US HISTORY - HONORS

Chapter 23: The Jazz Age

PROSPERITY

The 1920s was a decade of great prosperity and productivity

Republican tax cuts and limited involvement in the economy encouraged investment Wages increased as companies made better profits Electricity became common in most homes, leading to household

appliances like washing machines, vacuums, and radios Much of the success was the result of scientific

management All tasks could be broken down into smaller tasks that people

specialized in This cut down the amount of time that it took for products to be

made, increasing production The automobile industry was a perfect example of scientific

management

HENRY FORD AND THE AUTOMOBILE

The first automobiles were produced in the 1890s, but Henry Ford revolutionized the industry Ford Motor Company created in 1903 Introduced the Model T in 1908

Ford perfected the assembly line to cut production times People stood in a particular area and completed a specific

task in the building of the car By 1914, over 250,000 Model Ts were sold a year Other companies followed suit

To provide for the auto industry, many other industries also prospered Glass, rubber, steel, and other industries blossomed Over 1 million were employed in the auto industry in some

way by 1929

FORD’S EFFECT ON AMERICA

Ford also revolutionized working conditions for his employees Guaranteed an 8 hour workday Paid $5 a day However, Ford was a stickler not only at work, but

monitored his employees’ home lives as well The booming auto industry changed the American

landscape People could buy a new car for $800 Service and gas stations sprang up throughout the nation People could travel easier, thus roads were built and

motels opened to accomodate tourists

HENRY FORD AND THE MODEL T

CONSUMER AMERICA

The prosperity of American in the 1920s created a nation of consumers

For the first time, people could buy products on credit Companies offered installment plans for various products This led to the creation of credit cards Companies competed for the nation’s business through

advertising Companies continued to use newspapers, magazines and

billboards, as they had before However, the new medium of radio was the mode of

advertising choice Jingles, slogans, and celebrity endorsements became common

Some companies expanded the locations, having stores throughout the country

PROHIBITION The 18th Amendment (1919) outlawed the manufacture, sale,

distribution and consumption of alcohol The law was very hard to enforce and created a unique

American culture in the 1920s The Volstead Act of 1919 was passed to enforce the law

People could obtain alcohol in different ways Speakeasies were illegal bars Bootleggers smuggled alcohol into the US from Canada and other

places Some people made their own liquor (“moonshine”)

Organized crime became rampant Most notorious was Chicago’s Al Capone Led by Eliot Ness, his group of detectives, the Untouchables, tried

for years to convict Capone, to no avail Finally, in 1931, Capone was sent to prison for tax evasion

The amendment was repealed in 1933 by the 21st Amendment

YOUTH CULTURE OF THE 1920S

The younger generation began to openly reject the values and morals of previous generations

Women were especially open to change The “new woman” of the 1920s was the “flapper” Not all women became flappers, but the flapper

symbolized the 1920s Flappers were very different than women before

Short, bobbed hair Shorter skirts Career minded and bold in manners and style

More and more people began to attend college

THE FLAPPER

ENTERTAINMENT

Radio: first stations went on the air in 1920 Played a variety of programs, such as music, sports, and news Companies such as NBC were created Millions were made by selling advertising slots

Movies: became easier to produce and hundreds were made a year The earlier part of the decade was dominated by silent films and

stars such as Charlie Chaplin In 1927, the first “talkie” was produced

Sports: both professional and college athletics Football and baseball were the most popular

Stars like Red Grange, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth became heroes to many

Books and Magazines: reading was a popular pastime New weeklies and monthlies like Reader’s Digest were printed for

the first time

CELEBRITIES AND HEROES

Sport stars were among the many heroes of Americans Babe Ruth (“Sultan of Swat”) Jim Thorpe, a Native American multisport star, also

competed in the Olympics Movie stars were emulated One of the biggest of the decade was Charles

Lindbergh Pilot that flew mail between St. Louis and Chicago Became the first person to fly non stop from New York to

Paris in 1927 Took 33.5 hours to fly his plane the Spirit of St. Louis Inspired Amelia Earhart to become the first woman to do it

the following year

STARS OF THE 1920S

STARS OF THE 1920S

RELIGION OF THE 1920S Because of the decline morals of the decade, preachers

began to stress a revival of faith Fundamentalism developed as preachers insisted that

the words of the Bible should be taken literally Claimed that scientific development and liberal thought

“weakened” Christianity In 1925, a trial in Tennessee tested fundamentalism

The theory of evolution was banned from schools in TN John Scopes was accused of teaching the theory Clarence Darrow represented Scopes, while William Jennings

Bryan represented the prosecution The Scopes trial divide views on religious fundamentalism and

freedom of expression Scopes was found guilty and fined $100 However, the trial weakened support for fundamentalism

MUSIC OF THE 1920S

The new music craze was jazz Jazz was hybrid of musical styles popular among black

musicians of the south Ragtime, spirituals, and West African rhythms were the

basis, as well as blues Louis Armstrong was one of the first and most

influential musicians Duke Ellington also had a strong influence on the

style Both artists took jazz to the north, where it quickly

gained popularity The popularity of the music is the reason why the

1920s is considered the “Jazz Age”

JAZZ MUSICIANS

HARLEM RENAISSANCE

The predominantly black neighborhood of Harlem, NY was the site of an influential movement in the arts

This movement was known as the Harlem Renaissance Theater: actors, playwrights and singers gained

popularity Literature: poets and novelists wrote stories

that described what it was like being black in America

Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston were among the most famous

THE LOST GENERATION

At the same time the Harlem Renaissance took place, another literary movement occurred Ernest Hemingway dubbed the movement

the Lost Generation Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald,

among others, wrote stories of disillusionment and criticized the new America Conformity, materialism and close-

mindedness were common targets

THE ARTS

Painting and photography were common forms of expression

Much of the influence came from Mexican artists like Diego Rivera and their elaborate murals that depicted industrial development

Architecture also changed, especially with the boom of skyscraper building in cities

Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the most influential architects of the time

THE ARTS