UNIT IV:
The roaring twenties
Name: ______
1920’s VOCABULARY
Kellog-Briand Pact – 1928 – the US and 14 other countries signed the pact which outlawed war.
Return (Back) to Normalcy - President Harding’s idea for the US to return to life as it had been before World War I.
Red Scare - period during the 1920’s where people feared communism; communists and anarchists were arrested and foreigners were deported
Nativism - wanting to preserve America for native-born white Americans and limit immigration.
Communist – people who want government ownership of all property.Prohibition – 1920 – 1933 – alcohol was illegal
Quota System – limited immigration. This law discriminated against people in Southern and Eastern Europe by limiting immigration from these countries more than Northern and Western Europe.
Great Migration – hundreds of thousands of African Americans moved from the south to northern cities. There was competition with whites for jobs and housing, which led to urban race riots.
Harlem Renaissance - rebirth of African American culture in Harlem; African American musicians, artists, and writers settled in Harlem.
18th amendment – banned the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol illegal.
21st amendment – ended prohibition
Installment buying - buying on credit. You could buy a new refrigerator for a small down payment, take it home and then make monthly payments with interest.
WWI:
OUTCOMES OF WWI:
THE U.S. TURNS BACK TO A POLICY OF ISOLATIONISM BECAUSE THEY DID NOT AGREE WITH THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES WHICH PUNISHED GERMANY SEVERELY. THE U.S. ALSO DID NOT JOIN THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS, AND ONLY GOT INVOLVED WITH EUROPEAN AFFAIRS ON A VERY LIMITED BASIS. THE FEAR OF COMMUNISM WAS SEVERE IN THE U.S.
THE U.S. AGREED TO TRY TO PREVENT ANOTHER GREAT WAR WITH THE DISARMAMENT POLICY IN 1924 AND THE KELLOGG-BRIAND PACT IN 1928. THE U.S. ALSO EXPANDED TRADE WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES. THERE WAS ALSO THE PASSING OF THE QUOTA (SYSTEM) ACT WHICH LIMITED IMMIGRATION TO THIS COUNTRY.
AFTER THE WAR, PRESIDENT HARDING WANTED TO RETURN TO NORMALCY WHICH MEANT HE WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE WAY THE U.S. WAS BEFORE THE WAR. HE WANTED THE U.S. TO GO BACK TO ISOLATIONISM AND FOLLOW THE POLICIES SET UP BEFORE THE U.S. WENT TO WAR.
SOCIAL/POLITICAL ISSUES OF THE 1920’S:
Read p. 700-701 Fear and Violence and answer the questions below.
Many Americans were very fearful of COMMUNISM and these fears led to the RED SCARE, a fear of Communists who were called Reds. XENOPHOBIA, the fear and hatred of foreigners influenced the trial of SACCO & VANZETTI (last names). Explain what happened.
SACCO AND VANZETTI WERE ACCUSED OF MURDER, PUT ON TRIAL, AND CONVICTED WITH VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE. MANY PEOPLE SAID IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE IMMIGRANTS AND ANARCHISTS.
What contributed to social fears after WWI?
COMMUNIST REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA. PEOPLE WERE AFRAID COMMUNIST REVOLUTION WOULD HAPPEN IN US.
Read p. 709 Nativism in your textbook and fill in the blanks.
A huge wave of NATIVISM or strong anti-immigrant feelings, swept across the U.S. Many Americans grew increasingly suspicious of the IMMIGRANTS coming into this country. They were very worried about those coming from the Soviet Union because they now had a COMMUNIST government. Americans began pushing for LIMITS on immigration. The QUOTA ACT was passed in 1921. This law only allowed 357,000 people in each year. This act did not restrict immigration from Western Europe. Why?
