Chapter 9

The Jazz Age and Mass

Culture : 1920-1929
The Jazz Age and Mass Culture:
1920-1929
● Political and
Economic Issues
● Social and Cultural
Changes
● Key Events and
Legacy
Political and Economic
Issues
 Learning Objectives

● Explain how economic policies

and practices of the 1920s led to
both prosperity and the Great
Depression.
● Evaluate the political debates of
the 1920s, including immigration,
Prohibition, and nativism, and their
societal impact.
 Vocabulary
● Conservatism ● Fordney-McCumber
● Warren G. Harding Tariff
● "Return to Normalcy" ● 18th Amendment
● Calvin Coolidge ● Prohibition
● Laissez-faire ● Volstead Act
economics ● Eugenics
● Consumer culture ● Red Scare
● Credit buying ● Palmer Raids
● 19th Amendment ● Nativism
 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1. How did the political and economic policies of the 1920s reflect and
shape American society, and what were their long-term
consequences for different groups of Americans?
2. How did the Teapot Dome Scandal reflect broader concerns about
government corruption and its impact on public trust in the 1920s?
Was this an abuse of power?
Political Landscape
● Shift to conservatism
● Warren Harding
campaign on promise to
“Return to Normalcy”
○ Emphasized stability after
WWI
● Harding's presidency
(1921–1923) and Calvin
Coolidge's tenure
(1923–1929)
○ Focused on small
government, tax cuts, and
limited federal intervention
 Teapot Dome Scandal
● Definition:
○ A major political scandal during Warren G.
Harding’s administration (1921-1923) involving
the illegal leasing of federal oil reserves.
● Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall
○ secretly leased government oil reserves at Teapot
Dome, Wyoming, and Elk Hills, California, to
private oil companies in exchange for over
$400,000 in bribes.
● Exposure & Investigation:
○ The scandal was uncovered by journalists and a
Senate investigation, leading to public outrage
over government corruption.
● Consequences:
○ Fall became the first U.S. Cabinet member
convicted of a crime, serving one year in prison
for accepting bribes.
● Impact on Harding’s Presidency:
○ Though Harding was not directly involved, the
scandal tarnished his administration’s
reputation, contributing to the perception of
widespread corruption.
 Red Scare
● Period of intense fear of radical
leftist ideologies
○ Communism, socialism, and anarchism
○ Bolshevik Revolution
● Heightened anti-immigrant
sentiments
● Labor unrest and strikes
 Palmer Raids
● Conducted in late 1919 and
early 1920, targeting
suspected anarchists and
communists.
○ Over 4,000 arrested in 33
cities; 550+ immigrants
deported.
● Led by the Attorney General
A. Mitchell Palmer and his
Justice Department, often
Mitchell Palmer violating civil liberties
(warrantless arrests, denial
of counsel).
○ Focused on deporting
foreign-born radicals,
especially Italian anarchists
and Eastern European Jews.
J. Edgar Hoover
 Nativism
Definition: American nativism emphasized protecting the interests of native-born
citizens over those of immigrants, often driven by fear of cultural and economic
changes.
 Eugenics
● Origins: Eugenics arose in the early 1900s, inspired by Social
Darwinism and Francis Galton.
● Beliefs: Advocated selective breeding to "improve" society,
targeting marginalized groups.
○ Sterilization: States passed laws mandating sterilization
of the "unfit," including disabled and poor individuals.
● Immigration: Eugenics influenced restrictive policies like the
Immigration Act of 1924.
○ Bias: Targeted minorities, immigrants, and the poor,
reinforcing inequality.
1923
 Immigration Act of 1924
Key Provisions:

● Set an annual immigration quota of 165,000, an 80%

reduction from pre-WWI levels.
○ The act gave 85% of the immigration quota to
Northern and Western Europe
● Drastically reduced immigration from Southern and
Eastern Europe.
○ Banned immigration from Asia, including Japan.
● Limited immigration to 2% of each nationality's U.S.
population based on the 1890 census. Required visas.

Impact:

● Formalized racial and ethnic biases in policy.

● Hurt the economy by limiting innovation and
employment.
● Shaped U.S. demographics until the 1965 Immigration
and Nationality Act.
Calvin Coolidge signing Immigration Act of 1924
"There is today one state in which at least weak beginnings
toward a better conception [of immigration] are noticeable. Of
course, it is not our model German Republic, but [the US], in
which an effort is made to consult reason at least partially. By
refusing immigrants on principle to elements in poor health, by
simply excluding certain races from naturalisation, it professes in
slow beginnings a view that is peculiar..."”

-Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf 1924

 The New Colossus

“Here at our sea-washed, sunset

gates shall stand a mighty woman
with a torch, whose flame
is the imprisoned lightning, and her
name Mother of Exiles (...) "Keep,
ancient lands, your storied pomp!"
cries she with silent lips. "Give me
your tired, your poor, your huddled
masses yearning to breathe free,
the wretched refuse of your teeming
shore. Send these, the homeless,
tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp
beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus, 1883

Economic Boom of the Roaring Twenties
Economic Policies
● Tax Cuts:
○ Treasury Secretary Andrew
Mellon implemented tax cuts in
1921, 1924, and 1926, primarily
benefiting businesses.
● Government Surpluses:
○ These tax policies helped
reduce the federal debt by a
quarter during Coolidge’s
presidency.
● High Tariffs:
○ The Fordney-McCumber Tariff
(1922) maintained high tariffs to
protect domestic industries but
hurt international trade relations
 Roaring Twenties
● Economic Growth:
○ rapid economic expansion fueled by
technological advancements like
automobiles and mass production.
● Consumer Culture:
○ Credit buying and advertising boosted
spending among middle-class Americans.
○ Advertisements had psychological appeals
to desires and anxiety’

