The 1920s

1. The 1920s Mr. McMinn American History Grants High School

2. Society in the 1920s How were women�s roles changing during the 1920s? How were the nation�s cities and suburbs affected by Americans on the move from rural areas? Who were some American heroes of the 1920s? What made them popular with the American public?

3. Women�s Changing Roles The Flapper Image The flapper, a type of bold, fun-loving young woman, came to symbolize a revolution in manners and morals that took place in the 1920s. Flappers challenged conventions of dress, hairstyle, and behavior. Many Americans disapproved of flappers� free manners as well as the departure from traditional morals that they represented. Women Working and Voting Although many women held jobs in the 1920s, businesses remained prejudiced against women seeking professional positions. The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote in all elections beginning in 1920. At first, many women did not exercise their right to vote. It took time for women�s votes to make an impact.

7. Americans on the Move Rural-Urban Split Although the economy in the cities expanded in the 1920s, many farmers found themselves economically stressed. This resulted in a migration from rural to urban areas. Rural and urban Americans were also split over cultural issues. While many in the cities were abandoning some traditional values, rural populations generally wanted to preserve these values. Growth of the Suburbs While cities continued to grow, many Americans moved from cities to suburbs. Improvements in transportation made travel between the cities and suburbs increasingly easy. This shift in population was one example of changing demographics, or statistics that describe a group of people, during the 1920s.

8. Waves of Migration During the Great Migration, which lasted through World War I, many African Americans had moved from the rural South to take jobs in northern cities. Industrial expansion during the 1920s also encouraged African American migration to the North. However, they often faced discrimination in both the North and the South. After World War I, masses of refugees applied for entry into the United States. Immigration from China, Japan, and southern and eastern Europe was limited; however, many immigrants from Mexico and Canada filled low-paying jobs in the United States. Certain areas became magnets for immigrants. A barrio, or Spanish-speaking neighborhood, developed in Los Angeles, California; New York also attracted numerous Spanish-speaking immigrants.

9. American Heroes

12. Society in the 1920s�Assessment Why were some Americans opposed to flappers? (A) Flappers opposed the Nineteenth Amendment. (B) Flappers challenged traditional values. (C) Americans preferred sports heroes. (D) Americans thought that flappers encouraged immigration. Which of the following was a migration pattern in the 1920s? (A) From cities to suburbs (B) From suburbs to cities (C) From suburbs to rural areas (D) From the United States to Canada and Mexico

13. Society in the 1920s�Assessment Why were some Americans opposed to flappers? (A) Flappers opposed the Nineteenth Amendment. (B) Flappers challenged traditional values. (C) Americans preferred sports heroes. (D) Americans thought that flappers encouraged immigration. Which of the following was a migration pattern in the 1920s? (A) From cities to suburbs (B) From suburbs to cities (C) From suburbs to rural areas (D) From the United States to Canada and Mexico

14. Mass Media and the Jazz Age How did the mass media help create common cultural experiences? Why are the 1920s called the Jazz Age, and how did the jazz spirit affect the arts? How did the writers of the Lost Generation respond to the popular culture? What subjects did the Harlem Renaissance writers explore?

15. The Mass Media Growth of the mass media, instruments for communicating with large numbers of people, helped form a common American popular culture during the 1920s. The popularity of motion pictures grew throughout the 1920s; �talkies,� or movies with sound, were introduced in 1927. Newspapers grew in both size and circulation. Tabloids, compact papers which replaced serious news with entertainment, became popular. Magazines also became widely read. Although radio barely existed as a mass medium until the 1920s, it soon enjoyed tremendous growth. Networks linked many stations together, sending the same music, news, and commercials to Americans around the country.

17. The Jazz Age Jazz, a style of music that grew out of the African American music of the South, became highly popular during the 1920s. Characterized by improvisation and syncopation, jazz became so strongly linked to the culture of the 1920s that the decade came to be known as the Jazz Age. Harlem, a district in Manhattan, New York, became a center of jazz music. Flappers and others heard jazz in clubs and dance halls; the Charleston, considered by some to be a wild and reckless dance, embodied the Jazz Age. Jazz pioneers Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong made important contributions to jazz music.

