Unit 5 Am. Innovation and Pop Culture of 1920s/30s Flashcards
Part 1
Post-WWI AM. Summary
America- turns to isolation following the end of WWI
why?
- congress is skeptical of LON and TOV ability to maintain peace
- Economic strains on the US economy
- Weariness from AM. public and soldiers returning home suffering from shell shock
Rural VS Urban Divide Grows:
More Americans move to big cities (urban population begins to surpass the rural population)
Example- The Great Migration
Traditional (Rural) VS Modern (Urban) Values
Economic Stability & Instability- “Roaring 20s”:
Antitrust Laws Go Unenforced; Monopolies Rise Again
Working Conditions Remain Poor and Wages Low Despite Wartime Labor Demands
Americans begin to buy more luxury items (with credit!)
***BIG problem by the end of the 1920s (foreshadowing!)
Shell Shock
Psychological illness caused by exposure to conditions of warfare; person may have moments of inability to reason, sleep, walk, or talk due to intense memories and flashbacks
Am. Consumerism
Consumerism- an economic system in which consumers are encouraged to spend money on goods and services that make life more convenient or make the consumer feel more empowered socially (“Keeping up with the Joneses”)
Inventions of the 1910s-30s (Be Able to Identify a Few on a Test/Quiz):
Modern Stoves- more convenient methods of cooking; electric begins replacing gas
Modern Washing Machines and Dryers- wash and dry clothes faster; become more electronic
Modern Refrigerators- more affordable by the 1930s
Record Players- become more electronic based
Electric Razors
The Band-Aid
Commercial Airplanes- faster travel for American citizens
Automobile- continued improvements and new models
Impact of Inventions- More Leisure Time For Americans
Continuing Boom of the Auto Industry
Henry Ford & The Assembly Line- mass production of the Model T continues into the 1920s
Cost goes from approx. $1,000 to $250-300 for the consumer to buy (a good commonly bought on credit)
Other Industries Grow Because of the Auto Industry:
Steel, Oil, Rubber, Leather
Rise of Gas Stations and Hotels (Travel Industry)
Invention of the Traffic Light
Speeding Tickets & Traffic Jams
Other Industries Mass Produce Using Ford’s Assembly Line Model
Airplanes
Charles Lindbergh- American pilot who made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927 (33 hours, 30 minutes; NY to Paris)
Amelia Earhart- the first female pilot to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932 (Approx. 15 hours, Canada to Ireland) ; disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 while trying to fly around the whole world
Radio
Uses For the Radio (Be Able To Identify A Few On A Test/Quiz):
Music (rise of jazz music; country music- Grand Ole Opry Show)
News (ex.- 1920 Election Results; the first to broadcast over radio)
Sports (baseball, boxing matches, football)
Soap Operas, Dramas, & Other Stories
1938- “War of the Worlds” Radio Broadcast- voices & sounds were so realistic people thought it was a real alien invasion
Motion Pictures
By the 1930s, millions of Americans are attending movie theaters weekly; VERY cheap- 25-50 cents per ticket
Silent Films- movies without talking or sound; often times accompanied by live music at the movie theater
Examples of Famous Silent Films:
Nosferatu (1922)
The Ten Commandments (1923)
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Metropolis (1927)
Talkies- movies with synchronized dialogue and music tracks; the first talkie was The Jazz Singer (1927)
Technicolor- a process of filming movies in color; very expensive and rare in the 1920s & 1930s
The Wizard of Oz (1939)- NOT the first movie to be filmed in color; but proved the value of filming in color and encouraged other studios to begin using technicolor; made $3 million at box office
Charles Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin- famous silent film actor of the 1920s/30s; remembered for his slapstick comedy routines
Animation: Walt Disney
Walt Disney- American animator and filmmaker known for revolutionizing the film and entertainment industry through his cartoons, movies, and later theme park (Disneyland, 1955)
Steamboat Willie (1928)- the first Mickey Mouse cartoon to be released; first cartoon with synchronized sound
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)- the first full length animated movie; made approx. $8 million at the box office during its time
Multiplane Camera- camera that gives animated features the illusion of depth by moving multiple layers of animation through the camera (Used for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, other future Disney films, and other animation studios)
Other Cartoons of the Era (Other Studios Want to Compete With Disney!):
Betty Boop (1930)
Popeye (1933)
Woody Woodpecker (1940)
Bugs Bunny (1940)
Tom and Jerry (1940)
***Many of these characters, including Disneys, will be used as American propaganda tools during World War II
Jim Crow and the Revival of the KKK
Jim Crow and segregation continued into the 1920s and 1930s
Poll Taxes & Literacy Tests
Race Riots
Lynching (Violent Mob Attacks > Hanging); greatly increases in the 20th century
Revival of the Ku Klux Klan
1915- Release of Birth of Nation
Widen Their Circle of Hatred to Include:
African-Americans, Catholics, Jews, Communists, Immigrants, Labor Unions and Those in Favor of Modern Science (Rural/Traditional VS Urban/Modern Values)
Growth & Popularity in the Midwest
Rural & Conservative Areas
Approx. 40% of members are in Midwest at the time
Active in political positions- local, state, and federal level
The Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance
The Great Migration- 1910-1970 the movement of millions of African-Americans from the South to the North and West in hopes of more work opportunities and freedom from racism and discrimination
Harlem- neighborhood in New York City that becomes a cultural hub for African-Americans in the 1920s and 1930s, helping usher in the Jazz Age
The Harlem Renaissance- the revival of African-American music, art, literature, fashion, and politics in the 1920s
African-Americans way of pushing back against Jim Crow and defying racial stereotypes
Langston Hughes
Poet, novelist, playwright, short story writer, and columnist. Langston Hughes was one of the earliest innovators of the new literary art form “jazz poetry” (combining jazz with poetry). His most famous works include The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Not Without Laughter, and I, Too.
Benny Goodman
jazz clarinetist and bandleader; referred to as the “king of swing”
Glenn miller
Jazz trombonists and bandleader; died while serving in the US military in WWII
Prohibition
Prohibition- a period of time in the U.S. between 1920 and 1933 in which the manufacture and sale of alcohol was illegal
Called a 13 year “Alcoholiday” and a victory for rural America
18th Amendment- makes the sale and manufacturing of alcohol illegal
Volstead Act- makes the 18th Amendment enforceable; enforces penalties for the sale, manufacturing and distribution of alcohol
$2,000 fine; 5 years in jail
Review From Yesterday’s EdPuzzle- Which groups largely supported the idea of banning alcohol?
Women’s Groups- Prevent Domestic Abuse and Neglectful Husbands
Protestants- Drunkenness is a Sin and Leads to Temptation
Labor Unions- Prevents Workers From Organizing and Being Productive
