1. Mr. Turner American History II Unit 4: 20s- New Deal
1920s Society
Mr. Turner
American History II
Unit 4: 20s- New Deal

2. Traditionalism vs Modernism
In more Americans lived in urban areas than rural areas
Divisions began to grow between rural and urban folks
Rural People
Urban People
Traditional views on science, religion, and culture
Believed in social change, science, and more secular principles (modernism)
Three R’s “reading, writing, and arithmetic”
Focused on high school graduation and mental intelligence
Fundamentalism – emphasis upon Protestant teachings, and seeing the Bible as literal truth
Were more secular. Saw the Bible as a metaphor rather than truth

3. Scopes Trial Nicknamed the Monkey Trial
Fundamentalism and modernism came to a head in the 1925 Scopes Trial
John T Scopes, high school bio teacher, taught evolution in the classroom in TN - which was against the law
Clarence Darrow and the ACLU defended Scopes
William Jennings Bryan worked for the prosecution
Scopes was found guilty

4. Immigration in the 20s Nativist still wanted to get rid of immigrants
WWI, the Red Scare, and the Bolshevik Revolution all worked in favor of Nativists
Emergency Quota Act of 1921 and the National Origin Act of 1924 set up a quota system for immigrants in the US
National Origins Act - the number of immigrants could not be more than 2 percent of the population in 1890

5. The New KKK In Georgia in 1915 a group of men revived the Ku Klux Klan
Targeted African-Americans, Jews, Catholics, and Immigrants
Groups like the NAACP and the Jewish Anti-Defamation League fought the Klan
Corruptness led to the fall of the Klan; though it stayed around

6. Prohibition
1919- States ratified the 18th amendment - banned the manufacture distribution, and sale of alcohol
Congress passed the Volstead act - law that officially enforced the amendment
“Wets” argued that it did not stop people from drinking and led to organized crime
“Drys” argued that improved society and people in general

7. Prohibition leads to crime
It did not stop people from drinking - only purchasing alcohol legally
Moonshiners and bootleggers - people who sold illegal moonshine became really popular
Revenuers worked endlessly to catch moonshiners
It was almost impossible to stop because the demand was so great
Led to organized crime because gangsters like Al Capone could make so much money from bootlegging

8. Prohibition
People created speakeasies - illegal bars that served alcohol in backrooms, basements, etc
Led to the creation of NASCAR
Ended in 1933 when the 21st amendment was passed - only amendment to repeal a previous one

9. New Trends in Popular Culture
Americans began to work 45 hours a week/ 5 days a week - had more time for leisure
Movies became a huge industry
Charlie Chaplin was the biggest silent movie star
In 1927 the first “talkie” was introduced - the Jazz Singer
Radios and Phonographs became really popular - connected Americans from Coast to Coast

11. An Age of Heroes
Americans began to follow sports nationally and idolize sports heroes
Babe Ruth- baseball player
Jack Dempsey-boxer
Red Grange- football player
Bill Tilden- golfer
Helen Wills - tennis player
Gertrude Ederle- first woman to swim the English Channel

12. Age of Heroes
Charles Lindbergh- first person to fly solo and nonstop across the Atlantic
It took 33 hours in his plane The Spirit of St. Louis
Women took on new roles as well
Women became flappers - short skirts, makeup, drank, smoked in public
Women married later, had less children, and entered the workforce

13. Art and Literature changed
Painters started using abstract style rather than realistic
“Lost Generation” of writers - people who came home from war and lost faith in humanity
Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Eliot

14. Harlem Renaissance
Literary, artistic, and intellectual movement that shaped a new black identity and culture
Harlem became a haven for black artists who wanted to change the way African-Americans were perceived
Marcus Garvey called for black nationalism, racial pride, and a “back to Africa” movement
He also founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association

15. The Jazz Age
African-Americans created jazz and the 20s became known as the Jazz Age because it was so popular
Louis Armstrong -trumpet player became a leader of Jazz
Bessie Smith was known as the empress of Jazz
Duke Ellington
Became a part and symbol of black culture

16. Literature of the Harlem Renaissance
Poets, essayists, short story writers, and journalists wrote about struggles faced by black people in America
They wrote about daily struggles and discrimination
Langston Hughes- celebrated black culture, wrote many poems, one of the most influential leaders of HR
Zora Neal Hurston- traveled back roads of Florida and collected folk tales and wrote books about them
Harlem Renaissance altered the way many white people viewed black people and created an African-American Solidarity