1920's Stations #1

1. Economic Growth and Technological innovations America experienced unprecedented economic growth and prosperity during the 1920s. Technological innovations and rising disposable income created a standard of living that many American had never experienced before. Following World War I, American factories switched to producing consumer goods, causing the production of U.S. goods to nearly double from 1923 to 1929. Productivity increased as access to electricity was more widely available. Businesses could produce more because electricity was cheaper and more efficient than steam power. Electric appliances, like refrigerators, stoves, washing machines and vacuum cleaners became common in American homes. The new products were expensive, however, consumers were able to afford the products through installment buying – making small payments over time instead of paying the full amount up front. The most influential consumer product of the 1920s was automobiles. Henry Ford produced his Model T using assembly lines, which increased production and lowered the price of automobiles for consumers. Lower prices and the availability of installment payments made car ownership possible for average Americans, not just the wealthy. The booming automobile industry led to the growth of transportation-related industries. The glass, rubber, and steel industries grew because they supplied materials used in cars. Electric iron advertisement Couples pose with a Model T Ford during the 1920s Source: “America in the 1920s: Jazz Age & Roaring 20s.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/rise-to- world-power/1920s-america/a/jazz-and-the-lost-generation. Little History Monster 2020 2. Entertainment and Mass Culture In the 1920s, rising wages and technological innovations, such as labor-saving devices, created more free time for Americans. The result was a booming popularity in the consumption of entertainment. New forms of entertainment contributed to the rise of mass culture – a set of values and practices that occur from watching the same movies, listening to the same music, and hearing the same news reports. A new national culture was established. Florida theatre, January 1, 1922 Radios helped in creating a shared national culture. The radio became a common feature in American homes during the 1920s. The first radio station began in 1920, and by 1929 more than 10 million American families owned radios. The radio brought entertainment, sporting events, news, and advertising into people’s homes. With the touch of a button, Americans could receive communication from across the country. Radio also transformed how Americans enjoyed sports. The introduction of play-by-play descriptions of sporting events popularized sports figures and their accomplishments, bringing sports entertainment into the homes of millions. Movies also contributed to the new mass culture. Millions of Americans went to the movies at least once a week. Originally, movies had no sound. The most popular silent film star, Charlie Chaplin, portrayed a comical figure that moved audiences to both laughter and tears. The first movie with sound was produced in 1927. Shortly after, nearly all movies were “talkies.” The Brox sisters listening to a radio, mid-1920s Source: “The Roaring Twenties History.” History.com, www.history.com/topics/roaringtwenties-history Little History Monster 2020 3. The Jazz Age/Harlem Renaissance The Roaring Twenties is often referred to as the Jazz Age. Jazz was a new type of music rooted in African American culture. Jazz music exploded in popularity, spreading throughout the country. Technological innovations helped spur the growth of jazz. Americans could listen on the radio or purchase their favorite recordings for at home listening on the phonograph, whereas previously, they would have to attend a nightclub or concert to hear jazz. Most historians recognize jazz as an original art form developed by African Americans. It is considered one of the most influential cultural contributions of the United States. Louis Armstrong, innovator of early jazz The popularity of jazz helped to inspire the Harlem Renaissance – a flourishing of African American art, music, literature, and poetry, centered in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. African American writers celebrated their African and American heritages. It was one of the first times that many white Americans acknowledged the achievements of African American artists and writers. Many musicians were inspired by Louis Armstrong, a trumpet player that helped to create jazz. He learned to play while living in an orphanage as a young boy. By the time of his death, he was a world-wide celebrity. Edward “Duke” Ellington was a composer and band leader that helped created what was known as big-band jazz. One of the best-selling recording artists of the 1920s was Bessie Smith. She became known as the “Empress of the Blues.” One of the most popular writers of the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes. He used his writings to encourage African Americans to be proud of their heritage. Many other leaders of the Harlem Renaissance established themselves as powerful forces for cultural change and made a lasting contribution to American culture as their popularity spread to the rest of society. Carter and King Jazz Orchestra, 1925 Source: “Overview of the 1920s.” Digital History, www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfmeraid=13&smtid=1. Little History Monster 2020 4. Trends of the 1920s Fads were all the rage during the 1920s. A fad is an activity or fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time, then disappears quickly. Fads were accelerated by the rise of mass culture and an increase in the amount of leisure time for Americans. Flagpole sitting was a fad of the 1920s. Individuals would climb to the top of flagpoles and perch there for hours, or even days. The most famous flagpole sitter was Shipwreck Kelly, who sat atop a 60-foot pole for 45 days. Another 1920s craze was dance marathons. Participants would dance for hours to see who could last the