President Calvin Coolidge strongly supported business. As you read in your textbook, during Coolidge’s presidency, tax rates on corporate profits and on wealthy Americans were lowered, tariffs were raised, and labor laws were overturned to support businesses over individuals. The political cartoon below appeared in September 1924 before the November presidential elections. Study the cartoon and answer the questions that follow.
Who do you think the figures represent?
What are they doing?
The men are singing a paraphrase of a religious hymn of praise. What do you think this cartoonist believes they worship? How do you know?
| Your Responses | Sample Answers |
|---|---|
| Business owners, industrialists, or the wealthy are acceptable answers. | |
| They are singing Calvin Coolidge’s praises. | |
| They worship money, profits, and Coolidge’s policies. The cartoonists indicates this by the dollar sign on the cash register and the portly, well-dressed men. | |
