A Republican

Decade A Business Boom Society in the

1920’s Mass Media and

the Jazz Age Cultural Conflicts

Republican Leadership 1921-1933 Republicans Dominate

the Federal Government. Republican Presidents: Warren G.

Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover.

Republican leaders favored business, and social stability.

Isolationism, disarmament, and limiting immigration are other policies.

The Russian Revolution- Czar Nicholas II, is ousted from power and eventually after thousands of lives are lost Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik party take control in 1920.

Fear of Communism Continues:

Schenck v. U.S. – In 1919 the Supreme Court decision Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. stated that the government was justified in silencing free speech when there is a “clear and present danger” to the nation.

Sacco v. Vanzetti – April 15, 1920 Labor Strikes – The Boston Police

Strike, Steel and Coal Strikes.

Palmer RaidsIn 1919 the Justice Department, headed by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, set up a special force to conduct raids and arrest suspected “subversives” people that were trying to subvert, or overthrow the government.

Buying on Credit – Until the 1920’s, Americans generally paid cash for anything they bought.

Advertising for products skyrockets. Installment plan – Encouraged people to buy who

otherwise would not. Electric Power – Between 1913-1927, the number of

electric power customers more than quadrupled.

Ford and the Automobile Ford “Model T” 1903 Ford started

his own car company and only a few years later in 1908, Ford sold 30,000 Model T vehicles.

Ford’s made the assembly line process more efficient, affordable, and reliable.

Society in the 1920’sWomen’s Changing Roles – “Making a break from the past”.Flapper Image – Along with their appearance manners change.Women Working and Voting – Generally only single women did go to work. Employers seldom trained women for higher positions.In 1920 women could vote in the national elections and about 35% of all women voters went to the polls.

Cities and Suburbs– During the 1920’s 6 million people moved from the rural areas to the cities.Many African Americans move to the north for more opportunities and better paying jobs.Cars and improved transportation systems led to suburban growth.

The country was looking for heroes, especially those who seemed to have all the virtues of the good old days.

“Lucky Lindy” Charles Lindbergh, was the first to fly nonstop from New York to Paris on May 20th 1927.

Sports Heroes In the 1920’s,

Americans began to enjoy sports as never before.

A highly publicized fight between Jack Dempsey and George Carpentier in 1921 broke the record for ticket sales, taking in $1 million.

Helen Willis

Gertrude Ederle

The Babe

• Babe Ruth set records in hitting, pitching, that stood for decades.

• During his career, with the Boston Red Sox and then the New York Yankees. He hit 714 Homeruns. A record that was unbroken for nearly 40 years.

Jazz and the Media In the 1920’s the United States was

a country with many different regional cultures. Interest, tastes, and attitudes varied widely from one region to another.

Through films, radio, and newspapers the mass media changed and formed a

“national culture”.

Growth of Mass Media, 1920-1930

Newspapers- Between 1920-1930 daily newspapers circulation rose from 27,791,000 to 39,589,000- an increase of 42%

Motion Pictures- Between 1922 and 1930 the number of people attending motion pictures rose from 40 million per week to 90 million a week. An increase of 125%.

Radio- Between 1920 and 1930 the number of households with radios, like the one at right, rose from 20,000 to 137,750,000- an increase of 68,650%

Radio combined with the great African American migration to the cities produce a new form of music called Jazz. Combination of Ragtime and Blues.

Jazz clubs become extremely popular especially in Harlem, New York. It became the African American Cultural Center. 500 clubs were located in Harlem in the 1920’s.

Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong were a few of many very talented musicians at this time.

Other Artists:

Georgia O’Keefe painted natural objects

George Gershwin- very successful composer. “ Rhapsody in Blue” LiteratureSinclair Lewis- Muckraking Novelist.Eugene O’Neill – legendary playwright. F. Scott Fitzgerald – Wrote The Great Gatsby.

Prohibition

• Prohibition of all alcoholic beverages became the law of the land when the 18th amendment to the Constitution took effect on January 9th 1920.

• Bootlegging• Organized Crime• Al Capone

Al Capone:• Controlled one of the most notorious

gangster organizations in Chicago.• He was making 60 million a year for

bootlegging alcohol.• 1931 he was arrested for tax evasion and

sent to prison.