longest. The fad that is the most familiar symbol of the Roaring Twenties is the flapper. Flappers were young women who rebelled against the traditional ways of acting and thinking. The carefree women wore short hair, short skirts, and heavy make-up. Flappers became a sign of changing morals and the new freedom of women. Dramatic changes also occurred in art, literature, and music. Apart from the Harlem Renaissance, new writers, artists, and musicians emerged. Ernest Hemingway became one of the most popular writers of the 1920s. His novel, A Farewell to Arms, was based on his experiences during World War I. F. Scott Fitzgerald was another famous author of the era. He portrayed the Roaring Twenties in novels, such as The Great Gatsby. Musicians Aaron Copland and George Gershwin created new music that was uniquely American. Painter Georgia O’Keeffe moved away from the classical style of realism and began to paint in a more abstract style, known as modernism. 1920s woman wearing flapper fashion Couples participating in a dance marathon, 1923 Source: “America in the 1920s: Jazz Age & Roaring 20s.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/rise-to- world-power/1920s-america/a/jazz-and-the-lost-generation. Little History Monster 2020 5. Social and Cultural Change The 1920s was a time of great social and cultural change. Women were probably affected more than anyone else during the era. The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave women the right to vote in 1920. The Nineteenth Amendment was the result of decades of struggle and persistence by numerous individuals and groups to attain the right to vote for women. Women’s lives changed in other ways during the 1920s. Women also enjoyed increased educational opportunities as more women attended college and professional schools. Women took on a bigger role in the workforce. During World War I, thousands of women filled the jobs of men who had to fight in the war. When the war ended, many women had to give their jobs back to the men returning home. In the 1920s, large amounts of women returned to the workforce and remained there. Officers pouring out illegal alcohol during Prohibition Another dramatic social change of the 1920s was Prohibition. Prohibition was a period of time when the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol was illegal in the United States. Prohibition was the result of the Temperance Movement, which wanted to ban alcohol in America. Supporters of the ban believed alcohol consumption had a negative impact on American society. As a result of their efforts, the Eighteen Amendment, which banned alcohol in America, went into effect in 1920. Overall, Prohibition was unsuccessful because Americans found ways to get around the law and continue drinking. Speakeasies – illegal bars that secretly served alcohol – opened across the country. Smugglers, known as bootleggers, transported illegal alcohol to fuel America’s desire for the drink. Prohibition gave a huge boost to organized crime. Organized criminals, or gangsters, used the opportunity to earn money through illegal activity, mostly alcohol related. Prohibition eventually ended in 1933, with the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed (took away) the Eighteenth Amendment. Women protesting for the right to vote outside the White House Source: “Prohibition: An Interactive History, Presented by The Mob Museum.” Prohibition: An Interactive History, prohibition.themobmuseum.org/. Little History Monster 2020 6. Division and Inequality Not all Americans enjoyed the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. Farmers were especially hit hard. During World War I, American farmers supplied many European countries, leading to an increase in profits. Following the war, European farmers were able to produce enough goods for their countries. As a result, farm prices dropped sharply for American farmers, shrinking their income throughout the 1920s. Efforts to exclude African Americans from a housing complex in Detroit, 1942 Also following World War I, many Americans were concerned about the rise of communism in the Soviet Union and other parts of the world. Communist leaders called on workers everywhere to overthrow their governments. Fear of communists and other extremists, such as anarchists, or people who oppose organized government, caused the government to take harsh actions against them. Thousands of radicals were arrested and jailed. During the 1920s, there was an increase in nativism, the belief that native-born Americans are superior to foreigners. Some Americans worried immigrants would take their jobs, or that too many anarchists and communists would flood into the country. Congress responded by passing the Emergency Quota Act in 1921, which limited the amount of immigrants America would accept from each country. Another source of social tension was the struggle for African Americans to gain equality and escape discrimination. African Americans in the South were particularly faced with discrimination and violence. They also faced scarce and low paying jobs. In an effort to escape discrimination and find better job opportunities, many African Americans moved out of the South. The large-scale movement of African Americans leaving the South and moving to the North and Midwest from the early 1900s to the mid-1900s is referred to as the Great Migration. Unfortunately, many African Americans experienced discrimination in areas outside of the South. African Americans moving to major cities were only offered low-paying jobs. Also, due to discrimination, there were few neighborhoods where landlords would rent apartments to African Americans. As racial tensions grew, several race riots broke out in cities across the United States. Jacob Lawrence, an African American artist, painted scenes of the Great Migration. Painting by Jacob Lawrence showing African Americans leaving the South Source: “America in the 1920s: Jazz Age & Roaring 20s.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/rise-to- world-power/1920s-america/a/jazz-and-the-lost-generation. Little History Monster 2020