Chapter 23 A Clash of Cultures, 1920-1929

The Growing Consumer Culture Airplanes, Automobiles, and the Economy Mass Culture The Growing Consumer Culture Airplanes, Automobiles, and the Economy The postwar economy differed substantially from the one it preceded. New products swept the markets, and as a result, prices dropped considerably. Things that had once been only obtainable by the wealthy now were purchased by the middle class. Innovations in communication made a more homogeneous American society. Radios and movie theaters became commonplace, and they drove the American desire to talk the same, dress the same, and experience the same lifestyles they saw on the big screen. Since the Wright brothers’ flight in 1903, the use of planes advanced slowly. In World War I, they were originally used for reconnaissance, until they were made into fighters, and toward the end of the war, bombers. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh would fly across the Atlantic solo. This would promote the feasibility of air travel in American society. Still, automobiles were the more numerous and significant revolution in travel. Henry Ford’s innovative assembly-line technique cut the cost of his Model T substantially and made it affordable for a new generation of Americans that was more affluent due to the postwar boom.

A Modern Home This 1925 Westinghouse advertisement urges homemakers to buy this “Cozy Glow, Jr.” heater and “Sol-Lux luminaire” lamp, among other new electrical appliances that would “do anything for you in return.”

Charlie Chaplin A dispirited Charlie Chaplin in a still image from his classic 1921 film The Kid.

The Rise of Radio The rise of radio The radio brought this farm family together and connected them to the outside world. By the end of the 1930s, millions would tune in to newscasts, soap operas, sports events, and church services.

Ford Motor Co.’s Highland Park Plant, 1913 Gravity slides and chain conveyors contributed to the mass production of automobiles.

Spectator Sports The increase in modes of transportation and income brought with it new opportunities to take part in recreational activities that were previously unavailable. Baseball, football, and prize fights became common weekend destinations.

The “Jazz Age” during the “Roaring Twenties” F. Scott Fitzgerald dubbed the postwar era the Jazz Age because young people were more willing to embrace new experiences such as jazz. African and European music came to be melded during this era and the result was jazz.

Duke Ellington and His Band Jazz emerged in the 1920s as a uniquely American expression of the modernist spirit. African American artists bent musical convention to give freer rein to improvisation and sensuality.

The New Woman and the New Morality The Jazz Age The New Woman and the New Morality Women gained the right to vote in federal elections with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Following World War I and the contribution made by women in the workforce, Wilson renounced his reservations about the amendment and publicly supported it. Although the number of women in the workforce climbed after the war, they still principally worked in traditional occupations, as secretaries, dressmakers, and clerks.

The New Woman of the 1920s Two flappers dance atop the Hotel Sherman in Chicago, 1926.

The New Woman of the 1920s Two flappers dance atop the Hotel Sherman in Chicago, 1926.

The Jazz Age, continued The Great Migration The “New Negro” Garveyism The most significant development in African American life in the twentieth century occurred when the white workers were drafted for the war and African Americans were encouraged to move north and take over for the soldiers. In a move known as the Great Migration, over 323,000 African Americans went north during the war, and by 1930, 615,000 more had joined them. During this time, a period of Negro nationalism would develop with an emphasis on their culture. Adherents were known as the “new negroes.” The greatest proponent of this time was Marcus Garvey. Garvey created the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which promoted the recolonization of Africa by its members.

Into Bondage Into Bondage This painting by Aaron Douglas exemplifies how black artists in the Harlem Renaissance used their African roots and collective history as artistic inspiration.

Marcus Garvey Garvey was the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and a leading spokesman for “Negro nationalism” in the 1920s.

Science and Social Thought Modernist Art and Literature The Modernist Revolt Science and Social Thought Modernist Art and Literature The Armory Show When Albert Einstein announced his theory of relativity, he upended two centuries worth of conventional wisdom. This would lead to the birth of the modern physics movement. Other scientific studies during this time would also be transformed by this redefinition of thought, and scientists would apply it in other disciplines as well. Whereas nineteenth-century authors and artists had taken for granted that everything in the world could be readily observed and represented accurately, their twentieth-century counterparts found themselves in a reality where new things could actually be created. Their works would reflect this outlook. A traveling exhibit of modernist artists’ works.

Albert Einstein Widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of the twentieth century, Einstein was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1921.

Russian Ballet (1916) Russian Ballet (1916) Jewish American artist Max Weber’s painting is a modernist take on a traditional subject.

The Modernist Revolt Pound, Eliot, and Stein The “Lost Generation” Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, and Gertrude Stein were leaders in the modernist movement. This term was coined by Gertrude Stein to describe the generation of adults who came of age during World War I.

Please visit the Student Site for more resources: This concludes the Lecture PowerPoint presentation for Chapter 23 A Clash of Cultures, 1920-1929 Please visit the Student Site for more resources: http://wwnorton.com/college/history/america10/