Roaring 20's

Roaring 20's

by Tyler Reeves

​A Push for Normalcy

President Warren G. Harding, promised to return America to the mindset of isolationism: Advocating or promoting non-involvement with European or Asian conflicts in both a political and military sense. Harding wanted to invest in American Business so America could keep profits. 

​The war had left thousands dead, thousands wounded and thousands with shellshock. Significant Legislation: 19th Amendment passes, recognizing women’s suffrage, helped by the war effort given by women in industry.

Treaty of Versailles was rejected three times by U.S. Congress

​Immigration problem?

Resurgence of Nativism: Immigration spike in 1921. Many Europeans sought to escape their devastated, war weary countries. Many of these workers are unskilled and penniless. Seen as a new threat to national stability and order. 

New Immigration Acts - Under President Harding, the United States passes the Emergency Quota Act: quota system in limiting immigration to 3% of existing foreign ethnic immigration group already in the U.S. based on 1910 Census. 

​Immigration Continued

​Through the National Origins Act - immigration restriction now becomes permanent U.S. policy. Starting in 1924 only 150,000 immigrants allowed each year. Europeans from Northwest countries were favored over Southern and Eastern Europeans.  

​Prohibition

18th Amendment: Ratified in 1919 - This prevented the consumption, production and sell of alcohol in public business. 

Speakeasies:  illegal bars that sell alcohol that were established in hidden locations. This saw a rise in local, organized crime. Leads to the practice known as Bootlegging: illegally producing and selling of alcohol. Mob leaders such as Al Capone become famous for using bribes, and violent henchmen as a way to conduct business of illegally selling alcohol. 

​Harlem Renaissance

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The rebirth of musical, literature, theatrical & visual art within the African-American community. Singers like Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith became cultural icons. The pinnacle of music in Harlem was the Cotton Club: Where the best and most talented upcoming artists were showcased weekly. America witnesses a surge of Jazz and Blues Music. This is also part of a time period known as The Great Migration. Southern African Americans moved northward due to the following

• Job market opportunities

• More acceptance for cultural promotions

• Better living and social conditions

Multiple Choice

The years following World War I, the United States practiced ______ with its direct relations w/ most international affairs and foreign nations as part of a promise to the American people.

• Internationalism

• Nativism

• Isolationism

• Nationalism

Multiple Choice

The 18th Amendment of 1919 / 1920 prohibited the __________.

• selling of certain drugs and foods

• importation of German products

• selling, production and transporting of alcohol

•  exporting of natural resources

Multiple Choice

The 19th Amendment was the federal mandate to ______.

• give women the right to vote

• Give African Americans the right to vote

• Moving the legal age of voting to 18

• set the voting age to stop at age 65

Multiple Choice

The Emergency Quota Act of 1924 had the following negative effect of______.

• decreased restrictions on immigration 

• allowing unrestricted immigration

•  halting all immigration

• increased restrictions on immigration

Multiple Choice

The Harlem Renaissance included for African-Americans all the following EXCEPT ______.

•  literature that reflected their culture

• art that showed a new identity of self

• sense of economic independence

•  None of the Above

Multiple Choice

The years following World War 1 saw a resurgence of __________, the policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants.

• Nativism

• Militarism

• Jim Crow Laws

• Internationalism

​Scopes Trial

1925 - Dayton TN. John T Scopes, a biology teacher willingly taught textbook evolution. This was contrary to the Butler Act: Which forbade any teacher from teaching evolution in a state funded school and school system.

Fundamentalism/fundamentalists - Belief in literal translation of the Bible (Protestant Christians). Only wanting to allow the teaching of Creationism: God’s creation of the Universe and life on Earth according to scripture.  

​

The trial was not based on innocence but to enforce the state’s “No Evolution” rule. 

​The Tennessee Supreme Court eventually overturned the decision. 

​

Importance and Effects of Scopes Trial

​Importance: 

• National media coverage

• Radio, newspaper, magazines

• Fundamentalists lost respect with mainstream Protestantism

Effects:

• Power and Influence of national media

• Recognition of role of education and its mixing into politics

• decline/fall from grace of Fundamentalism in the U.S. 

​

• ​Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, took bribes ($) from various private companies in exchange to allow these private companies to lease lands from the U.S. Navy Oil Reserves in 1921 ​

  Albert Fall was the first cabinet member for a President in office to go to prison

​The Dawes Plan

​

The United States would give loans to Germany to boost the German economy and make their reparation payments to the Allies (Britain and France). As a result, Britain and France would pay the debt owed to the U.S. for war goods sold during World War 1. Certain banks were put in charge of administering these loans

Multiple Choice

Dancing and Drinking establishments that were illegal were referred to as?

