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The Rise of New Industries
During this, cars revolutionized American life. First adopted by carmaker Henry Ford, the moving assembly line divided operations into simple tasks and cut unnecessary motion to a minimum. -
Arts and Literature
European art movements greatly influenced the modernists of American art. Perhaps most striking was the diverse range of artistic styles, each attempting to express the individual, modern experience. Some famous poets and artists include Carl Sandburg, Willa Cather, F. Fitzgerald, and Edith Wharton. -
African Americans and 1920s Politics
While the NAACP pursued racial equality through the courts, black nationalists supported independence and separation from whites. A dynamic leader from Jamaica, Marcus Garvey, captured the imagination of millions of African Americans with his “Negro Nationalism.” Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), an organization aimed at promoting black pride and unity. -
The Harding Administration
President Harding staffed his administration with political friends from Ohio; his presidency was married by many scandals. The most famous scandal was teapot dome. Another scandal involved Attorney General Harry Daughtery. -
Trade and Arms Control
The majority of Americans, tired of being entangled in the baffling, hostile, and dangerous politics of Europe, favored isolationism. Instead of relying on armed force and the collective security of the League of Nations, the U.S. tried to promote peace by using economics policies and Arms Control agreements. -
Period: to
1920’s
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The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance sparked new trends in literature, music, and art. During World War 1 and the 1920’s, hundreds of thousands of African Americans joined in the Great Migration from the rural South to industrial cities in the North. The man of Luis Armstrong moved to Chicago in 1922, he introduced an improvisational early form of Jazz. That sparked the revolution of the Harlem Renaissance. -
Changing Society
There was a huge change in society in the 1920s. Young people and women gain more independence and the working class enjoys more leisure time. Also new mass media in radio, movies, and sports develop. The Harlem Renaissance changes the society hugely. It introduced Jazz, blues, and the cotton club. Another part of society included nativists and a new Ku Klux Klan target immigrants, Catholics, Jews, and African Americans. Lastly prohibition of alcohol was introduced during this time. -
Clash of Cultures
During this time, we rejected Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. In 1925, Tennessee outlawed any teaching that denied “the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible,” or taught that “man desecended from a lower order of animals.” -
Pop Culture
Pop culture was a huge part of the 1920’s. For many Americans this time period, nothing quite matched the allure of motion pictures. In 1927, the golden age of Hollywood began when the first “talking” picture—The Jazz Singer—was produced. Some famous sports personalities included Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, and Red Grange. -
Causes of Prosperity
One cause is Government’s role. This limited interference with buisenss, cut taxes, debt and government spending, and imposed higher tariffs to protect young industries. Another event is new consumer society. This introduced that people have more disposable income and leisure time and mass advertising began.
