Culture Changes of the 20’s

Increasing Consumerism During the war people were thrifty but people are going to stop saving and start spending. What is thrifty? to save; Selective spending; “penny pinching” Personal prosperity – which means? people had more $$ - cost of living had dropped 10% Consumer spending – which means? buying based on wants instead of needs – led by advertising 1. New products are going to mass marketed Including: Ford’s Model T & Model A Vacuum cleaners Refrigerators Electric irons & fans, etc. And other more inexpensive items such as wrist watches, cigarette lighters and hand held cameras.

2. Advertising - Designed to convince people instead of saving for the future they should spend!!! - no longer focused on the product itself but appealed to peoples needs, frustrations and anxieties

Advertising examples: LISTERINE: Pledged to save lonely people from bad breath Palmolive soap: urged women to keep the school girl complexion – stay young forever CARS: Talked about freedom, excitement & adventure NOT engine size or brakes or MPG

3. Installment plan (credit) Credit ~Buy now - pay later With installment plans people could buy things they normally could not afford. Ex. Phonograph that was $43.50 $5 down - $5 a month PEOPLE LIVED BEYOND THEIR MEANS!

So overall – INCREASING CONSUMERISM in the 1920’s means: You fill this in using your brain!!!

Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes, expressed the feeling of the Harlem Renaissance with this: “We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, it doesn’t matter. We know we are beautiful.” What does he mean by this?

This cultural rebirth can be seen through different aspects ,such as:

JAZZ Started in New Orleans and then moved with the migration of African Americans to Chicago and New York. Some of the most popular jazz musicians were: Louis Armstrong (Satchmo) who played the trumpet. Duke Ellington – an artist turned pianist, composer and band leader Jazz musicians wowed audiences of all races!

Louis Armstrong http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmfeKUNDDYs

The Harlem Renaissance was more than just a musical awakening. Writers/Poets Poets such as Langston Hughes became a spokesman for African-Americans He is known for his black pride poems, stories of lowly walks of life, novels, experimental theatre pieces, an autobiography Artists Focused on the culture and history of black americans Laura Wheeler Waring – painted scenes of upper class African Americans Edward A. Harleston – focused on African American servants, soldiers and hired hands Aaron Douglas – his goal in his arts was to portray the spiritual identity and African roots of blacks in the U.S.

Literary, artistic, musical awakening of the African American community So overall the Harlem Renaissance is: Answer in your notes….. What do YOU think?

Prohibition -The outlawing of alcohol sales and consumption Led by activists in the temperance movement because they believed that alcohol led to violence, unemployment and economic and moral bankruptcy. “No power on earth…has such influence to terrorize and make cowards of men as the liquor power. Satan could not have fallen on a more potent instrument with which to thrall the world!!!!” ---- Eliza Stewart

Congress agrees with Eliza and passes the 18th Amendment: outlawed the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors” within the United States not illegal to buy, possess, or consume

Many people found ways AROUND this amendment: Drinking surged as people found ingenious ways to get around the law Gave alcohol nicknames such as giggle water or hooch Bootleggers Hid liquor in boots/concealed in flask Made liquor with household products Got liquor from church wine producers/for medicinal purposes Smuggled from Bahamas/Canada Speak-Easies Concealed purposes with false business fronts Membership cards and passwords used to get in What is this called?

People found it “glamorous” to break the law $ to be made $ 3.5 billion – illegal liquor trade Crime Lords emerged EX. Al Capone – headed a gang on the west side of Chicago ($ 40 million annual income; organization made $ 100 million annually) Battled with rival gangs to control: illegal liquor trade, drugs, gambling, prostitution, and paid protection for “speak-easies” Enforcement of Prohibition proved difficult The # of Americans breaking the law was enormous 60% of Chicago police force making $ from trade 80% of Americans were in favor of repealing the law Not enough government money to support enforcement Lack of public support for policy “Dry Snoops” – prohibition agents ridiculed evil methods: smashing with axes, bursting into houses, sniffing for alcohol, arresting the innocent

Radios more affordable; staple in average American home Popularity of Radio & Movies More leisure time; Radios more affordable; staple in average American home Important Dates in Radio 1920 - First station in Pittsburgh (Presidential election results) 1922 – 3,000,000 Americans owned radios and could listen to 508 stations 1929 – National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was making $150 million per year Live broadcasts instantly connected Americans to: Nationwide events Orchestra performances Soloist concerts Sports events Politician’s speeches Comedies Dramatic Series featuring Orson Wells (“The Shadow”) Offered flexibility and united Americans

