Race, Gender and Culture in the 1920’s

Overview

The roaring twenties was an innovative period of social, political and economic change. The prosperity and ease that post world war I brought. The 1920’s fostered inventions such as radio, movies and automobiles which ignited the emergence of women and the jazz age. With many new products Americans became the primary consumers and class distinctions became more defined. During this decade harsh feelings towards non-conformists still prevailed. The political aspect of the 1920’s included prohibition, women’s suffrage and the stock market crash.

11th Grade Standards

11.5: Students analyze the major political, social, economic, technological and cultural developments of the 1920’s.

11.5.1: Discuss the policies of Presidents Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.

11.5.2: Analyze the international and domestic events, interests, and philosophies that prompted attacks on civil liberties, including the Palmer Raids, Marcus Garvey’s "Back to Africa" movement, the Klu Klux Klan and immigration quotas and the responses of organizations such as the A.C.L.U. and the N.A.A.C.P.

11th Grade Standards

11.5.3 Examine the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution and the Volstead Act (Prohibition).

11.5.4 Analyze the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment and the changing role of women in society.

11.5.5 Describe the Harlem Renaissance and new trends in Literature, music, art, with special attention to the work of writers(Zora Hurston, Langston Hughes).

11th Grade Standards

11.5.6 : Trace the growth and effects of radio, movies and their role in the worldwide diffusion of popular culture.

11.5.7: Discuss the rise of mass production techniques, the growth of cities, the impact of new technologies( the automobile, electricity) and the resulting prosperity and the effect on the American landscape.

Immigration

Second Wave

Quota Laws

Red Scare/ Palmer Raids

Sig: To demonstrate the hostility against foreign immigrants who were a threat to American society.

Warren Harding

29th President (1921-1923).

His inauguration.

Rebuild the nation.

Washington Naval Conference.

Teapot Dome Affair.

Domestic Affairs.

Died August 2, 1923.

America’s least successful President.

 

Calvin Coolidge

30th President (1923-1929).

"Silent Cal".

Restore the dignity and prestige of the Presidency.

Immigration Act of 1924.

Revenue Act of 1924.

"The Roaring Twenties".

Boosted the American Economy.

Herbert Hoover

31st President (1929-1931).

Secretary of Commerce.

Agricultural Marketing Act.

Stock Market.

Significance: Students will become familiar with the Presidents from the 1920’s, and learn about important events that occurred during their Presidency.

Women and the 19th Amendment

*Passive to Active in society.

*Organizations

*19th Amendment

Sig: Students should Recognize the role that women were taking in politics and The achievements they Made.

Flapper Jane

Appearance

Behavior

Parties

Sig: To demonstratehow the emergence of the flapper liberated Women to think and act freely.

Black Migration

Post- World War I Northern States and the Mid-West offered African Americans from the South a new start.

Booming industrialization and the diminish of European immigrants opened up various positions in employment.

Positions in service jobs and higher salaries became available.

Mass migration resulted between 1915 and 1920, at least 500,000 blacks migrated north.

Rural to urban migration.

The emergence of Black Middle-class began.

Harlem Renaissance

As African Americans migrated North the creation of a new culture was born,

Middle-class and educated Blacks made their way into the worlds of art, literature and music.

Although a white-dominated society the Harlem Renaissance was a movement that allowed African Americans to express their creativity, intelligence, and struggle.

Alain Locke, black philosopher and influential writer.

W.E.B. Du Bois , historian and sociologist.

Marcus Garvey, Black Nationalist leader.

Langston Hughes , novelist, and poet.

Significance: Students can recognize that the Black Migration and the Harlem Renaissance was the foundation and beginning of social mobility for African Americans.

Ku Klux Klan

In 1865, the first Klan was organized and was known for its white supremacy and opposition towards Reconstruction.

By 1920 a second wave arose , maintaining the white supremacy perspective this organization was also anti- Catholic, anti- immigrant and anti- Semitic.

