Roaring 20s
I. Setting the Scene a. Period of rapid change in America b. People began to question societal ideas and attitudes II. Changing Role of Women a. Women were the center of change in the 20s b. Flapper- new type of young new woman who was rebellious and fun i. Wore shorter dresses ii. Bobbed hair style iii. Wore heavy makeup iv. Smoked cigarettes c. Significant Changes for Females i. 19th Amendment- womens right to vote 1. Most women did not vote at first (only 35%) 2. ii. ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) 1923- Men and Women were created equal III. 1920 Heroes a. Charles Lindbergh i. Nicknamed Lucky Lindy, flew from NY to Paris (33 hrs) b. Amelia Earhardt i. First woman to fly solo across Atlantic, but mysteriously disappeared when she tried to fly around the world. c. Sports Figures i. Jack Dempsey- Boxer ii. Jim Thorpe- Native American, Professional football player, decathlete, Professional baseball, iii. George Herman Babe Ruth- Professional Baseball Player, HR Record (60) IV. Mass Media a. Explosion of Hollywood created an outlet for mass media i. Mass Media- print, film and broadcast methods of communicating information b. Movies i. First Talkie Film- The Jazz Singer, caused even more people to flock to theatres ii. First Hollywood Celebrities- Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo c. Newspapers/Magazines i. Size of papers expanded (NYT went from 15 to 50 pages) ii. Circulation expanded, but many papers merged iii. Magazines provided a variety of information iv. Magazines were a source for advertisers to reach the people v. Ex: Readers Digest, The Saturday Evening Post
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1920s aka The Jazz Age a. Great Migration and mass media helped jazz music spread b. Jazz- music that featured improvisation and syncopation (offbeat rhythm) c. Origin of Jazz was from the South (New Orleans) and appealed to young people d. Jazz was opposed by some for being to free e. Harlem Clubs like the Cotton Club were famous places were musicians got their start f. Jazz Celebrities: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington Lost Generation a. Group of disconnected expatriates from their country and values i. Expatriates: people living outside the country b. Rejected materialism and pop culture c. Notable Members: Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby) Harlem Renaissance a. Harlem, NY became home to the African American developing literary culture b. Many famous authors began to gain recognition through their poetry and books by capturing African American struggles c. Writers: James Weldon Johnson- active NAACP member and author of Gods Trombone d. Poets: Langston Hughes- from Harlem and spoke of joys and difficulties of being black. Prohibition a. Setting the Scene: When the 18th Amendment was passed, alcohol became illegal b. Many citizens ignored the new Constitutional law (only 5% of NY citizens complied) c. Goals of Prohibition i. Eliminate drunkenness (cut down on family abuse) ii. Get rid of saloons (prostitution, gambling) iii. Prevent people from missing work d. Bootlegging i. Term came from people who hid flasks in their boots ii. During prohibition the term defined someone who supplied alcohol illegally iii. Ways to Bootleg 1. Operate stills 2. Smuggle alcohol from other countries iv. Speakeasies 1. Illegal bars that operated primarily in cities a. Ex. Washinton D.C.- 700 Speakeasies;4000 bootleggers b. Boston- 4,000 Speakeasies; 15000 bootleggers v. Organized Crime 1. Bootlegging was profitable and attracted organized crime families 2. With all of the competition new weapons led to bloody confrontations 3. Ways to profit a. Offer protection b. Bribe police to ignore activities
vi. Al Scarface Capone 1. Notorious Chicago gangster 2. Made $60 million a year from bootlegging 3. Bought local judges and police, was not until J. Edgar Hoover used federal forces that he was sent to jail vii. Prohibition ended in 1933.