The Birth of Pop Culture The Roaring 20’s The Birth of Pop Culture

Terms to Know Isolationism – a national policy of staying out of political and economic relations with other countries Consumerism – the theory that a continued increase in the consumption of goods is economically desirable for a society. Nickelodeons – theaters in the 1920’s.

North American Boom While Europe rebuilt after the war we supplied all the raw materials Demand in agriculture went up because Europe hadn’t been producing food = our farmers borrowed more money to expand their farms People wanted to forget the pains of the war and were looking to lead a happier carefree life

Consumerism Hydro electric power = more efficient factories = Transistor radios = Phonographs = Irons, stoves = refrigerators = Vacuum cleaners

Revolution in Food Production Refrigeration meant that we could transport food from all over the world. WW1 lead to the demand for preserving foods and having canned goods and vacuumed sealed packaging Machines lead to cultivation of much more land Better food lead to more people = more customers.

Advertising Newspapers, Magazines, Radio stations and billboards created a mass, pop culture. Companies advertised their goods to make people want to buy People could purchase things on credit (oh! Oh!) pay on monthly installments became a thing of the twenties

Bill Boards

How the Automobile Changed the World? Ford made the Model T for $300 Dating habits = burger joints and Drive-in Theaters Family vacations and short day trips = hotels, amusement parks and beaches Demand for gas lead to service stations Interstate highways Suburbia

Suburbia With trains and the automobile, people could live away from the place of their work Affluent America left the crowed city to avoid crime and moved to the out skirts They have everything a family needs; schools, shopping malls, grocery stores

Leisure The birth of the movie theater (nickelodeons) Radios kept Americans in touch Introduction of Pop culture Spectator sports took hold: Baseball, Boxing Blues and Jazz Music became the new wave music (Louis Armstrong)

Pittsburgh Ball Park

Babe Ruth Batted 393 avg MVP 23, 31, 32 60 Homeruns 2873 career hits 714 career homeruns 2 213 RBI’s Also was a pitcher

Red Grange Played for the Chicago Bears Paid $100 000 for 19 games (Players made $100 a game) Formed the American Football league because of a dispute with the NFL

Women and Movies Women were hired to manage theaters. This made them a more respectable place for children Numerous career opportunities in production Mary Pickford became her own producer because an actress could not make more money then the producer

Mary Pickford

Other Movie Stars of the 20’s