Bell Work Why was Prohibition passed?

Cultural of the 1920s

America in the 1920s America was changed by the industrialism of the Gilded Age & the economic boom of WW I During the 1920s: The USA was the richest & most developed country in the world Wages rose, hours declined, & Americans had access to new, innovative consumer goods

The Second Industrial Revolution The increase of national name brands (rather than locally produced goods) linked Americans more than ever From 1922 to 1929, the U.S. had a 2nd industrial boom: Mostly in consumer durable goods like appliances, cars, radios, furniture, & clothing Electricity replaced steam power Corporations used salaried executives, plant managers, & engineers to increase efficiency

The Flowering of the Arts The Harlem Renaissance reflected the explosion of black culture & the “New Negro”: Jazz & Blues expressed the social realities of blacks; Louis Armstrong became very popular Langston Hughes’ poetry, novels, & plays promoted equality, condemned racism, & celebrated black culture

Josephine Baker, internationally renowned singer/dancer Josephine Baker-international singer/dancer “You could be black & proud, politically assertive & economically independent, creative & disciplined—or so it seemed”

“The most dangerous enemy of the Negro race” Marcus Garvey Marcus Garvey was the preeminent civil rights activist of the 1920s Oppression in the U.S. necessitated strict segregation & black nationalism He formed the United Negro Improvement Assoc & advocated a return to Africa “The most dangerous enemy of the Negro race” —W.E.B. DuBois

A rural, Protestant attack on the “social disease of drunkenness” Prohibition In Jan 1920, Congress passed the Volstead Act to enforce the 18th Amendment (1917) 26 states had already banned alcohol, but the real conflict came when prohibition was applied to urban ethnic groups Rural America became dry & urban consumption dropped but was severely resisted A rural, Protestant attack on the “social disease of drunkenness”

Per capita consumption of alcohol (1910-1929)

The Ku Klux Klan The rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan in 1915 (Stone Mt, GA) was aimed at blacks, immigrants, Jews, Catholics, & prostitutes The “Invisible Empire” sought to ease rural anxieties in the face of changing cultural attitudes Used violence, kidnapping, murder, & politics to affect change 3 distinct lives of the KKK: 1st Klan aimed at Reconstruction was disbanded in 1869. 2nd Klan aimed at cultural changes of early 20th century existed from 1915 to 1944; 3rd Klan emerged in 1946 aimed at growing civil rights movement & communism

Klan violence met resistance & membership declined by 1925 The KKK provided a sense of identity to its members: “Women’s Order, Junior Order for boys, Tri-K Klub for girls, Krusaders for assimilated immigrants The state gov’ts of TX, OK, OR, IN were heavily influenced by KKK members Klan violence met resistance & membership declined by 1925

Wrap Up Why did these social changes take place in the 1920s?