Criminal Activities of the Roaring Twenties

The 1920’s are commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties. Many factors during the time played significant roles in earning the decade this name. Economic conditions and developments in the arts and entertainment were some of the most impacting among these factors. Economic conditions and developments in the arts and entertainment helped create the reputation of the 1920’s as the Roaring Twenties. Economic conditions gave people a feeling of economic prosperity. They also allowed people to buy a lot of things on credit. Developments in the arts and entertainment created a culture of free expression by granting women the ability to express their opinions more clearly than they were able to in years prior and encouraging jazz and dancing.

He had little knowledge of politics, and depended on his fellow politicians. These men, in turn, involved in scandals to embezzle money from the government. One was the Great Mobilier scandal; it dealt with the Union Pacific Railroad. The Construction Company hired themselves at inflated prices to build railroad lines, and distributed shares of stock to congressmen. A scandal during Grant’s second term, was the Whisky Ring. This scandal was uncovered in St. Louis, and consisted of selling whiskey without the excise tax. In return it defrauded the government out of millions of dollars. Belknap was selling goods and trading with the Indians for lower prices.

    Prohibition caused gangs and organized crime to thrive in the 1920’s. Big gangsters made fortunes off of bootlegging, or the illegal make and distribution of alcohol, and speakeasies, illegal clubs or bars that sold alcohol. Al Capone of Chicago was one of the most well known gangsters of the time. He made up to $60 million dollars annually bootlegging and running speakeasies

5.Teapot Dome Scandal-in the Harding administration, Secretary of the Navy ,Edwin Denby persuaded the president to transfer responsibility. Senate investigation was opened by Thomas J. Walsh.It was found that Secretary Fall had received more than $400,000 in "loans" for assisting Sinclair and Doheny. Big Scandal of 1923.

This was known as the “Teapot Dome Scandal”. Fall was found guilty in court and was even sentenced to jail time. While this wasn’t directly Harding’s fault, it dealt a huge blow to his reputation. This was Harding’s biggest mistake; the people he hired.

Overall governmental corruption ran rampant. Under President Ulysses S. Grant, a few scandals occurred. One of which had overcharging the public for railroad costs, involving Credit Mobilier, which was comprised mostly of wealthy politicians. They took off some of the taxpayer’s fund for themselves. This was also when the public found out that Republican lawmakers in Congress, including the Speaker of the House were being bribed.

The Roaring Twenties were a time of wild enjoyment, loud music and booming economy. In 1920, for the first time in American history, more

1. What kind of struggles did President Andrew Johnson have to face during his presidency? Andrew Johnston faced difficulties during his time in office, ranging from problems with himself, to problems with the nation. He showed up to his inauguration and was sworn into office while intoxicated, slurring words and ranting on various topics. This left a horrendous first impression for his time in office, and to make matters worse, he would become president just six short weeks later after Lincoln’s assassination.

Criminal activity during the 1920s played a major role throughout the entirety of the decade, as it related to the newfound culture the Roaring Twenties entailed. As the nation strove to achieve the American Dream, parties, money and social representation became a main contribute to an individual’s persona. As these factors were sought to be obtained, many criminal engagements were enacted. These crimes included but were not limited to, bootlegging, organized crime, scandals and murder, which were set by the infamous Al Capone and the Mafia, with contribution to the corruption of the FBI, the KKK and their racial and religious prejudice, Leopold and Loeb, and Warren G. Harding, in relation to the Teapot Dome Scandal. All of these acts are relative to modern society as they paved way for greater emphasis on civil and political issues in the following decades, as society began to regard national security and pushed toward a movement to enact stricter laws and regulations towards individual matters.

The 1920s are usually characterized as a time of care-free, social rebellion against the restricting ideals of the post WWI world, but it has a darker side than this. Prisons populations and crime rates rose to an all time high from where they were pre-Prohibition. Gangsters soon became the richest, most powerful men in the country and all due to the bootlegging of liquor. In New York and Chicago especially, the gangs were as diverse as the people living there, all fighting to control their areas, causing insane amounts of violence and death. Although Prohibition's aim was to decrease drunkenness and crime, it would ultimately cause more harm than good with the emergence of speakeasies which kept people drunk and gangs who increased crime

The first cabinet officer in American history to be convicted of a crime while in office, Albert B. Fall also was the only government appointee of the Harding administration whose criminal acts were punished to the full extent of the American law (Faue). This showcased how sometimes, government officials overuse their political power and wind up damaging the country. Fall’s actions negatively affected Native Americans, major oil companies, and the entire executive branch of American government. Fall also made President Harding look foolish for being oblivious to the crimes occurring right in front of his eyes, which brought national shame to the United States. Albert B. Fall’s also set a precedent for future politicians that showed it was okay to abuse your power to a certain extent, which is damaging to the country. The Teapot Dome Scandal and others that occurred during the Harding Administration negatively reflected the United States

Organized Crime The 1920’s in America was a change from the past; soldiers were coming home, innovation was everywhere, and life was changing. Due to all these positive changes, this time in America’s history is known as the Roaring Twenties. Unfortunately, the Roaring Twenties had an ugly side. With the Eighteenth Amendment ratified, a ban on the production and distribution of liquor, it left a hole in a popular and booming industry.

The Watergate Affair, is the worst political scandal in U.S. history. It led to the resignation of the president, Richard M. Nixon, after he became implicated in an attempt to cover up the scandal. "The Watergate Affair" refers to the break-in and electronic bugging

Watergate was the name of the biggest political scandal in United States history. It included various illegal activities constructed to help President Richard Nixon win reelection in the 1972 presidential elections. Watergate included burglary, wire tapping, violations of campaign financing laws, and sabotage and attempted use of government agencies to harm political opponents. It also involved a cover-up of conduct. There were about 40 people charged with crimes in the scandal and related crimes. Most of them were convicted by juries or pleaded guilty.

In the 1920s, Teapot Dome was synonymous with government corruption and scandals arising out of President Warren G. Harding. Since then, it has often been used to symbolize the power and influence of oil companies in American politics. Before the events of Watergate scandal, one historian called it, “The greatest and most sensational scandal in the history of American politics.” Teapot Dome is a geological feature in Wyoming. It is named for a nearby Teapot Rock and the site of an oil field. In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson, designated that oil deposit as Naval Oil Reserve Number 3(reserves Number 1 and Number 2, in Elk Hills and Buena Vista Hills, California, had been similarly identified by President William Howard Taft in 1912). These