Motion Picture Film Industry People are going to the movies because: Critics of the movies argued: Decreased church attendance Increased materialism Led to immorality Escape from postwar recession Enjoyed love/fight scenes, westerns Escaped in fantasy world Created jobs Promoted advertising Politicians saw opportunity to promote themselves

Big Industry Hundreds of films made 1922 – almost every community in America had at least 100-seat theatre 10 cents to 75 cents per picture bigger city theatres featured elaborate furnishings by 1929 movies, theatres, and spectator sports brought in 21% of the nation’s total $4.3 billion in amusement revenues Warner Brothers

Worshipped stars Rudolph Valentino – played an Arab “sheik” who stole women into his tent Mary Pickford/Douglas Fairbanks – married 1920 Clara Bow – showed legs in movies and was a heartbreaker both in and out of her movies Charlie Chaplin – comedian (laugh/cry) Lillian Gish – “Broken Blossoms” Mickey Mouse – introduced in the first Disney cartoon “Steamboat Willie” in 1927 Warner Brothers produced “The Jazz Singer” – 1st movie with sound (“talkies”), made $2 million

Steamboat Willie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REbZO82tkgw Charlie Chaplin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNseEVlaCl4

Sports ManiaLaws limiting work hours = more leisure time, so let’s watch sports!!!Sports stars became American heroes! Age of Play BASEBALL! – America’s pastime Babe Ruth – New York Yankees; “home run king” Barrel shaped body, spindly legs – not shaped like an athlete. Yankee Stadium: “The house that Ruth built”; increased profits Jim Crow Laws made baseball be separated by race. Negro Leagues: Stars : Satchel Paige, James “Cool Papa” Bell, Josh Gibson Large fan base but lacked equipment and $$ Football Not as popular as baseball initially Harold “Red” Grange – “Galloping Ghost”: had power & speed Running back for the University of Illinois Four touchdown runs/263 yards in the 1st twelve minutes of a game First athlete to be on the cover of Time magazine

Boxing Once outlawed, now super popular 2 prizefights – top of American sports interest Jack Dempsey/Gene Tunney – Philadelphia (1926) ~ 130,000 people; made $ 2 million Rematch – Chicago (1927) ~ 145,000 people; 40 million people heard it on the radio; conspiracy with ref’s call; made $2.6 million 10 Americans died from heart attacks in their living rooms Minor Sports Gertrude Ederle 1st woman to swim the English Channel (2 hours faster than the men’s time; 14:31) 1926 Olympian Bobby Jones Golfer – won many tournaments William “Big Bill” Tilden Tennis – 1st American to win Wimbledon Helen Wills Tennis – won every match from 1927 - 1930

Improved Transportation Automobile  Henry Ford -responsible for auto explosion (7 million by 1918) - Model T * assembly line production = cheaper cost ($260) * make time 14 hours93 minutes * by 1925 = new model every 10 seconds * Average American could use * big economic impact (biggest in country 1923) revolution in American way of life (mobile)  Road Improvements -created a spider-web across the country -1921 Federal Highway Act – 10,000 miles of highway -businesses grew along these new roads gas stations, hot dog stands, restaurants, campgrounds, motels -billboards became the newest method of advertising

Airplanes flying = object of national attention WWI had pushed development aviators from war though couldn’t get jobs There were some pilots that wanted to keep flying Such as Amelia Earhart took up barnstorming- touring and performing in small towns and rural areas Charles Lindbergh 1927- left NewYork in single engine plane headed over the Atlantic to France 33 hours 30 minutes Plane: Spirit of St. Louis Made him a world hero received $25,000 and parade How did aviators convince Americans that flying was fascinating?

Changing Role Of Women Due to WWI, women took traditionally male jobs such as: shipment collectors Accountants phone operators steel mill workers This movement into new jobs motivated women to say: Hey! Treat us as equals! Pay us the same!! AND grant us suffrage! (which by the way happened in 1920 with the passage of the 19th amendment!)

Yeah~ for the right to vote! But some women thought politics were boring so they moved their focus into social life! Women’s fashion became an outlet for expression Less modest, shorter hemlines, short hair (“shingle bob”), cosmetics (rouge & lipstick) Danced the Charleston Advertising made women more aware of their image Ex. - Smoking advertisements promoted sophistication and weight loss The number of women smoking doubled during the 20’s Women became more self-sufficient & independent

Culture Changes of the 20’s