Key Individuals and Groups

• Warren G Harding (1921-23)


  Gave important jobs to friends, popular, concentrated on getting USA "back to normalcy" after WW1, contributed to boom by encouraging people to work for their own success, laissez-faire attitude to economy
• Calvin Coolidge (1923-29)


  "the chief business of the American people is business", laissez-faire attitude to economy
• Herbert Hoover (1929-33)


  Promoted "rugged individualism" & laissez-faire attitude to economy
• Henry Ford


  • Revolutionised car production by championing the assembly line, mass produced the Model T (Tin Lizzie), 1911-1929 - 15 million bought Model T's, 1000s employed in the car industry and other industries eg glass, leather, steel, road-building, led to a growth in suburban living
• Temperance Movement and Anti-Saloon League


  • Campaigned for prohibition
• Al Capone


  Arrived in Chicago in 1919, built up a network of corrupt officials among Chicago's police, local government, judges, lawyers and Prohibition agents, high profile and public figure of celebrity status
• Babe Ruth


  Celebrity Baseball player for New York Yankees, set a home run record that lasted until 1961, by 1930 earning $80,000 a year
• KKK


  • Vigilante group created after the Civil War to maintain white supremacy, mainly used violent methods eg lynching and beatings to intimidate African Americans, also used parades and economic boycotts, 1920's also attacked Jews, Catholics and immigrants, 1924 had 4.5 million members, declined after 1925 when David Stephenson convicted of the vicious, sexually motivated murder of Madge Uberholzer
• Association Against the Prohibition Amendment (AAPA)

  They argued that Prohibition was a threat to a person's right to choose to drink if they wanted to, and that Prohibition was leading people to lose respect for the law, also argued if alcohol was legalised then lots of legal jobs would be created in the brewing industry and then alcohol could be taxed
• Anti-Flirt League


  Protested against the behaviour of flappers
• National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP)

  Set up in 1909 to improve rights of African Americans, it had little success in the 1920's