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Explore the economic, political, and social changes of the 1920s that led to a clash of cultures. From the birth of modernization to the Jazz Age and the rise of the "New Woman," witness the superficiality and grim reality of this transformative decade.
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The Roaring Twenties • My candle burns at both ends;It will not last the night;But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends-It gives a lovely light. • A Few Figs from Thistles (first published in 1920):Edna St. Vincent Millay • An American lyrical poet and playwright • 1st woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. • She used the pseudonym Nancy Boyd for her prose work.
New Forms of Entertainment List examples from the video clip: New Movements in the Arts List examples from the video clip: New Attitudes and Fashions List examples from the video clip: The Roaring Life of the 1920’s VIDEO CLIP – “THE ROARING ’20’S”
The economic, political, and social changes of the early 20th century manifested themselves in a widespread clash of cultures. • As twentieth century modernity increasingly challenged Victorian traditions, this provoked a defense of older values. • Basic transition in American culture from 1910’s to 1920’s.
Problems of Urbanization…”fuels” a culture clash • Industrialization leads to growth of big cities. • African Americans continue to move North. • Cities struggle with Prohibition and organized crime.
“Old” Culture – RURAL CULTURE Emphasized production Emphasized character (morals) Emphasized scarcity ( frugal) Emphasized religion Idealized the past Local Culture “New” Culture – URBAN CULTURE Emphasized consumption Emphasized personality Emphasized abundance Emphasized science Looked to the future Mass Culture (media) CLASH OF CULTURES –1910’s – 1920’s • Warren Susman, Culture as History: The Transformation of American Society in the Twentieth Century (New York: Pantheon Books, 1984).
The Grand Illusion What made the decade “roar”? Birth of the “modernization” Jazz Age The “New Woman” Suffrage; flappers;etc Artistic “Freedom” Surrealism Functionalist Architecture Frank Lloyd Wright Scientific Research Edison’s Menlo Park,NJ Einstein’s Theory of Relativity Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Entertainment Industry Movies, Radio, Professional Sports The Grim Reality What was superficial about the “roaring 20’s”? “Lost Generation” living “high life”, but had “lost life’s meaning?! Boom economy… based on false “paper wealth” ?! An era that introduced a modern “anything goes” atmosphere that is ALSO filled with intolerance and discrimination?! Images of the 1920’s
