The Roaring Twenties

New Technologies of the 20s

Mass Consumer Culture

Changing Role of Women

Literature and Music of the 1920s

Conflicts in the Decade

The “flapper” was a new image of redefined women who were modern, daring and independent. Flappers wore untraditional, modern styles of clothing, and did not conform to the expectations of the average woman.

In 1920, the 19th amendment was passed ,

finally granting American women the

right to vote. This allowed the worlds of

women and men to converge more, and

influenced the country’s decisions since such

large protective, pacifist group of people were

enfranchised. This amendment also acted as the catalyst for flapper culture, since women

now had more freedom.

Before that, the 18th amendment passed in

1919 marked the start of prohibition, which

benefited women who were often affected by

abuse or other problems caused by

alcoholic/drunken husbands.

Gave women a greater sense of liberation

Slowly moving away from cult of domesticity

Increased drinking and smoking

Flapper trends included:

• Tomboy-like clothing• Shorter skirts• Short haircuts (bobs)• Stockings• Use of makeup

As shown, one significant aspect of a flapper’s wardrobe was a more masculine style of dressing.

Although women’s

education was improving,

most were still restricted to

jobs that were considered

more feminine, such as nursing and teaching.

However, more women were able to find

jobs as office workers and sales clerks.

The percentage of women’s

college attendance was rising, but the image of the

flapper aroused fiercer

argument that women should be restrained to

the home.

Overall, women in the 1920s worried less about getting married—an effect of their general feeling of independence

and freedom. They believed that they did not need to rely on men as much as they

did before.

Steel, oil, rubber and glass industries (used

to make car parts)

Faster transportation=faster

construction

Increased mobility = vacations, young people separating from parents

The automobile’s boost in popularity in the 1920s was one of the main things that helped America’s economy during this period. Additionally, since automobiles depended on

various materials and allowed for more convenient transportation, they benefited several major industries and

contributed to the culture of the 20s:

Although the telephone was invented in the late 19th century, it greatly rose in popularity (like the automobile) in the 20s. Households

had landlines that were connected to switchboards, which were operated by

people who would plug the caller’s line into that of the number that they requested.

Switchboard Operator

Radio was invented in the early 20th century by Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, and the 20s was when many

radio stations started to pop up worldwide. These stations

broadcasted music, news, weather and stories. Radio grew extremely

popular since it provided a new form of entertainment and made it easier to stay up-to-date with the latest news

and culture.

Culmination in technology = boost in growth of America’s economy

Aviation was also a craze during the 20s, though at the time airplanes were mainly used for mail delivery. Charles Lindbergh got the world’s

attention when he flew the Spirit of St. Louis alone from New York to Paris in 1927.

Popular books of the 20s:

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

• A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Many books written during this period critiqued some aspect of

culture. For example, the books above, respectively,

critiqued greed, war and racism.

The Harlem Renaissance was a revival and major exploration of

black culture that took place in the 20s and 30s. During the Harlem

Renaissance, jazz and blues music was very popular, even among whites. It was a time of great

production for African-American writers, artists and filmmakers as

well. It was also an opportunity for many blacks to hold social protests.

Duke Ellington, a popular jazz musician

H.L. Mencken was a journalist and writer who was known for expressing his opinions on and critiquing many aspects of

American culture. Some of his books included:• The American Language (on how Americans speak English)• In Defense of Women (on women and their relationship with

men)

Langston Hughes was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance, being a writer of poetry, novels, plays, and

other works. He was one of the first to write in the style of “jazz poetry”, which was poetry with jazzy, rhythmic

structures and patterns, and has won many awards for his inspirational works.

Although the Ku Klux Klan was disbanded after Reconstruction, it formed again in 1915, continuing to terrorize African-Americans as it did after the Civil War. However, the KKK now targeted a wider base of people: anybody considered a minority, and anybody who displayed opposition to the beliefs/values of Protestant, conservative rural whites. Once again, the group had its climax in membership in the mid-20s, and eventually declined again due to image-wrecking scandal and management issues.

During Prohibition, which started with the 18th amendment in 1919 and ended in 1933, speakeasies provided a way to illegally obtain alcoholic beverages. The alcohol was sold by gangsters, who made large amounts of money off of this, and who would sometimes live in the speakeasies.

The Scopes Trial was the result of the conflict between fundamentalists (people who believed

more in religion and traditional values) and modernists (people who leaned in a more

scientific way and wanted to blend Protestant religion with modern life). The main source of

controversy in this case was Darwinism—teaching about evolution was outlawed in some

states, including Tennessee, and a teacher named John Scopes supported those who

violated that law. The trial involved William Jennings Bryan supporting the Fundamentalists and Clarence Darrow on Scopes’ side. Scopes

was eventually claimed guilty, yet the trial called a lot of negative attention to

Fundamentalists.

The rise of magazines allowed people to keep up

with business, science, celebrity gossip, current events, etc. The Reader’s

Digest magazine, for instance, provided a brief

summary of the most important stories from other magazines. Time magazine

also made its debut in the 20s, another condensed magazine

that put out a new issue weekly.

Due to the flood of new technologies during the 20s, consumerism increased since everybody wanted to get their hands on these fascinating new products. The female flapper

culture increased consumerism among women who wanted to

glamorize their wardrobes. Canned food was another

major area of demand, since it was much more convenient

(especially in urban areas) to buy food that was already

prepared.

Radio, magazines and

newspapers served as leading

platforms for advertising

during the 20s. Advertisements were mainly for

consumer products—a

huge contrast to before World War I, where

most advertisements

shined a spotlight on reform or

corruption.