William J. Simmons was the founder of the second Klan in the 1920’s. Better organized which allowed the Klan to expand out of the South and into the Mid-West. Gained thousands of members.

Although a secret society they also had an influence in political matters.

Ku Klux Klan supported social reform and progressivism.

KKK practiced violent acts such as lynching .

By 1930 the intensity of the KKK diminished

Significance: Important for students to become familiar with the KKK’s background in order to understand the different perspectives people had towards race relations / social issues during this period.

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18th Amendment ~ Prohibition

Women’s Crusade

Volstead Act

January 16, 1920 18th Amendment

Supporters of Prohibition

Sig: To show students how big an issue alcohol was, and to familiarize them with the law that was passed.

Prohibition

Legal Alcohol

Homemade Liquor/Bootleggers

Organized Crime

Significance: Students will learn what lengths people went to so they could get alcohol and the problems it brought.

1933-The law was repealed.

Gangsters & Organized Crime

Al Capone

Involved with bootlegging alcohol,

Gambling, prostitution, murder

and head of the mob.

*Valentines Day Massacre

Sacco & Vanzetti Trial

Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian men considered to be anarchist were charged with murder and robbery.

In Massachusetts , in 1927 they were put to death by electrocution.

During this trial a strong post-war sentiment against communist, radicals and any non-conformist existed.

Upton Sinclair wrote the novel "Boston" which reflected on the trial.

Unfair trial due to insufficient evidence

Executions brought on riots in Germany , Paris, and London.

Significance: By looking at Sacco & Vanzetti students can recognize the extreme measures that post-war sentiments lead to and realize that more than just racial problems were present.

Scopes Monkey Trial

Trial revolved around the Butler Act of 1925 which in Tennessee prohibited public school teachers from teaching the theory of evolution because it went against the Bible’s version of man’s creation.

 

Scopes Monkey Trial

John T. Scopes was found guilty and fined.

Significance: Sparked controversy on what should be taught in public schools. Theory of evolution vs. Man Creation which is still relevant.

Automobile Industry

Henry Ford

Model T/ Model A

1924 Federal Road Act

Sig: Invention of the

Automobiles changed the

Quality of life for Americans

And revolutionized a new era

of personal transportation.

Jazz Age

Louie Armstrong

Duke Ellington: Big band

Bessie Smith: Blues singer

Gershwin : Symphony

Dances

Jitterbug, Charleston

Marathon dancing, Fox Trot

Sig: These musicians revolutized the style of music in our social culture. Jazz was an outlet for rebellion among young women.

Inventions

Cars

Radio

Telephone, Telegraph

Movies with sound "The Jazz Singer"

Bandaids, kleenex, Q-tips, hair dryers,

zippers, lie detector test, bull dozer

Foods: Welch’s grape jelly, Eskimo pie

Wrigley’s gum and Kool-aid.

Sig: These inventions provided, entertainment and conveniences for society.

People of Interest

Babe Ruth

Johnny Weissmuller

Charles Lindbergh- He flew the 1st nonstop flight

Amelia Earhart – The first woman to fly nonstop

Gertrude Ederle- The first woman to swim the English channel

Helen Keller

Authors: F.Scott Fitzgerald

Wrote: "The Great Gatsby"

Ernest Hemingway & Langston Hughes

Significance: These people made a remarkable impact

On society in the 1920’s and are still talked about today.

 

Pop Culture

Cartoon Characters

Children’s books: Bambi,

Winnie the Pooh, Dr. Doolittle, velveteen rabbit

1922: Movies were black &white and had sound.

1926: Movies had color.

Sig: To show students the demand for entertainment. And the introduction of

Hollywood movie stars.

 

 

Stock Market Crash of 1929

A decade of a booming economy.

Feds raise interest rates and panic strikes.

Black Tuesday October 29, 1929

 

Activities

Automobile Advertisement

Art Project - Objective: Create an advertisement that would appeal to car buyers of the 1920’s.

Have students think of a catch phrase, name of their car and create a poster.

Sig: For students to become aware of the impact the automobile had on American society.