20. The Jazz Spirit

22. The Harlem Renaissance In addition to being a center of jazz, Harlem emerged as an overall cultural center for African Americans. A literary awakening for African Americans took place in Harlem in the 1920s that was known as the Harlem Renaissance. Expressing the joys and challenges of being African American, writers such as James Weldon Johnson, Zora Neale Hurston, and Langston Hughes enriched African American culture as well as American culture as a whole.

24. Mass Media and the Jazz Age�Assessment Which of these best describes how the growth of mass media affected American culture? (A) It allowed local cultural traditions to flourish. (B) It made learning the Charleston easier. (C) It spread the work of Lost Generation writers. (D) It helped create a common American popular culture. What was the Harlem Renaissance? (A) A style of jazz music (B) An African American literary awakening (C) An increase in the popularity of newspapers and magazines (D) A type of jazz club found in Harlem

25. Mass Media and the Jazz Age�Assessment Which of these best describes how the growth of mass media affected American culture? (A) It allowed local cultural traditions to flourish. (B) It made learning the Charleston easier. (C) It spread the work of Lost Generation writers. (D) It helped create a common American popular culture. What was the Harlem Renaissance? (A) A style of jazz music (B) An African American literary awakening (C) An increase in the popularity of newspapers and magazines (D) A type of jazz club found in Harlem

26. Cultural Conflicts What were the effects of Prohibition on society? What issues of religion were at the core of the Scopes trial? How did racial tensions change after World War I?

27. Prohibition The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which took effect on January 16, 1920, made the manufacture, sale, and transport of liquor, beer, and wine illegal. As a result, many Americans turned to bootleggers, or suppliers of illegal alcohol. Bars that operated illegally, known as speakeasies, were either disguised as legitimate businesses or hidden in some way, often behind heavy gates. Prohibition sharpened the contrast between rural and urban areas, since urban areas were more likely to ignore the law. Additionally, it increased the number of liquor-serving establishments in some major cities to far above pre-Prohibition levels.

30. Organized Crime The tremendous profit resulting from the sale of illegal liquor, as well as the complex organization involved, helped lead to the development of organized crime. Successful bootlegging organizations often moved into other illegal activities as well, including gambling, prostitution, and racketeering. As rival groups fought for control in some American cities, gang wars and murders became commonplace. One of the most notorious criminals of this time was Al Capone, nicknamed �Scarface,� a gangster who rose to the top of Chicago�s organized crime network. Capone proved talented at avoiding jail but was finally imprisoned in 1931.

33. Issues of Religion Fundamentalism As science, technology, modern social issues, and new Biblical scholarship challenged traditional religious beliefs, a religious movement called fundamentalism gained popularity. Fundamentalism supported traditional Christian ideas and argued for a literal interpretation of the Bible. Billy Sunday and other famous fundamentalist preachers drew large audiences. Evolution and the Scopes Trail Fundamentalists worked to pass laws against teaching the theory of evolution in public schools. A science teacher named John T. Scopes agreed to challenge such a law in Tennessee. His arrest led to what was called the Scopes trial. The Scopes trial became the first trial to be broadcast over American radio. The case became a public debate between fundamentalists and modernists.

35. Racial Tensions Violence Against African Americans Mob violence between white and black Americans erupted in about 25 cities during the summer of 1919. The worst of these race riots occurred in Chicago, where the African American population had doubled since 1910. A white man threw a rock at a black teenager swimming in Lake Michigan, and the boy drowned. The incident touched off riots that lasted several days, destroyed many homes, killed several people and wounded many more. Revival of the Klan Although it had been largely eliminated during Reconstruction, the Ku Klux Klan regained power during the 1920s and greatly increased its membership outside the South. The Klan�s focus shifted to include terrorizing not just African Americans but also Catholics, Jews, immigrants, and others. After the arrest of a major Klan leader in 1925, Klan membership diminished once again.

38. Fighting Discrimination During the 1920s, the NAACP fought for anti-lynching laws and worked to promote the voting rights of African Americans. These efforts, however, met with limited success. A movement led by Marcus Garvey, an immigrant from Jamaica, became popular with many African Americans. Garvey, who created the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), sought to build up African Americans� self-respect and economic power, encouraging them to buy shares in his Negro Factories Corporation. Garvey also encouraged his followers to return to Africa and create a self-governing nation there. Although corruption and mismanagement resulted in the collapse of the UNIA, Garvey�s ideas of racial pride and independence would affect future �black pride� movements.

