from stockbrokers, who in turn borrowed money from the bank, who are in another situation altogether. This caused a big crap once everybody started buying on a margin, and the money was empty and the stocks became worth less than they actually were going for. Debt began to pile up.
October 24, 1929 --> The day the stock market crashed, known as black Thursday, 13 million stocks were sold off. On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, 16.4 million shares lost, and 29.3 million shares lost in between these two days. (Five days) Within days, a large amount of wealth within the nation vanished. This started the Great Depression and plunged the country into the darkest of times.
Government relief programs --> Hoover felt that they were socialist and communistic. He felt that the business would right itself, and the depressions were just phases that were just natural in a capitalistic economy. Hoover didn't want America going towards being a socialist state.
Fireside Chats --> The Fireside chats were a radio program for Franklin D. Roosevelt. He became the first president to use mass media to appeal to the American people. He would sit down and have a conversation with the people in their living rooms and it gave the country a connection with the man in charge, and they felt that they had the know in what was going on and how the country was running. He also encouraged and kept the people lively during the hard times.
Depression Programs --> Some programs set up during the depression, as part of the New Deals that are still a part of today's life: Social Security, Minimum Wage, Limit on hours per week, Child Labour, Government Insured Banks, Certain Buildings part of the WPA like Fort Knox.
Philosophical WWI --> Serbian search for Independence and nationalistic recognition. The system of national allies and the amount of treaties being signed with countries and countries. Therefore, whenever one country goes to war, the others have to keep their promises and retaliate with their allies which in turn, causes THEIR allies to help out in the effort, and eventually the whole world was killing/stabbing/shooting each other.
Bonus Army --> The Bonus Army was a collection of WWI veterans that were promised $1,000 pensions around 1945. However, many people were losing jobs and the economy was headed down a bad road, and the veterans wanted it sooner so they could keep their families going. They demanded the federal government give them the money but they refused, so they camped out in D.C. until their demands were met. Douglas MacArthut and Dwight D. Eisenhower took action and scurried them off when the camping/loitering/protesting got too much.
Hundred Days --> Roosevelt established New Deal. Many administrations were set up, such as the Civillian Conservation Corps, Federal Relief Administration, Works Progress Administration, many many others, and 15 proposals to congress, all of which were passed. It was an amazingly productive time that was unmatched by any president before Roosevelt. Now, presidents are judged on the first hundred days in office to see what they can do and if they live up to their campaign speeches. (And they always do...)
Harding's Presidency --> Once he was elected, he admitted he was qualified and had no clue what the hell he was doing. He elected many cabinet members and selected friends to fill other seats in the house. These came to be known as the Ohio gang and the corruption was disgusting. There were bribes being accepted, the friends would start underground businesses, but none of them were ever tied to Harding. He was just stupid and that was the downfall.
Marcus Garvey --> Big Black Guy!!!!!! He was born into a poor familiy in Jamaica moved to New York, and he wanted black people to leave America and return to Africa. He felt that they should be proud of the heritage of black people, and he had a mass following. He had Garveyites that would don ridiculously awesome outifts and march around preaching his message. Garvey started the Black Pride movement and started UNIA, inspiring Malcolm X, MLK Jr., and Black Muslims in the near future.
Huey Long --> This guy was the devil I think. He wanted to tax the rich and give every poor American, a house, a car, and an annual income of $2,500. He was a very corrupt man that would've been America's first dictator, yet he was assassinated shortly after he could've been elected and America was saved from a man who looks strikingly similar to Hitler mixed with that one guy from that jewelry show that I don't like.
WPA --> The Works Progress Administration. It employed millions of unskilled and untrained workers to do public works such as build roads, set up railways. It's primary purpose was to help the country by performing public works and giving many poor Americans jobs in a time where the unemployment rate was approaching upwards of 25%. It also hired writers, photographers, and painters, to collect folklore, document American life, and share stories of the culture of the country as a whole. Very important program as far as what it actually did to the country and stimulating the population.
WWI change U.S. --> Economically powerful after the war. Emerges from the war as one of the world powers, where before the war, US was budding into its own and was on the line of practicing isolationism.