• Saloons

• Clubs

• Bars

• Speakeasies

Multiple Choice

 Which one of the following was NOT an effect of the Scopes Trial upon U.S. society?

•  the decline of the fundamentalist movement among Americans

• the power & effect of national media has on public opinion

•  the increased number of people attending church-based schools

•  Supreme Court reverses Tennessee’s court ruling on Scopes

Multiple Choice

The Dawes Plan of 1924 was America’s foreign policy to ______.

• Set up a Peace Treaty with the Central Powers of WW1

•  set up bank loans from U.S. banks to help Germany fulfill their war reparations

• set up military tribunals to assist the Allies of WW I to charge those of war crimes

•  reestablish the German military as a protection defense force

Multiple Choice

 ______ were the name given to the young, promiscuous women who bobbed their hair short and wore short skirts for the nightlife at clubs for dancing.

• Dirty Angels

• Free Spirits

• Floozies

• Flappers

​Power Treaties of the 20's

1. Four Power Treaty: U.S, England, France and Japan - agreed to a general ‘Respecting’ of each other’s territories in the Pacific Ocean. 

2. Five Power Treaty: U.S, England, France, Japan and Italy - Agreement to freeze and decrease naval warship production based on 1921 numbers

   1. A loophole though was no limitation on small warships

Nine Power Treaty: Respect the Open door policy with China.

​Dancing to a New Tune

MUSIC

• Growing along  the Mississippi River from south to north

• 1900s – 1910s:  growth of Ragtime

• 1920s:  huge growth & popularity of Jazz & Blues --- 2 forms

  • 1) New Orleans:  old form that varied northward along the Mississippi

  • 2) Harlem:  the newer & “hip” version, very popular for dance and highlighted during the Harlem Renaissance

    • Harlem, New York City --- Cotton Club

  • “Blues” --- St. Louis up to Chicago along the Mississippi

    • New Orleans influenced

​New Writing

Literature:  new modern themes of post-World War I

​Realism & Surrealism

• Authors:  Eugene O’Neill, T.S. Elliot, Ernest Hemingway, & F. Scott Fitzgerald

• Creation of new character theme:  “heroic antiheroes”

  • Those who aren’t classical / typical / expected heroes

    • Those characters w/ issues, lack of courage, vices that are bad, evil or non-heroic, chaotic

    • They are still good people who find their purpose in life ----- mostly doing good.

Automobile Industry

​

Mass Production: Henry Ford’s contribution to the automobile industry. Producing and industrial/manufacturing product in large quantities. 

Assembly Line: Pre fabricated parts added by non skilled workers, could produce a high quality and affordable vehicle in 93 minutes while it would normally take skilled workers up to 12 hours to make. 

1914 - $490 for T model

1924 - $295

​Henry Ford was the first to do the following

Five day work week, Eight hour work day, $5 a day wage (making them some of the highest paid workers of the time)

​New Currency

​

• Increased production w/ moderated prices making goods more affordable, NOT just for Upper & Upper Middle Class BUT even for the working Middle Class and working class people

  • People were buying on CREDIT, money that they don’t really have but pay back on interest

Multiple Choice

______ was a high-speed tempo music that originated from New Orleans that was increasingly popular for dancing and was the center for Harlem’s Cotton Club.

• Jazz

• Blues

• Reggae

• Ragtime

Multiple Choice

______ were the name given to illegal producers and distributors of alcohol during the 1920s of the U.S. who was running the alcohol, hiding from law enforcement.

• Thugs

• Speakeasies

• Bootleggers

• Bootstraps

Multiple Choice

 Due to lack of increased wages in the late 1920s, many businesses were resorting to selling household goods to customers on ______, with the promise to pay back with interest.

• speculation

• bank loans

• credit

• I.O.U.'s

Multiple Choice

______ was the key new technology for mass media advertising due to its popularity and increased numbers in American homes.

• Television

• Radio

• Newspapers

• Social Media

Multiple Choice

Which one of the following was NOT a factor to Henry Ford’s industrial success in the area of automobile production?

• Less Worker Rights

• Five Day Work Week

• increased/better pay

• assembly line mass production

Multiple Choice

 The Great Migration was the physical movement of ______ to the urban centers of Chicago and New York primarily for the reason in finding new jobs and a community they could feel part of.

• African Americans

• Asian Americans

• European Immigrants

• The Upper Class

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was the unfortunate result of Prohibition during the 1920s?

• Increase in organized Crime

• disregard of the law by so many

• increase in violent mafia activities

• All The Above