1 What were the ‘Roaring Twenties’?How far did US society change in the 1920s? What were the ‘Roaring Twenties’?
2 KQ2:How far did US society What were the ‘Roaring Twenties’?change in the 1920s? Content: Jazz age Women Immigration (Laws) Red Scare (Sacco and Vanzetti) KKK Scopes Black Americans and racism Prohibition What were the ‘Roaring Twenties’? A decade when living conditions improved for many Americans. Represented by new rights, new entertainment, looser morals and a sense of fun and freedom
3 The new prosperity of the 1920s brought a change in lifestyle for many Americans. Mass production led to the cost of many labour-saving former luxury devices, such as cars, fridges, flush toilets and vacuum cleaners, coming within the reach of many ordinary people. Hire purchase and easy credit made it easier for people to save to buy these products. Teacher’s note: Ask students if they know how people managed in the days before fridges, flush toilets and vacuum cleaners. Tell them, if they don’t already know, that people had outside toilets that were simply seats over holes in the ground. Food was bought every few days because it would not keep, or could be kept in a cold store. Cleaning would be done with brooms, dustpans and brushes, etc.
4 Entertainment in the 1920s During the 1920s the entertainment industry grew. New forms of entertainment became available for normal people The average working week dropped from 47.4 to 44.2 hours so people had more free time. Average wages rose by 11 % so workers also had more disposable income.
5 The Radio Almost everyone in the USA listened to the radio.Most households had their own set. People who could not afford to buy one outright, could purchase one in instalments. The choice of programmes grew quickly. In August 1921 there was only one licensed radio station in America. By the end of 1922 there were 508 of them. By 1929 the new network NBC was making $150 million a year. By 1929, almost 5 million radios had been made.
6 New Music New music like Jazz music became popular, especially among young people. Black people who moved from the rural south to the northern cities brought jazz and blues music with them. Blues music was particularly popular among the black population, while jazz captured the imagination of both white and black young Americans. New Jazz clubs, records and bands. Louis Armstrong The King & Carter Jazzing Orchestra
7 Jazz The most popular music of the 1920s was jazz. It was born out of blues music, which in turn had evolved from a combination of slaves’ work songs, spirituals and traditional African drumming pieces. Jazz became popular with young, white Americans and was played in dance halls. New dances such as the Charleston became all the rage, and shocked older people. Teacher’s note: The Charleston is the name of a piece of music as well as the name of the dance. The Charleston dance also has its roots in African culture and is believed to be influenced by the Juba dance. Web link: A montage of people dancing in the 1920s can be found here: This web link was working correctly at the time of publication. Boardworks accepts no responsibility for the content of external sites. Music: The Charleston, performed by the Golden Gate Orchestra, 1925 © The Internet Archive, Photo: © PicsFive, Shutterstock.com “Jazz stimulates to extreme deeds, to a breaking away from all rules and conventions. It is harmful and dangerous and its influence is wholly bad.” – Anne Shaw Faulkner, 1921 The Charleston
8 Cinema In a small suburb outside Los Angeles, called Hollywood, a major film industry was developing. All-year-round sunshine meant that the studios could produce large numbers of films or ‘movies’. New stars like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton made audiences roar with laughter, while Douglas Fairbanks thrilled them in daring adventure films. Until 1927 all movies were silent. In 1927 the first ‘talkie’ was made. During the 1920s movies became a multi-billion dollar business. By 1929, 100 million cinema tickets a week sold. (That’s as many as are sold in a year in Britain today.) Cinemas made $4 million dollars/ week in ticket sales.
9 The Italian, Rudolph Valentino. The Sheikh (1921) made him a sex symbol. He was paid $1 million.When he died suddenly in 1926 his fans were grief-stricken and a number of women committed suicide. Charlie Chaplin
10 Example of risqué scenes from movies in the 1920s…Why might some people have complain about these scenes in the 1920s?