40. Cultural Conflicts�Assessment How did Prohibition reinforce the division between urban and rural areas? (A) Speakeasies only replaced legal saloons in urban areas. (B) Rural areas were more likely to obey Prohibition. (C) Urban areas were more likely to obey Prohibition. (D) Bootleggers only worked in rural areas. Which of the following best describes Marcus Garvey�s goals for African Americans? (A) Religious fundamentalism and an end to teaching evolution (B) Equality with Catholics, Jews, and immigrants (C) Universal suffrage and an end to lynchings (D) Self-respect, economic power, and independence

41. Cultural Conflicts�Assessment How did Prohibition reinforce the division between urban and rural areas? (A) Speakeasies only replaced legal saloons in urban areas. (B) Rural areas were more likely to obey Prohibition. (C) Urban areas were more likely to obey Prohibition. (D) Bootleggers only worked in rural areas. Which of the following best describes Marcus Garvey�s goals for African Americans? (A) Religious fundamentalism and an end to teaching evolution (B) Equality with Catholics, Jews, and immigrants (C) Universal suffrage and an end to lynchings (D) Self-respect, economic power, and independence

42. A Republican Decade What events fueled the Red Scare of the early 1920s? What conflicts led to the major labor strikes of 1919? How did Republican leadership during the Harding and Coolidge presidencies shape the 1920s? What issues influenced the presidential election of 1928?

43. The Red Scare Issues of concern in the presidential election of 1920: Emerging from the shadow of World War I Putting the economy back on track Republican Warren G. Harding called for a return to �normalcy.� Many Americans hoped that Harding�s �normalcy� would protect them from the spread of Russia�s communism, an ideology openly hostile to capitalism and First Amendment freedoms. Some Americans were concerned that the European immigrants entering the United States were Communists or other radicals. Events at home and abroad brought about a Red Scare, an intense fear of communism and other radical ideas.

44. Red Scare Events

45. Labor Strikes

46. The Harding Presidency

47. The Coolidge Presidency Coolidge assumed the presidency after Harding died. He summed up a major theme of the Republican decade: �The chief business of the American people is business.� Coolidge supported a laissez-faire ( let events take their corse) approach to business. His economic policies helped fuel the economic boom of the 1920s. Coolidge wanted peace and stability without without getting the United States too deeply involved in other nations. Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg worked with the French foreign minister to create the Kellogg-Briand Pact. Under this pact more than 60 nations agreed not to threaten each other with war. Unfortunately, there were no provisions for enforcement, and many of the countries that had signed the pact would be at war with each other by 1941.

48. A Republican Decade - Assessment How did the Red Scare contribute to America�s policy of isolationism in the 1920s? (A) It made Americans more nativist. (B) It caused a significant American military increase. (C) It helped Americans form stronger relationships with non-Communist countries. (D) It decreased U.S. involvement in Latin America. What was the Kellogg-Briand Pact? (A) A treaty outlawing war (B) A treaty outlawing trade with Communist countries (C) A treaty supporting war against Communist countries (D) A treaty supporting international civil liberties

49. A Republican Decade - Assessment How did the Red Scare contribute to America�s policy of isolationism in the 1920s? (A) It made Americans more nativist. (B) It caused a significant American military increase. (C) It helped Americans form stronger relationships with non-Communist countries. (D) It decreased U.S. involvement in Latin America. What was the Kellogg-Briand Pact? (A) A treaty outlawing war (B) A treaty outlawing trade with Communist countries (C) A treaty supporting war against Communist countries (D) A treaty supporting international civil liberties

50. A Consumer Economy The 1920s saw the development of a consumer economy, one that depends on a large amount of spending by consumers. Until the 1920s, middle-class Americans generally paid cash for everything. Manufacturers developed installment plans and clever advertising to encourage consumers to buy on credit. Many new electric appliances created a surge in demand for electricity. Between 1913 and 1927, the number of electric power customers quadrupled. By the 1920s, marketers developed a new approach to advertising. Advertisers used psychology to appeal to consumers� emotions and insecurities to sell products. As consumption rose so did productivity. A measure of productivity is the Gross National Product (GNP). The GNP is the total value of goods and services a country produces annually. Productivity rose to meet consumer demand, but it also rose because the nation developed new resources, new management methods, and new technologies.