THEY LOOK AND HAVE SAME TRADITIONS AS PEOPLE ALREADY HERE
Also at this time, the GREAT MIGRATION occurred in which BLACKS from the south moved to the north. They settled in Northeastern cities. In Harlem, one of the boroughs of New York City, a movement called the HARLEM RENAISSANCE began. This was the rebirth of African-American culture and music in the 1920’s. Blacks began embracing their culture and celebrating it. Part of this culture was music. The music created by blacks in New Orleans which caught on quickly in the U.S. was called JAZZ. This music mixed ragtime music with blues and some African rhythm. It was very catchy and it was the first music that could be danced to. A famous dance of the time period was called the CHARLESTON.
Read p. 717-719 Blues and Jazz and Literature and the Arts and answer the following questions.
1. Who were some of the Jazz artists of the 20’s?
Scott Joplin, Mamie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith
2. Who were some of the artists/writers of the Harlem Renaissance?
Paul Robeson, Zora Hurston, Langston Hughes, F. Scott Fitzgerald, e.e Cummings, Ernest Hemmingway
3. How did developments in literature, arts, and architecture reflect this period?
Writers showed the struggles of African American life and the destruction of WWI; architects showed modern life; all showed the spirit of the times and hopes for the future
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Langston Hughes
This poem was written to encourage African-Americans to do what?
TO KEEP HOLDING ON TO THE HOPE OF A BETTER, MORE EQUAL LIFE.
After WWI, soldiers came home and wanted their JOBS back. However, during the war, WOMEN had taken these jobs and many did not want to give them up. Having an INCOME gave these women independence that they had never had before. Women also had the right to VOTE thanks to the 19TH AMENDMENT. Women began changing. They wanted to live by themselves in apartments, they wanted to work a job for a paycheck. They wanted to go out and DANCE, smoke, and party. These women that went against the polite and formal standards that women were expected to follow were called FLAPPERS.
Use the pictures below to answer the question.
What differences can you see between these two pictures?
On the right:
Shorter hair
Showing arms and legs
Wearing make up
Looser clothes
Read p. 698-699 A Changing Society and answer the following questions.
1. What kind of changes took place for Americans in the 1920’s?
More people attended high school and college,
popular music, driving fast cars, dances
2. What changes did women’s roles undergo in the 1920’s?
Went to college, worked, voted, held public office, flappers challenged traditions
Americans also had a lot more spare time on their hands. They began going to BASEBALL games, parties, and amusement parks.
Read p. 715-717 The Story Continues, A National Culture, and A Search for Heroes and answer the following questions.
1. How did mass media affect American culture in the 1920’s?
Helps spread new fads and culture. Ex. Flag pole sitting, marathon dancing,
2. Who were some of the major celebrities of the 20’s?
Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh
Also during this time period, PROHIBITION was going on, passed in the 18TH AMENDMENT. This made the manufacturing, shipping, and sale of ALCOHOL illegal in the U.S. Some people started making their own liquor, called MOONSHINE. Others, like Al Capone and Jimmy Hoffa began BOOTLEGGING. This meant they would get alcohol illegally from Canada and ship it into big cities to continue the night life city dwellers had grown accustomed to.
SPEAKEASIES opened which offered alcohol, dancing and GAMBLING. In order to get into these places, there was a secret password or knock. Prohibition lasted until the 21ST AMENDMENT was passed in 1933.
Read p. 706-707 Prohibition and answer the following questions.
1. What problems arose because of prohibition?
ORGANIZED CRIME, MAFIA
ECONOMICS OF THE 20’S
Read p. 711-712 and fill out the graphic organizer below. Give examples as to how the automobile affected American society.
Assembly line, petroleum industry, mechanics, construction, vacations, service stations, insurance companies, rubber industry, steel industry, drive-through restaurants, drive-in movie, advertising-bill boards
Read p. 713 Business Booms and answer the following questions.
1. Explain the first paragraph in your own words.
2. How did Americans purchase these goods?
Installment buying
3. How did advertising affect consumer spending?
Advertising got people to buy new goods they didn’t have enough money for.
For the graphic organizer below, brainstorm the Social, Political & Economic issues of the 1920’s.
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