Unit 7: Topic 8 - 1920s: Cultural and Political Controversies Flashcards
What were some ways that women’s lives changed in the 1920’s?
Many women began to challenge traditional ideas about marriage, family, and work. Flappers were known for their energetic freedom and defiance of Prohibition rules. Even women who stayed within traditional gender roles had their lives changed through the mass production of household goods such as vacuum cleaners and washing machines. In addition, the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 changed all women’s lives by granting them the right to vote.
How did the 19th Amendment get passed?
The fight for women’s suffrage began even before the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, but the work of women’s rights activists in the 1910s made the dream a reality. Early progress began at the state level, where women gained the right to vote in 20 different states before the 19th Amendment was ratified. The final nationwide push included events such as the 1913 Women’s Suffrage Parade led by leaders including Alice Paul. Their tactics during this time included mass protests and demonstrations, political lobbying, civil disobedience, and hunger strikes.
After constant pressure on President Wilson from the suffragettes, Wilson supported the movement in 1918. The 19th Amendment passed Congress on its second attempt in 1919 and was ratified in 1920.
What was the 1913 Women’s Suffrage Parade?
Organized by Alice Paul and the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), the suffrage parade is considered one of the first major national events for women’s rights to vote. Taking place the day before Woodrow Wilson’s Presidential Inauguration, the organizers wanted to take advantage of the large crowds and gain Wilson’s attention. While it took 7 more years for the ratification of the 19th Amendment, this event is credited with invigorating the suffrage movement and amplifying it on the national stage.
What was the Emergency Quota Act (1921)?
Passed by Congress in response to the surge in nativism, the Emergency Quota Act severely limited immigration to the United States. The Act capped immigration at 3% of the number of persons from a given nation in the 1910 census. For example, if it said there was a certain number of Italians in the U.S. in 1910, then immigration from Italy in 1921 would be capped at 3% of that number.
This was an attempt to push back against the changing racial and ethnic demographics within the United States.
How did the National Origins Act (1924) alter the immigration restrictions of the Emergency Quota Act (1921)?
The National Origins Act reduced the percentage of immigrants from each country to 2% of the number of persons counted in the 1890 census. In addition, in an attempt to halt immigration from China and Japan, the Act barred any immigration by non-whites.
This Act was created to favor immigration from Northern and Western Europe while decreasing the number of immigrants from Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and any non-white places in the world.
What was the Harlem Renaissance?
As Black Americans moved North during the Great Migration, a thriving cultural movement began in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. This resulted in an explosion of jazz, art, and literature.
The neighborhood became an incredibly popular area for audiences of all races and ethnicities to see cutting-edge performances and art that broke through traditional boundaries. This push forward for African-American art has helped define American popular culture and heavily impacted the entire world.
Who were some of the most significant figures of the Harlem Renaissance?
A brief list of key contributors to the Harlem Renaissance:
Music - Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith
Dance - Josephine Baker
Literature - Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston
Art - Aaron Douglas
Cultural & Political Figures - Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois
What was the Lost Generation?
The Lost Generation was a group of American writers after World War I that were disillusioned with mainstream society. The term is often used to refer to the entire generation that came of age right after the war ended. Popular writers from this group include John Steinbeck, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway.
What were some of the differences between “Modernists” and “Fundamentalists” in the 1920’s?
Modernists refer to people that embraced new ideas, social trends, and science. They were typically not very religious, believed in evolution, and embraced the culture of the Jazz Age. Most modernists lived in urban areas.
Fundamentalists were typically very rural and religious. They valued tradition and typical “family values”.
The two groups often clashed in beliefs. Examples include the Scopes Monkey Trial and Prohibition.
Why is the 1925 “Scopes Monkey Trial” considered a signficant historical event?
John Scopes, a science teacher in Dayton, TN, was charged with breaking a recently passed state law against the teaching of evolution. The trial became a public spectacle with celebrity lawyers (Clarence Darrow and 3x Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan) and large crowds of onlookers.
The Scopes Trial is an example of the culture wars of the 1920s and the changing values within the U.S. by showcasing the struggle between urban modernity and rural tradition. It was also the first live broadcast of a trial on the radio and much of the nation was captivated by what they heard or read in the newspapers.
What was the effect of Prohibition on the United States?
Passed in 1919, the 18th Amendment banned the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol. Prohibition of alcohol was supposed to decrease domestic abuse, alcoholism, and other societal problems. Instead, it brought about a rise in organized crime as sophisticated smuggling operations and “bootlegging” gave Americans the alcohol they demanded.
Because so many people broke Prohibition laws, it was considered a widespread failure and was repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933.
