Postwar Social Changes Chapter 13.1

Focus Question What changes did Western society and culture experience after WWI?

The Roaring Twenties Jazz In the 1920’s the radios tuned into the new sounds of Jazz. African American musicians combined western harmonies with African rhythms. Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington

Before the 1920s Before the 20’s, women had few rights Women were also expected to conform to very strict social rules However, WW1 changed women’s roles in society and their perception of themselves During the 20’s many women, especially young women, refused to go back to the old ways

This is an agreement between a Miss Jones, teacher and the Board of Education of Middleton School, whereby Miss Jones agrees to teach in the Middleton School for a period of eight months beginning September 1, 1923. The board of Education agrees to pay Miss Jones the sum of $75.00 per month. Miss Jones agrees: Not to get married. This contract becomes null and void immediately if the teacher marries. Not to keep company with men. To be at home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless she is in attendance at a school function. Not to loiter downtown in ice-cream parlors. Not to leave town at any time without the permission of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Not to smoke cigarettes. This contract becomes null and void immediately if the teacher is found smoking. Not to drink beer, wine, whiskey. This contract becomes null and void immediately if the teacher is found drinking beer, wine or whiskey. Not to ride in a carriage or automobile with any man except her brothers or father. Not to dress in bright clothes. Not to dye her hair. To wear at least two petticoats. Not to wear dresses more than two inches above the ankle. To keep the schoolroom clean; to sweep the classroom floor, to scrub the floor at least once a week with soap and hot water, clean blackboards daily; start the stove at 7 a.m. so that the room will be warm by 8 a.m. when the children arrive; to carry out the ashes at least once a day. Not to use face powder, mascara or paint the lips.

The Flapper The playful flapper here we see, The fairest of the fair. She’s not what Grandma used to be, You might say, au contraire. Her girlish ways may make a stir, Her manners cause a scene, But there is no more harm in her Than in a submarine. She nightly knocks for many a goal The usual dancing men. Her speed is great, but her control Is something else again. All spotlights focus on her pranks. All tongues her prowess herald. For which she well may render thanks To God and Scott Fitzgerald. Her golden rule is plain enough – Just get them young and treat them rough.

The Roaring Twenties Women While Europe was recovering from WWI, America was experiencing a boom time. Along with Jazz music, came the liberated young woman called the flapper. The term flapper originated in Great Britain, where there was a short fad among young women to wear rubber galoshes (an overshoe worn in the rain or snow) left open to flap when they walked.

The Roaring Twenties Flapper was the name given to liberated young women. Flappers were highly visible, and started as a small minority. Women had gone back home from war jobs after WWI. The war helped many women gain the right to vote in other countries and even elected into office

The Roaring Twenties Time saving devices were created for middle class homes: Washer machines, vacuum cleaners, and canned food In the new atmosphere of the free woman, some persued careers in other areas: Women golfers, tennis players, pilots, women worked for newspapers However the work place was still dominated by men.

The Women’s Christian Temperance Movement One of the first and most powerful women’s movements Educated about the evils of liquor Promoted responsible citizenship and an end to domestic violence Extremely influential in passing Prohibition Laws Prohibition was the direct result of female suffrage – women were now a powerful political force

The Roaring Twenties Reactions to the Jazz Age Not everyone approved of the freewheeling lifestyle Many Americans supported prohibition, or banning of the sale or manufacturing of alcohol. 1919 Americans passed the 18th amendment Instead it caused an explosion of organized crime and speakeasies.

The New Literature Loss of Faith 1920’s war novels, poetry, plays, and memoirs were created. They exposed the grim horrors of warfare. Writers expressed how war was the moral breakdown of civilization. Many American writers left the U.S. and moved to Paris. Uneasy with the behavior of the younger generation

New Literature Harlem Renaissance Cultural awakening during the 1920’s. African American writers and Artists expressed their pride in their unique culture Poets like Langston Hughes experimented with new styles of poetry.

New Scientific Theories Marie Currie (French scientist) helped in proving that radioactive atoms are divisible Einstein's Theory of Relativity developed the theory that time and space are not absolute Fleming discovered penicillin helping other scientist to develop an antibiotic to cure bacterial infections Freud pioneered psychoanalysis to study and treat mental disorders.

Modern Art and Architecture Art began to change by using bold colors and abstract images Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque developed the style of Cubism. Painting 3 dimensional objects as complex angles and patterns

Modern Art and Architecture Art Deco was a new style to architecture and design Many architects rejected classical design and moved toward using concrete, glass, and steel. Frank Lloyd Wright believed that the function of the building should determine its form.

Frank Lloyd Wright and the Hollyhock House

Frank Lloyd Wright and the Hollyhock House

1920’s Art Deco Design