Chapter 14 Section 2 Life in the Twenties

Prohibition Reformers had long been seeking a ban on alcohol because of its contribution to crime, family violence and poverty In January of 1919 {the sale of alcohol was forbidden by the Eighteenth Amendment} That October, {Congress passed the Volstead Act to enforce prohibition} In many cities prohibition was ignored. Speakeasies and bootleg alcohol became normal Bootlegging became a profitable business, most of the time run by criminal gangs Mobster, {Al Capone, ruled Chicago’s underworld with the help of his gang}

Al Capone

Continued… Capone raged violent wars on rival gangs Hoping to stop bootlegging & violence the federal Prohibition Bureau hired Eliot Ness. Ness organized a top squad of young detectives to go after gangsters. They were called the Untouchables The Untouchables ended Capone’s reign by arresting him for tax evasion Although prohibition curbed alcoholism and alcohol related deaths, the negative effects drew more attention Prohibition was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment

The Untouchables

Youth Culture & the “new woman” Magazines, movies and literature began to portray the life of the “new woman” as stylish, adventurous, independent and career minded Many women stopped wearing corsets and started {wearing shorter skirts and transparent silk hose. These women were known as flappers} These young women cut their hair short, drove cars, played sports and held non domestic jobs {For the first time, a growing number of young people began to attend college} New leisure activities spread among youth as well, such as dance marathons, beauty contests and flagpole sitting

Radio Thanks to electricity in practically every home the radio became a huge form of entertainment as well as one of the most used forms of getting information Radio stations broadcast the Dempsey-Carpentier heavyweight title fight as well as the World Series Stations soon discovered they could make money by selling advertisements During the late 1920’s national radio network the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) began offering local radio networks packages of programs to broadcast.

Movies New advances in the art of moviemaking attracted even larger audiences Movie director Cecil B. DeMille introduced a new style of filmmaking marked by epic plots and complex characters These movies were made in Hollywood, Ca., which quickly replaced New York and New Jersey as a filmmaking capital The era of the silent film ended with the {first feature- length “talkie” film The Jazz Singer} The introduction of sound in film led to the creation of musicals and newsreels Changes in the standards of morality and sexuality in film led to a code that set out to limit offensive material in movies

Sports During the 1920’s many Americans turned to sports foe entertainment Baseball remained the nation’s most popular sport despite charges of corruption In one scandal {“Shoeless” Joe Jackson and seven other Chicago White Sox players were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series} {Legendary baseball players of the 1920’s such as Babe Ruth} Ty Cobb and Lou Gehrig attracted new fans Millions tuned in to radio broadcasts and attended games

“Shoeless” Joe Jackson

The Great Bambino

Celebrities and Heroes The mass appeal of entertainment made celebrities instantly famous Young Americans often copies behavior of stars Jim Thorpe was a very talented athlete. He won the decathlon and the pentathlon in the 1912 Olympics. He then went on to play professional baseball and football Pilot Charles Lindbergh was probably the most famous celebrity of the 1920’s. He was the first pilot to fly nonstop 33.5 hours from New York to Paris in his plane named The Spirit of St. Lewis The next year Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean

Religion in the 1920’s To compete with movies and radio for attention. Some religious leaders began using Hollywood style entertainment to spread their message Aimee Semple McPherson was one of the most popular revivalist On the other hand many Americans turned to a more conservative approach A Protestant movement called {Fundamentalism believed that religious text should be taken as literally true} and argued that Christian doctrine should be accepted without question

Fundamentalism Sermon led by Aimee Semple McPherson

The Scopes Trial Fundamentalism went on trial in in July 1925 In the case, attorney {Clarence Darrow defended school teacher, John Scopes for teaching the theory of evolution in Tennessee} Darrow had little chance of winning. The judge opened proceedings with a prayer and would not allow any scientific expert testimony Scopes was found guilty and was fined $100 However, press accounts of the trial often portrayed the prosecution as narrow minded and it lowered people’s opinions of Fundamentalism

Review Questions What did the Eighteenth Amendment do? Why was the Volstead Act created? He ruled Chicago’s underworld with the help of his gang These women were known for wearing shorter skirts and transparent silk hose For the first time, a growing number of young people began to attend this What was the first feature-length “talkie” film? This man defended school teacher, John Scopes for teaching the theory of evolution in Tennessee

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