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Nabeela's Timeline of America in the Roaring Twenties
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The Prohibition Begins
Due to campaigning by groups such as the Anti-Saloon League and the Women's Christian Temperance Union, a nationwide prohibition began, outlawing the sale and manufacturing of alcohol. Though the laws were widely upheld in the South, there was opposition and rebellion in Northern and Eastern cities through the means of speakeasies and bootlegging. Women were also common fixtures at the drinking establishments, continuing to be independent and transgress from traditional values. -
Ratification of the 19th Amendment
After the women's suffragist movement had strived tirelessly to enfranchise women, the Nineteenth Amendment was finally ratified, so that women finally had the right to vote. Despite the women not necessarily being intersted in politics, by winning the right to vote, they were equal to men and independent. -
Opening of the Yankee Stadium
The New York Yankees baseball team built a new stadium in the Bronx so that they would no longer have to share facilities with the New York Giants, a rival team. One of the star players of the Yankees was Babe Ruth, and the stadium was known as the “House that Ruth Built” since he would always attract many fans to come and watch the games. With the opening of the stadium, spectator sports such as baseball became more popular. -
The Hollywood Sign
In Los Angeles, construction began of a sign reading "Hollywoodland" as a method of advertising for the real-estate development of Harry Chandler. At this time, the film industry relocated to Hollywood and films were extremely popular with Americans; 40 million Americans went to the movie theatres each week! -
Calvin Coolidge is President
After President Warren G. Harding died from a stroke, his Vice President Calvin Coolidge became the 30th President of the United States. He had to restore order and dignity to the Presidency after the scandals of the administration of President Harding, such as the Teapot Dome Scandal which was a bribery incident. President Coolidge was famously quiet and was also conservative and a believer in the traditional morals of the past. -
Ford Exceeds $1 Billion
In 1924, the value of the Ford Motor Company exceeded $1 billion. The assembly line was an innovation that made the Ford Motor Company quite successful. Having an assembly line decreased production costs, which in turn reduced the cost of a car, making it more accessible to more Americans. With the automobile came freedom- people could travel further, and at any time. -
The Scopes Trial Ends
Tennessee high-school teacher John Scopes stood trial after teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution to students, in discordance with Tennessee’s Butler Act, which prohibited teaching that involved denying Biblical creationism. Scopes was initially found guilty and charged a $100 fine, though it was thrown out due infringement of a technicality during the proceedings. The trial garnered national attention, and also popularized the field of science. -
Ku Klux Klan March
The Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group, staged a march down Pennsylvania Avenue with over 40, 000 members. The Ku Klux Klan was extremely violent towards African Americans, Jews, Catholics, and immigrants in an attempt to be “defenders of Prohibition, traditional morality, and true Americanism”. They also had a significant amount of political influence at the time, with members as Senators and local officials. The existence of the Ku Klux Klan meant that race relations were still tense. -
Charles Lindbergh Transatlantic Flight
Charles Lindbergh, a 25-year old pilot became the first person to fly alone in a non-stop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris in his plane, “The Spirit of St. Louis”. Not only did his flight establish the foundation of aviation, but the voyage was also greatly publicized by the fairly modern radio, so Lindbergh was transformed into a celebrity. -
Stock Market Collapse
Known as "Black Tuesday", this was the date that the American stock market collapsed and the Great Depression began, leading to over a decade of austerity measures and unemployment, so spending money on entertainment and other frivolities was impossible for many.
