1. ESSAY 1920s

2. Introduce DBQ Directions: The following question requires you to construct a coherent essay that integrates your interpretation the era and your knowledge of the period elements of economics, immigration, commercialism, women’s rights, black migration, and urbanization of the 1920s. High scores will be earned only by essays that use multiple examples of relevant information, provide clear and specific evidence; while at the same time explain HOW and WHY such evidence proves the thesis you have proposed in you intro paragraph. You may argue that the statement is valid, invalid, or a little of both! Just be “theme specific” (look at past essay comments for proper thesis format).

3. “The economic prosperity of the 1920s failed to prevent the social, cultural, and political divisions of the United States.” Assess the validity of this statement using the documents and your knowledge of the period of the 1920s. In order to address this questions properly you must describe: (a) economic prosperity (b) Social/cultural/political divisions – what are they and whether or not the period was a coming together or a divisive era…or a little of both.

4. Economic Prosperity (you can use some of these ideas but always be as specific as possible!) Job Availability : decrease in immigration, increased production Assembly line: increase in jobs, production  cheaper products = increased consumerism Decreased work hours; increased wages; disposable income  increased consumerism National Creditors; collecting foreign debts Credit purchases Government lifting control on businesses Technology – radio/ads = increased purchasing Unfair business dealings…greed…oil… Focus on big business again; Calvin Coolidge – decreased taxes, decreased welfare spending (reduction in money to veterans). Welfare Capitalism  anti- union.  Division b/t workers and businesses.

5. Sample Start of a body paragraph: Economics of 1920s… Labor advances being taken back by having the government first control the industry (for war purposes) and then allowing private business to take control again. Harding gets rid of War Industries Board. Therefore, the post war prosperity was a temporary gain b/c private business was looking out for its own interest and not those of the people…(proof?) because business owners were once again going against laborer interests…(specfically?) which left us divided as in the Progressive era…

6. Social and Cultural Social – relationships between people Cultural – relating to life; music, religion, clothes, dance, language.

7. Economic Prosperity - unifiedEconomic prosperity did not do enough, divisive Social/Cultural UnitySocial/Cultural division (1) Mass culture/consumption a) Everyone had radios – listened to same music, interested in baseball, all go news. b) Ads & physical focus. c) Less work hours  leisure time d) Jazz – unified races/bought records (2) People were able to become who they wanted to be  a) Women – rt. To vote b) Harlem Renaissance  music/dance (1)Fundamentalism vs. Modernism a) Prohibition – KKK supports prohibition…Wets vs. Drys b) Evolution c) Women roles - Nat. Womens’ Party, Alice Paul militant radical, total equality (Equal rights amendment) d) Scopes “Monkey” Trial  Jennings Bryan= Fundamentalist. e) youth culture (2) Racism Nativism a) Red scare-  anti-communism sentiment./immigration ( Sacco & Vanzetti.) b) quota acts… This is an example of an outline for what you might include in a social/cultural body paragraph discussing possible unity examples and possible division examples.

8. Good luck my lovelies!

9. Good luck my lovelies! Miss you! Think about isolationism, anti-immigration, conservatism, big business, etc… Think about social/cultural AND political! Don’t forget to address the economic conditions, it is necessary in order to write an essay that fully answers the task!