11 What did Americans think of new forms of entertainment?Rule from the Hays Code: “scenes of nudity and dancing of a sexual nature are prohibited…” “a kiss could last for no more than 3 seconds…” “adultery is not to be shown in a positive way” “clergymen were not to be ridiculed…” “films should condemn killing…” The Hays Code was established in 1930 to make films uphold moral standards. Will H Hays, author of the Hays Code
12 The effect of the cinemaThe private lives of the stars changed moral attitudes. People looked up to film stars as role models. People copied the fashions of movie stars. How did the cinema industry affect the USA? The press followed the lives of stars both on and off the screen. Films and advertising made people more image conscious. Make-up and deodorants became popular.
13 I hit 60 home runs in one season!Sports Baseball became a big money sport with legendary teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. New sports grounds: Yankee Stadium (1923) were and Madison Square Garden (1925) Radio allowed people to listen to football, horse racing and boxing matches. Sportsmen like Babe Ruth (baseball) and Jack Dempsey (boxing and Ruth Ederle (swimming) became heroes. Babe Ruth Jack Dempsey
14 Women in the 1920s Aim; To investigate how far the roles of women changed during the 1920s
15 Women before WW1 Women formed half the population of the USA .Before the war middle-class women were expected to lead restricted lives. The had to wear very restrictive clothing and behave politely. They were not expected to wear make-up. Their relationships with men were strictly controlled. They had to have a chaperone with them when they went out with their boyfriend. They were expected not to play sport or smoke in public. In most states they could not vote. Very few jobs were open to women. Working women were in low paid jobs like cleaning, dressmaking and secretarial work.
16 Women in the 1920s The war gave women experience of skilled factory work. In 1920 women got the vote in all states. The car made them freer. Domestic work was made easier by new electrical goods like vacuum cleaners and washing machines. Younger women wore more daring clothes. They smoked in public and drank with men without chaperones. They even kissed in public. In urban areas women took on more jobs. In 1929 there were 24% more women working than in 1920. As a result, women became financially independent – advertising recognised this Women were less likely to stay in unhappy marriages. In 1929 there were twice as many divorces as in 1914. The media portrayed women in a different light – sex sold much better than anything else!
17 How significant were the changes in women's lives in the 1920s?Argument 1 – VERY significant Argument 2 – NOT significant Flappers: dumped the old restrictive fashions, corsets etc. in favour of short skirts, short hair, and the flat-chested 'garconne' look. Many of them wore men's clothing. They smoked, drank, used make-up, played tennis, and danced wildly in jazz clubs. Some were openly lesbian, others were sexually active. Flappers: The flappers scandalised many Americans - the Anti-Flirt Association tried to persuade young Americans to behaved decently. Most girls, especially in rural America, still behaved 'decently', got married and had babies. Work: Many women had taken over jobs traditionally reserved for men (such as manufacturing), and the number of working women increased by 25%; many went to be teachers and secretaries. Work: most working women were in low-paid jobs, and they were paid less than men for the same job. 10 million women were working in but this was still only a quarter of the females age 15 and over; the rest worked for free in the home and on the farm. Vote: In 1920 the 19th Amendment gave women the vote. The former suffrage campaigners formed themselves into the Woman's Joint Congressional Committee, which lobbied successfully for a Maternity and Infancy Protection Act (1921), equal nationality rights for married women (1922), and the Child Labor Amendment (1925). Vote: Apart from exceptions such as Florence Kelley and Alice Paul, few suffrage campaigners went into politics; they gave up politics and returned to being housewives. Women campaigned in vain after 1920 for an Equal Rights Act.
18 How widespread was intolerance in US society?unwillingness or refusal to accept people who are different from you, or have beliefs, views, or lifestyles that differ from your own
19 How widespread was intolerance in the 1920s?What can we learn from these two sources about migration to the USA? “From these two sources we can learn that…”
20 Race relations: WASPS In 1921, Congress passed the Quota Act. WASPS specifically wanted to limit the number of non-white, non-Anglo Saxon and non-Protestant immigrants coming into the USA. In the Southern States, where 75% of black people lived, WASPs introduced the Jim Crow laws which introduced segregation for black people. The Jim Crow Laws were legislated in 1880 and aimed to separate black and white people in almost every area of life. Segregation lasted until the 1960s, when Martin Luther King’s Civil Rights campaign managed to get these laws abolished. Photo: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-DIG-fsa-8a26761]. This image is in the public domain because it is a work of the US Federal Government and is therefore not subject to copyright.
