Quiz 4.3 | The Jazz Age and the Harlem Renaissance

How was Harlem able to become a mostly black neighborhood by 1914?

• Too many housing developments resulted in the market becoming unfilled, opening up the area for black renters and buyers.

• Immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean dominated the population of the city, making it 90% people of African origin or descent.

• The Great Migration of black workers during World War I coming from the South resulted in industrial jobs in the city.

• The phenomenon known as white flight resulted in Harlem becoming abandoned by white residents and replaced by blacks.

Who named the 1920s “The Jazz Age?”

• F. Scott Fitzgerald

• Jelly Roll Morton

• Louis Armstrong

• Duke Ellington

Why was the record of early jazz music impossible to preserve?

• The true feeling of a live performance could only be fully appreciated by experiencing the music and becoming absorbed by the momentum of the band.

• Writing down the music was too difficult for a twelve-piece band playing as quickly as they were.

• Improvisation by the musicians made the songs sound differently almost every time they were played, making recordings not a full representation of the sound.

• The technology of the time period could not record an accurate representation of the music.

Which work of Langston Hughes reflected his and Archibald Motley’s conflict in finding their racial identity?

• Cross - about conflicting heritage of mixed racial ethnicity.

• Good-Bye, Christ - depicting himself as a radical communist in his work.

• Lift Every Heart and Sing - pride felt in his African heritage and an anthem for blacks everywhere.

• The Negro Speaks of Rivers - freedom and ancient ties discovered after slavery.

What significant cultural change occurred for African-Americans during the Harlem Renaissance?

• A new racial identity and cultural pride resulted in an outburst of freedom of expression.

• Businesses began to grow and black police officers patrolled the streets of Harlem.

• As a black middle-class formed in Harlem, more students were sent to black universities such as Howard and Spellman.

• Marcus Garvey formed the United Negro Improvement Association and W.E.B. Du Bois founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons.

How did Jelly Roll Morton influence jazz?

• He introduced Spanish and French influences from the Creole culture.

• He invented cutting contests, increasing the complexity of jazz piano music through competition.

• He introduced jazz to the city of Chicago, where it became a national art form and spread to New York.

• He was the first stride master to be recorded, making jazz music more acceptable to white audiences.

Duke Ellington made what major contribution to the growth of jazz?

• His recording of the music opened up job opportunities for black musicians in the music industry.

• Ellington brought Louis Armstrong from Chicago to New York, adding his powerful trumpet to the piano dominated jazz of Harlem.

• He innovated rent parties that helped keep the landlords away while new musicians gained exposure and audiences.

• He came from the black upper-class, and his music helped break the reluctance of wealthier African-Americans’ acceptance of jazz.

Who are the Creoles?

• Descendants from free blacks living in New Orleans from French and Spanish colonies in the Caribbean Sea.

• Jelly Roll Morton used the Spanish and French songs from their culture to create the art form known as jazz.

• Former slaves that ran the city of New Orleans until their political power was stripped away when Louisiana became part of the United States in 1803.

• Free blacks living in segregated sections of New Orleans; they invented jazz in 1894.

How were the writings of Zora Neale Hurston an accurate view of African American culture in the South even though many of her books were fictional?

• She used her skills in anthropology and writing to show how blacks in the South really were and did not use stereotypes or make people especially sympathetic towards her characters.

• Characters in her books were based from actual people, she just changed their name to protect their identities and prevent getting sued.

• Being from the South herself, she wrote about her experiences while growing up and offered first-hand knowledge of culture and lifestyles.

How is jazz an American art form?

• It began in the United States and changed as the nation changed, reflecting differences in American culture and values.

• Jazz was the fast dance music for flappers and speakeasies in post-World War One America.

• Modernists rejected and challenged 19th century traditionalist values of what music was supposed to be and how people were supposed to behave.