1. The Roaring 20’s and the Jazz Age

2. The First Red Scare
After the end of WWI, the US was plagued with worry and fear of radical political actions
Rise of the Bolsheviks and Vladimir Lenin in Russia- negative political climate towards capitalism
Bombings led to intense xenophobic actions
Palmer Raids- Mitchell Palmer (Wilson’s attorney general) led a series of raids on suspected political organizations (IWW, Communist party)- led to over arrests and over 500 deportations
Alienated many for his violation of civil rights
Labor relations- unions lost much of the ground gained in the Progressive Era

3. Prohibition The “noble experiment” 1919-1933
18th Amendment went into effect on Jan. 16, 1920
Banned the production and sale of alcohol in the United States
Supported by industrialists and reformers (usually women)
Outbreak of WWI, prohibition was patriotic- beer makers were mostly German
Wording of the original amendment was confusing, so the Volstead act (1921) defined “intoxicating liquors” as anything with over 0.5% alcohol

4. Prohibition cont.
The Fed. Government had no concept of how difficult this would be to enforce
Very few convicted even after arrests
Produced a massive black market for alcohol
Bootleggers- manufactures of illegal moonshine
Speak Easies- illegal bars- 2x as many as before Prohibition
Rum Runners
Fostered corruption- government and city officials taking bribes or working for crime bosses
Explosion of crime and gang violence
Eventually outlawed by the 21st Amendment
Dec. 5, response to the Great Depression’s need for increased industry
Still debate as to the usefulness of Prohibition

5. Race in the Roaring 20s Continued tension and violence
Frustration that African American participation in WW1 led to such few changes at home
The Great Migration
During WW1, over 1.5 million blacks moved out of the South into large northern cities
Close proximity of the races brought out discrimination and segregation laws

6. Race in the Roaring 20s cont.
The Harlem Renaissance
Upper Manhattan community that was taken over by members of the Great Migration
Surge of African American cultural works created in this neighborhood
Writing, art, music, photography, poetry, etc.
Creating a racial identity and pride that had never existed until now.

7. Race and the Roaring 20s cont.
The KKK
1920s resurgence had more targets- Catholics, Jews, foreigners, bootleggers, and African Americans
At its peak, 3 million members
Significant influence in Congress
Declined in 1930s from individual corruption

8. The Scopes Monkey Trial
Fundamentalist movement within the protestant church pushed against Darwin’s theory of evolution
John Scopes, a Tennessee school teacher, was put on trial in 1925 for teaching evolution
2 famous lawyers- William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution, Clarence Darrow for the Defense
Darrow and Scopes lost, but attracted the attention of the country to the issue

9. Culture of the 1920s
Standardized sizing for clothing- outcome of uniforms for WWI
New technology: telephone and electricity became standard; vacuum cleaners, washing machine, toasters
Expansion of advertising
Americans were spending more on pleasure than necessities
Purchasing on credit and installment plans

10. Jazz and the Media Rise of radio and the phonograph
Jazz- roots in negro spirituals mixed with ragtime
Cab Calloway, Hoagy Carmichael, Bessie Smith
Rise of the Movies- creation and rise of Hollywood
Sports
Gained new prominence through media
Show clips

11. Works Cited
Mintz, S., & McNeil, S. (2016). The Jazz Age: The American 1920s. Digital History. Retrieved January 28, 2016, from