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22 Native American Indians were gradually forced off their land in the 19th century. BY 1917 many lived in reservations, while others assimilated into white society The first European settlers and their descendents tended to hold the best jobs, most money, and most political power. Sometimes called WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) Slavery had been ended in 1865 after the Civil War. By 1920 there were 11 million black people in America. Many worked in agriculture in the South or industry in the North Many immigrants were escaping persecution and poverty in southern and eastern Europe. Many of them were Jews and Catholics There were a growing number of Chinese and Japanese immigrants who helped create cities and railroads on the West Coast in particular The melting pot People from Central America, South America and Mexico were collectively known as Hispanics. They shared the common language of Spanish
23 How widespread was intolerance in US society?Immigration Most Americans were descended from immigrants – but by the early 20th century many Americans believed that America was full up The First World War heightened this feeling and stirred up a lot of hatred of foreigners – Germans in particular The Johnson-Reid Act of 1924 fixed a quota of 150,000 immigrants – and Asian immigration was stopped completely
24 How widespread was intolerance in US society?Sacco & Vanzetti A 1920 robbery in a shoe factory led to the arrest of two poorly educated Italian immigrants – Sacco and Vanzetti There was little evidence, as they were both anarchists, the trial was biased against them – they were convicted and sentenced to death An international campaign was fought for their release but they were executed by electric chair in 1927
25 Ku Klux Klan The Klan were a terrorist organisation set up in the 19th century to try to preserve white supremacy over newly-freed black slaves Dressed in white robes and wore pointed hoods to conceal their identity Started again in 1915 with added targets: Catholics, Jews, foreigners, homosexuals, liberals
26 They took advantage of the anti-foreigner feeling in America after WW1Ku Klux Klan They took advantage of the anti-foreigner feeling in America after WW1 5 million members at their peak in 1925, and became confident enough to march through Washington Went into decline at the end of the ‘20s due to a number of scandals, but continued to have a presence in the south
27 Scopes Trial Showed the massive difference in views between traditional, rural America and modern America in the cities Scopes, a biology teacher taught Darwin’s theory of evolution in a school in Tennessee – where it was forbidden - was arrested Called the ‘Monkey Trial’ because of Darwin’s theory that men evolved from apes Scopes found guilty and fined $100 but verdict overturned following year
28 But what about the good points?Improvements for African Americans? Better chances of getting jobs and an education Chicago and New York saw a small but developing middle class Chicago saw a boycott of the city’s main chain stores unless African Americans were employed Poets, writers and musicians flourished 1919 saw the creation of the National Association for the advancement of coloured people, wanted laws against segregation and lynching Universal Negro Improvement Association set up knighthood style awards recognising achievements Marcus Garvey But Life expectancy 48 compared to 59 Harlem poorer housing – higher rent Poorer education and health system
29 The Vanishing Americans (Native Americans)Original settlers of North America Population declined from 1.5m to 250,000 in 1920 Forced to live in reservations in the Mid West Mining companies were legally able to seize large areas of Native American land Losing their culture – their children were sent to special boarding schools to assimilate them thus destroying their beliefs, traditions and language But.. In 1924 Native Americans were recognised as US citizens and allowed to vote for the first time 1928 the Merriam report proposed widespread improvements to the laws relating to Native Americans which were put in place under the New Deal
30 Arguments for Prohibition being introducedWhy was prohibition introduced, and then later repealed? Arguments for Prohibition being introduced Caused domestic violence. Led to crime and disorder. Caused poverty. Arguments for Prohibition Hangovers and ill health led to loss of production. The alcohol industry was controlled by immigrants. Unpatriotic or un-American to drink. Are any of these reasons still issues today?
