Social Changes 1920-45 Flashcards
Name the 6 main causes for social change in the 1920s
Economy Radio Literature Cinema Sport Jazz
How did the economy lead to social change? (Give 2 specific examples)
There was an economic boom in the 20s leading to the age of consumerism. This was shown by the rise of the automobile as people were rising in social status enough to have a car (Model T). Also there were groundbreaking construction projects to symbolise a time of prosperity like the Golden Gate Bridge.
How did the rise of Jazz create social change? (Give 2 examples)
Originating in black culture in urban centres like Chicago and Harlem the rise of jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Count Basie showed the new African American presence after the Great Migration of 1916.
Also new dance styles came from jazz like the Charleston which were embraced by the youth and especially urban young women called Flappers.
How could it be argued that jazz did not have much a social impact everywhere?
In rural areas jazz wasn’t prevalent at all even as radio expanded and they stuck to listening to country music associated with their dance The Hoedown.
How did radio create social change?
It expanded rapidly from the first one KDKA in Pittsburgh 1920 to hundreds by the end of the 20s even in rural areas and small towns. This meant everyone had access to up to date music and news showing increased equality and prosperity.
This was also linked to consumerism as radio brought with it the spread of advertising
How could it be argued that radio wasn’t that important?
As there were so many stations people in the country would often not be listening to the same music as those in urban areas and may have felt culturally disconnected. Also radio wasn’t as big a media influence as cinema was.
How did the rise in sport popularity create social change? (Give an example)
This was the era of mass spectator sport and the most popular was baseball. The domination of the New York Yankees created the first sport celebrities in people like Babe Ruth one of the only players to hit home runs.
How did revolutionary literature create social change? (Give 2 examples)
They gave great insight into 1920s American life with 2 of the most important authors being F Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. These 2 showed a different side to the materialistic 1920s focused on parties and possessions instead showing how it was a disillusioning facade.
The 1920s was also the time of African American Renaissance in literature centred in Harlem which showed an entirely different voice in literature.
How did the rise of cinema create social change? (Give 3 examples)
Hollywood was the centre of the global film industry with America having the biggest stars. They were leading the revolution of cinema giving a sense of national pride and prosperity - in 1927 they were the first to create a talking picture and in 1928 the first Oscars were held to celebrate.
This affected almost every citizen as even very small towns had a picture house so there was equal entertainment for all - cinema became the main form of entertainment
Possible exam question: “women made little progress towards equality in the years 1919-1939” give 3 views for this
Economically - agree
Socially - disagree
Politically - disagree
Give 2 political examples of how women’s position improved
Voting - 19th Amendment 1920 - women achieved the vote and by 1925 Nelly Taylor Ross became Governor of Wyoming and Frances Perkins became the first woman in cabinet in 1933. Also when Eleanor Roosevelt was First Lady she campaigned her own independent issues from her husband
Women’s issues - Margaret Sanger opened the Brownsville Family Planning Clinic in 1916 as part of the campaign for birth control. Former suffrage campaigners formed the Woman’s Joint Congressional Committee which lobbied for Child Labour Amendment 1925 and the Infancy Protection Act of 1921.
Give 4 examples of how women’s position did not improve politically
Only 9 women had entered politics by 1939 and fewer women voted than men until 1980.
There were still groups that opposed progress like the National Association Opposed to Women’s Suffrage
Margaret Sanger was arrested 8 days after opening her birth control clinic showing how much hatred there was towards women’s sexual health
Give 2 examples of how women did not improve economically
By 1930 still only a quarter of women 15 and older worked and those in rural and poorer areas usually remained in their traditional role. Even suffragettes with the exception of people like Florence Kelly usually returned to the home after getting the vote.
Women who did work were always in low paid jobs and paid less than men which was legal. Also FDR’s new deal did little for women for example it’s pension scheme was based on the assumption that men worked and women stayed at home.
Give an example of how women’s lives were improved economically
The war provided women with jobs and a disposable income and 75% of women wished to continue working. By the 1920s 2 million more women were working than before, usually in careers like shop assistance or secretarial work.
