The Roaring
Twenties
Just What is America?
Social and Cultural Changes
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What is America - New vs. Old, Modern vs.
Traditional
Charles Lindbergh - becomes an American
hero when he flies the Spirit of St. Louis solo
across the Atlantic to Paris
Women voting - 20th Amendment passed
Women to work - women began to enter
professional careers
Flappers - young women to wore heavy makeup, had short hair, short skirts, and smoke and
drank alcohol in public. Thought as
scandalous by older generations
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Movies and Radio
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Hollywood, CA - become the center of the
movie world
Silent Movies - at first movies were black and
white and had captions at the bottom of the
screen for dialogue
The Jazz Singer - the first “talkie,” this movie
was a sensation
Radio - brought sports and news into peoples
homes. Commercials sold on air pushing
consumers to increase buying.
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Sports and Fads
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Radio creates stars in baseball, boxing, and
football
Babe Ruth - Yankees hitter becomes the home
run king
Fads - things that are popular for short periods
of time
– Dance Marathons - sometimes lasted three days
– Flag Pole Sitting - Alvin “Ship-Wreck” Kelly is the
King of the Sitters. Guess how long.
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49 days!
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Prohibition
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Rural vs. Urban, Govt. vs. Will of People
18th Amendment (1919) - banned alcohol sale,
production and consumption in U.S.
Supported in rural South and Mid-West (called
“drys”) but not popular in eastern cities
(“wets”)
Constant rule breaking in cities and only 1500
US agents to stop it
If people don’t support it, should it be a law?
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Prohibition (cont)
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Speakeasies - illegal bars
Organized Crime - speakeasies had to get
alcohol from somewhere. Crime families
(Mob) sprung up to provide alcohol. Some are
very violent.
Al Capone – controlled alcohol in Chicago through violence and
threats, made millions.
– Busted on tax evasion charges
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21st Amendment (1933) - Cancelled out 18th
Amendment and made alcohol legal again
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Nativism
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Native-born vs. Immigrants
Belief native-born Americans are superior to
foreigners
KKK - Used threats and violence against
blacks, Jews, Catholics, non-English speakers
Emergency Quota Act (1921) - Put limits on
immigration by country. North and West
European countries are favored (racist)
National Origins Act (1924) - lowers permitted
immigrants and bans Japanese. Countries in
Western Hemisphere excluded.
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Scopes Trial (AKA The Monkey
Trial)
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Religion vs Science
TN teacher, John Scopes, arrested for teaching
Darwin’s “Theory of Evolution” in class
(watch out Ms. Moller)
Case goes to court and focuses those who
favor teaching of Bible versus modern science
(conflict of new vs. old)
Scopes fined $100 but TN Supreme Court
reverses the decision
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Election of 1928
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Rural vs Urban, Old vs. New, Nativist vs.
Immigrants, Traditional vs. Modern
Coolidge surprised everyone by deciding not
to run again
Hoover is Republican candidate - a Quaker
protestant, “dry,” and had been in govt a long
time
Alfred Smith is Democrat - From NYC, son of
immigrants, Catholic
Hoover wins election of 1928 - good news,
bad news.
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Create Art to Reflect Conflicts
in 20s Society - Due Next Block
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Modern vs. Traditional
New vs. Old
Nativists vs. Immigrants
Blacks vs. Whites
Religion vs. Science
Drys vs. Wets
Classical vs. Jazz
Books vs. Movies/Radio