1. The 1920’s The Roaring 20’s

2. “Old Culture” Emphasized production- making resources Character: substance- dependable/stable Scarcity- people didn’t have many material things Religion Idealized the past Local culture

3. “New Culture” Emphasized consumption- using resources Personality- image Abundance Science Looked to the future Mass culture

4. Why did these changes occur?

5. After WW1 Men come home from war U.S. becomes “isolationist” U.S. companies increased production during the war, wealth increases Citizens have more money New products were available: radios, cars Henry Ford perfects the assembly line = cheaper cars Advertising used to get people to buy products Unions began to form

6. Economic Boom People are happy Begin to use credit to buy items refrigerators, cars, homes, etc # Stock market booms People see they can make money in the stock market Buy stocks on a margin Borrow money to buy stock, hoping to sell the stock for more than it’s worth- pay off loan and still make money

7. Social Changes

8. Social Effects Men coming home from war- have seen a lot of different ways of life Society more open and free -flappers # Some people react negatively Push for prohibition of alcohol (make it illegal) Generally, there is more leisure time and people wanted more fun.

9. Flappers Represented the bold and rebellious spirit of the 20’s Wanted equality and challenged their roles in society Women began working (15%) became professionals, 20% clerical jobs The 19 th amendment gave women the right to vote, many didn’t use it. Some lacked interest, some had kids and others lived in rural areas or had families that discouraged it

10. Population shifts Farmers move to cities because costs are too high Great Migration: African Americans moved North to work in factories, escape discrimination Low paying jobs were filled by Canadians and Mexicans In Los Angeles, Mexican workers formed barrios, where by neighborhoods spoke mostly Spanish # Due to the influx into the cities, suburbs began to form

11. The impact of demographic shift High school attendance increases Jobs increase Cities become crowded and more diverse Transportation systems develop: trolleys, buses, cars There is an overall change in society values People are looking for icons that represent past ideologies

12. Icons of the day Charles Lindbergh- first man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean Amelia Earhart:- first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean F. Scott Fitzgerald: Wrote The Great Gatsby Baseball became the national past time

13. Mass Media Media created a common national cultural experience More people had access to radios, newspapers and magazines Companies begin to advertise to convince buyers to purchase their products- people began to consume more goods

14. Jazz Type of music that evolved from Blues, Slave Songs, and European music Became so popular in the U.S. that the decade was called the Jazz Age, Radios made it more accessible Featured improvisation and syncopation. Appealed to younger generation Mostly performed in speakeasies Louis Armstrong was the most famous jazz musician

15. The Jazz Age influence For some artists and writers, the decade after the war was not a time of celebration but a time of deep despair. They had seen the ideas of the Progressives end in a senseless war. They were filled with resentment and they saw little hope for the future. They were called the Lost Generation Influenced Art- American painters focused on realism and showed the rougher side of life Many in the Lost Generation felt disconnected from the U.S. and its new values. They rejected materialism and moved away (expatriates)

16. Harlem Renaissance Called a renaissance because it symbolized a rebirth of hope for African Americans Wartime military service and work in war industries had given African Americans a new sense of freedom Harlem became the world’s largest black urban community

17. Harlem became home to writers, musicians, singers, painters, sculptors, and scholars which explored African American culture Harlem’s most famous nightclub was the Cotton Club. It made stars of many African-American performers, but only white customers were allowed in the club.

18. Change = Problems Rapid social changes caused conflicts between people with differing beliefs and values 18 th amendment: Prohibition of making, distributing or using alcohol WHY? Eliminate drunkedness and abuse Get rid of saloons = breeding ground for prostitution, gambling and vice Reduce absenteeism at work

19. Prohibition Volstead Act- enforced the amendment and made the sale of alcohol illegal Results: rural areas obeyed more than urban, but people drank anyway There were more bars in NYC after prohibition, than before Bootlegging- sale of illegal alcohol Speakeasies- bars that operated illegally Organized crime forms- Al Capone

20. Organized Crime Increases WHY? PROFIT!!!! They joined together to make organizations large enough to increase bootlegging Police would take bribes to ignore the illegal activity and business would pay a “protection fee” (racketeering)

21. Reaction to Social Changes Religious Fundamentalism back to the “old ways” # Evolution- Charles Darwin Fundamentalists against teaching the theory of evolution, make it illegal John Scopes- Dayton Tennessee challenges the law “Scopes Monkey Trial” sensationalized

22. Reactions Continued… African Americans begin to work towards equality W.E.B. Dubois, Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey In the South, the KKK reforms and begins a reign of terror against African Americans Red Summer Americans begin to fear Communists & Anarchists Panic and accusations

23. Politics Presidents Warren G. Harding (R)- 1921- Aug. 1923 (died of a stroke) Calvin Coolidge (R)- Aug. 1923- 1929 Herbert Hoover (R)- 1929-1933 All three took a hands off approach to the economy Were warned that not interfering could cause the economy to collapse