Give 2 examples of how women’s lives improved socially
There was revolution among urban youth in the creation of flappers who removed restrictive clothes for short skirts. They did typically male activities like smoking and were usually sexually active before marriage. This was a change for women as they had their own money and leisure time to dance and buy clothes advertised to them.
Give 2 examples of how women weren’t socially more free
Flappers were only a small section of young middle class city women so most women did not live this lifestyle if they were older or in rural areas. This led to scandalised groups like the Anti-Flirt League.
Also on screen, the 1930s Hays Code in Hollywood meant that films had to be considered ‘moral’ and sex scenes has to be toned down.
Give the 3 main causes for prohibition in the 1920s
Grassroots activism
The War
Political Support
What types of prohibition grassroots groups were they? (Give 3 specific examples)
Women’s Christian Temperance Union - led by Carrie Nation who wanted to decrease domestic violence
Anti Saloon League formed 1893 by Wayne Wheeler became a national movement
People opposing immigrants who had a reputation of heavy drinking
What was the political support for prohibition?
After Wheeler wrote the Volstead Act it was vetoed by Wilson but overturned by a debate in Congress - at that time there were 294 “drys” over both parties and only 143 “wets”. It became the 18th Amendment in 1919
How did the war influence prohibition?
During the war fit workers were especially necessary so restrictions were placed on drinking to ensure better work. Therefore prohibition was encouraged by big business
What was the main reason why prohibition failed?
Organised crime
How did prohibition increase organised crime?
There had always been gangs especially in New York and Chicago within Irish and Italian American communities. They dominated gambling, prostitution and protection rackets but prohibition gave them access to production, distribution and selling of alcohol - a millions of dollars industry.
Who was the most infamous prohibition gangster? (Give some statistics)
Al Capone employed over 1000 men to run the city of Chicago earning him between $60 million and $100 million a year.
Give some examples of violence during prohibition
There were 227 murders in 4 years with no arrests including 6 at the Valentines Day Massacre 1929.
How did enforcement lead to the failure of prohibition? (4 possible examples)
The budget for law enforcement was much smaller than gangs had.
The length of US borders meant transportation was impossible to police.
The FBI was set up in 1924 with the infamous J Edgar Hoover but it had little success.
Plenty of decent people opposed prohibition so there were lots of people paid off.
How did corruption lead to the end of prohibition? (Give 2 examples)
Gangs were enabled by corrupt police and government officers who could be bribed easily allowing people like Al Capone to run openly and without difficulty - Frank Hague of Newark and Jimmy Walker of New York are two famous examples
How and when did prohibition eventually end?
The Wall Street crash - the drinking industry created more jobs
Al Capone was imprisoned in 1931 for 8 years for tax evasion
FDR ran against prohibition and repealed it through the 21st amendment in 1933
Give 3 regional divisions between the south and north that didn’t change in this period
Segregation and Jim Crow - some southern congressmen were in the Klan and they voted down the 1921 anti-lynching bill
They still believed in traditional values for example women’s place was in the home so there were no flappers here
Give 2 ways that the south changed in this period
The demographic became less black due to the great migration of 6 million in 1916
Oil and coal extraction companies were helping the economy grow in places like Louisiana and Texas - a move away from agriculture
Give 3 ways that the north differed from the traditional south
There were black urban centres due to great migration - by 1940 8% of Chicago was black which led to richer culture (Harlem Renaissance)
Northern cities were full of strikes due to Great Depression - 4 car workers died in Ford Massacre 1932 when police fire at hunger march
Some women had more leisure time and chose the flapper lifestyle
Describe how life for Native Americans did not change in the west
They were still marginalised and their culture was still being eroded by legislation like the Dance Order 1923 which banned their religious practices
How did FDR attempt to improve the lives of Native Americans in the West?
He appointed John Collier to create an Indian New Deal which included the Indian Reorganization Act 1934 which created 80,000 new jobs and repealed some culture laws