52. Ford and the Automobile In 1896, Henry Ford perfected his first version of a lightweight gas-powered car. He called it the �quadricycle.� The improved version was the Model T. Ford wanted to produce a large number of cars and sell them at prices ordinary people could afford. To sell less expensive cars, he adapted the assembly line for his factories. An assembly line is a process in which each worker does one specialized task in the construction of a final product. Ford�s success came partly from vertical consolidation�controlling the businesses that make up the phases of production. Ford was a complex businessman. His pay rate was very generous, but he used violence to fight unions.

53. Industrial Growth and Bypassed by the Boom Industrial Growth Automobile making became the nation�s largest industry. Thousands of new businesses arose to serve automobile travel. Other non-automobile-related industries grew as well. Limited government regulation (laissez-faire policies) helped the value of businesses to soar. Rapid business expansion opened up opportunities for small companies. Bypassed by the Boom Some Americans struggled to survive during the 1920s. Many unskilled laborers remained poor, and their wages and working conditions did not improve with the boom. Agricultural industries had expanded to meet wartime needs but later failed to uncover new markets. Railroads suffered from shrinking demand, mismanagement, competition from trucking firms, and labor unions that fought against layoffs and wage cuts.

54. A Business Boom�Assessment What was the new approach to advertising in the 1920s? (A) It informed the consumer about the quality of the product. (B) It showed the product�s superiority over the competition. (C) It appealed to the emotions and insecurities of the consumer. (D) It helped the consumer to identify the manufacturer. In the United States which group suffered economically in the 1920s? (A) Unskilled laborers (B) Agricultural workers (C) Railroad companies (D) All of the above

55. A Business Boom�Assessment What was the new approach to advertising in the 1920s? (A) It informed the consumer about the quality of the product. (B) It showed the product�s superiority over the competition. (C) It appealed to the emotions and insecurities of the consumer. (D) It helped the consumer to identify the manufacturer. In the United States which group suffered economically in the 1920s? (A) Unskilled laborers (B) Agricultural workers (C) Railroad companies (D) All of the above

56. The Economy in the Late 1920s Why did the economy of the late 1920s appear healthy to most Americans? What danger signs were present in the economy of the late 1920s?

57. Economy Appears Healthy Herbert Hoover won the 1928 election, benefiting from the years of prosperity under previous Republican presidents. Americans had unusually high confidence in the economy in the 1920s. People made risky investments based on the popular notion that everyone ought to be rich. Many employers believed that they could prevent strikes and keep their productivity high with benefits that would meet and exceed the demands of workers. This approach to labor relations is called welfare capitalism. Under welfare capitalism employers raised wages, provided paid vacations, health plans, recreation programs, and English classes for recent immigrants. They even set up �company unions� to hear the concerns of their workers. As a result of welfare capitalism, organized labor lost members during the 1920s.

58. Economic Danger Signs

59. Personal Debt and Income Distribution in the 1920s

60. The Economy in the Late 1920s� Assessment Why did employers practice welfare capitalism? (A) To create false demand for goods (B) To prevent strikes and keep productivity high (C) To encourage stock market investment (D) To raise tariffs What is buying on margin? (A) Making high risk investments in hopes of getting a huge return (B) Causing a decrease in the price of a stock by spreading rumors about a company (C) Allowing certain investors to buy stock at a lower price (D) Allowing investors to purchase a stock for a fraction of its price and borrow the rest

61. The Economy in the Late 1920s� Assessment Why did employers practice welfare capitalism? (A) To create false demand for goods (B) To prevent strikes and keep productivity high (C) To encourage stock market investment (D) To raise tariffs What is buying on margin? (A) Making high risk investments in hopes of getting a huge return (B) Causing a decrease in the price of a stock by spreading rumors about a company (C) Allowing certain investors to buy stock at a lower price (D) Allowing investors to purchase a stock for a fraction of its price and borrow the rest