31 a) How far does Source A explain why America introduced Prohibition? Revision booklet, PAGES 39-40: Source A
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33 Why was Prohibition repealed? (Got rid of)Gangsters and Al Capone Problems with enforcement Moonshine Why was Prohibition repealed? (Got rid of) Opposition groups St Valentine’s day massacre and press Depression
34 The alcohol industry used enormous amounts of crops to make beer and whisky. When farmers could not sell their surplus grain, they would convert it into cheap whisky. But in 1919, the Republicans introduced Prohibition, which banned the manufacture and sale of alcohol. This forced farmers to try and find other ways of saving money, or even making money illegally. One way they did this was to make moonshine. Teacher’s note: Making moonshine was often done at night time to avoid being caught, hence the name. Photo: Moonshine equipment seized by prohibition agents © John Charles Campbell and Olive D. Campbell Papers #3800, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
35 Prohibition became law in January 1920Prohibition became law in January Almost immediately, people began to break the new law. Many people saw it as unacceptable government interference in their lives. Secret saloon bars called speakeasies quickly opened up in cellars and back rooms. Drinkers had to use special passwords or knocks at the door in order to be let in. These speakeasies sold bootleg alcohol. Smugglers, called bootleggers, smuggled alcohol into America from Canada and Mexico in the boots of their cars. They also sold moonshine. Photo: © Oliver Hoffmann, Shutterstock.com
36 Bootlegging was so profitable that people were prepared to risk imprisonment. Criminal gangs, or gangsters, quickly became involved in bootlegging as well. Organized crime had existed before Prohibition, but the money that gangsters made gave them the power to take over a district or a whole city and rule them through fear and terror. Gangsters were able to use their vast profits to bribe and corrupt police officers, majors and judges to cooperate, or just ‘look the other way’. Anyone who opposed them would be ‘rubbed out’ by the ‘education committee’ or thrown in the river wearing ‘concrete boots’.
37 Consequences: RacketeeringGangs also made money out of rackets. Businesses had to pay protection money to gangsters to prevent their shops from being smashed up by the gang’s ‘education committee’. I make my money by supplying a public demand. If I break the law, my customers, who number in the hundreds of the best of people in Chicago, are as guilty as I am. The only difference between us is that I sell and they buy. Everybody calls me a racketeer; I call myself a businessman. Teacher’s note: This is a direct quote from Al Capone. Ask students what they think of the point he makes and if they agree. Worksheet 4.1 accompanies this slide. This can be used in conjunction with the question posed. Photo: United States Department of Justice. This image is in the public domain because it is a work of the U.S. Federal Government and is therefore not subject to copyright. Al Capone Was Al Capone just a businessman giving people what they wanted?
38 Revision booklet, PAGES 39-40:a) How far/useful does Source B explain why America repealed Prohibition? Revision booklet, PAGES 39-40: Source B
39 Repealing ProhibitionThe St Valentine Day’s Massacre was a turning point. Gangsters like Al Capone were no longer seen as standing up to an unjust law. Prohibition was viewed as the cause of a violent crime wave which had swept across the USA. The Association Against Prohibition Amendment blamed it for a decline in public morality and portrayed it as a threat to society and family life. High-society women, including Eleanor Roosevelt, campaigned to repeal the 18th Amendment, and used many of the same methods that women had used in 1919 to introduce prohibition. Photo: Eleanor Roosevelt: courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, New York. Eleanor Roosevelt
40 Repealing ProhibitionAs part of his presidential election campaign, the Democratic candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised a New Deal, and to end Prohibition. His opponent, the Republican Herbert Hoover, promised to protect the 18th Amendment and keep Prohibition. FDR won the 1932 election and took office on 4th March On 20th March 1933, Congress passed the Beer Act which made the manufacture and sale of beer legal again. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Photo: Franklin D. Roosevelt: courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, New York.
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43 Effects of repealing ProhibitionProhibition was repealed as a result of the Great Depression. The Beer Act ended Prohibition and allowed the government to make money from the tax on beer, and helped to create new jobs in the brewing and saloon industry. This measure also boosted public confidence and restored law and order by ending the control of gangsters over illegal alcohol.
44 The USA the 1920s High points Low points