Ford Model T
 Challenges to Prosperity
● Agricultural Crisis
○ Farmers faced declining prices
due to overproduction and lack
of government support, as
Coolidge vetoed relief bills.
● Economic Inequality
○ Wealth was unevenly distributed,
with rural areas struggling while
urban centers thrived.
● Speculation and Financial Instability
○ Policies encouraging
laissez-faire economics
contributed to speculative
investments, laying the
groundwork for the Great
Depression.
Social and Cultural Changes
 Learning Objectives

● Explain how urbanization and

new technology transformed daily
life and consumer culture.
● Analyze social tensions, such as
Prohibition, the rural-urban divide,
and racial dynamics.
Vocabulary

● Modernism
● Traditionalism
● Ghetto
● Flapper
● Speakeasy
● Bootlegging
● “Talkies”
● Mass Media
● Charlie Chaplin
● Babe Ruth
● Jack Dempsey
 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1. How did the political and economic policies of the 1920s reflect and
shape American society, and what were their long-term
consequences for different groups of Americans?
2. How did the Teapot Dome Scandal reflect broader concerns about
government corruption and its impact on public trust in the 1920s?
Was this an abuse of power?
3. How did the cultural and social changes of the Roaring Twenties
challenge traditional values and shape modern America?
 Cultural Civil War
The 1920s witnessed a profound clash between
traditional and modern values, often described as a
"cultural civil war". This conflict manifested in several
ways:
● Urban vs. rural divide:
○ Cities embraced modernization while rural
areas clung to traditional norms.
● Modernism vs. traditionalism:
○ New ideas and lifestyles challenged
established customs.
● Science vs. religion:
○ The Scopes Trial highlighted tensions
between scientific theories and religious
beliefs.

John Scopes
 Racial Tensions
The influx of African Americans to northern cities led to
increased racial tensions:
● Formation of black ghettos in urban areas due to housing
discrimination.
● Widespread racial segregation and discrimination,
particularly in the South.
● Race riots, such as the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, which
resulted in 200-300 deaths and decimated 40 square
blocks of black neighborhood.
 19th Amendment
● World War I impact:
○ Women’s war efforts
showcased their abilities
and highlighted the
contradiction of fighting
for democracy abroad
while denying women
voting rights at home.
● Final victory:
○ Women secured the
right to vote with the
passage of the 19th
Amendment.
 Changing Gender Roles
The 1920s saw significant changes in
women's status and societal
expectations:
● Ratification of the 19th Amendment,
granting women the right to vote.
● Emergence of the "flapper" lifestyle,
challenging traditional female roles.
● Increased presence of women in the
workforce, though still limited.
 Flapper Culture
The emergence of the "flapper" lifestyle
challenged traditional female roles. Flappers
embodied youth rebellion and became
symbols of the Roaring Twenties. Key
aspects of flapper style included:
● Short dresses with hemlines rising to
the knee
● Sleeveless dresses allowing for
greater freedom of movement
● Beaded, sequined, and tasseled
dresses designed to sparkle when
dancing
● Bobbed hairstyles and vibrant colors
to stand out
 18th Amendment
● Prohibition: The 18th
Amendment, ratified in 1919,
banned the manufacture, sale, and
transportation of alcohol in the U.S.
● Volstead Act: Enforced the
amendment but faced widespread
resistance and loopholes.
● Unintended Consequences: Led
to illegal speakeasies, organized
crime, and bootlegging.
● Repeal: Prohibition ended with the
21st Amendment in 1933.
 Effects of Prohibition
Prohibition led to a surge in criminal activity:
● Rise of bootlegging and speakeasies.
● Organized crime flourished, dominating
the illegal bootlegging industry.
● Corruption increased among law
enforcement and government officials.
● By 1925, federal agents had opened over
29,000 cases for Volstead Act violations.

Al Capone mugshot 1927

Hollywood’s Golden Age

● The 1920s marked the beginning of

Hollywood’s Golden Age, with the film industry
becoming a dominant form of entertainment.
● Silent films were the standard until 1927, when
The Jazz Singer introduced synchronized
sound, revolutionizing cinema and leading to the
rise of “talkies” (films with sound).
● Movie studios like Warner Bros., Paramount,
and MGM emerged as industry leaders, and
theaters expanded nationwide, making movies a
cultural phenomenon.
● Film stars such as Charlie Chaplin became
household names, influencing fashion and social
trends.
Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times 1936
 Sports in the 1920s
● The rise of mass media (radio, newspapers, and magazines) helped turn
athletes into national celebrities and solidified the importance of sports in
American popular culture.
● Babe Ruth became a baseball icon, setting home run records and making
the sport immensely popular, especially with his performances for the New
York Yankees.
● Jack Dempsey, a heavyweight boxing champion, captivated audiences
with his aggressive style, drawing record-breaking crowds to fights,
including the famous 1927 match against Gene Tunney.
 REFLECT: ESSENTIAL
QUESTIONS
1. How did the political and economic policies of the 1920s reflect and
shape American society, and what were their long-term
consequences for different groups of Americans?
2. How did the Teapot Dome Scandal reflect broader concerns about
government corruption and its impact on public trust in the 1920s?
Was this an abuse of power?
3. How did the cultural and social changes of the Roaring Twenties
challenge traditional values and shape modern America?