The Roaring Twenties

Return to Normalcy After WWI the US was the richest and most developed country in the world. Mass production, high wages, new consumer goods and forms of entertainment labeled the decade the “Roaring Twenties” In 1920, Americans elected Republican Warren Harding who promised a “Return to Normalcy”

Foreign Policy “Returned to normal” by embracing isolationism Citizens felt they were “duped” into joining WWI and became committed to neutrality

Pro-Business Policies In the 1920’s, three Republican presidents were elected (Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover) who helped the US “return to normalcy” by adopting pro-business policies: Kept taxes low so Americans could spend their money Kept gov’t interference minimal so private enterprise could flourish These policies meant no new progressive reforms: Felt confident that reforms had limited monopolies, cleaned up cities, and regulated the economy As workers wages rose & their hours decline, Americans were happy to spend their money

The “Roaring Twenties” Pro-business policies & mass production techniques developed during WWI led to an industrial revolution in consumer goods Industrial growth led to high wages for workers and cheap products for consumers People wanted more consumer goods and began using Credit….

Credit The 1920’s also had a boom in advertising. Advertisers used techniques to make people think they needed certain goods Credit: Buy Now Pay Later You could put down some money and pay the rest in monthly installments Very easy to get People began buying luxury items that they couldn’t afford…. Led to debt The decade of spending helps lead to the Great Depression

Henry Ford Henry Ford’s mass production techniques made automobiles affordable for many Americans He introduces the assembly line concept of mass production Famous for his Model-T

Urbanization The dominance of Urban America divided society: Urban society was characterized by diversity, consumerism, freedom & entertainment Rural society was characterized by religious fundamentalism, nativism, & tradition Throughout the 1920’s, the values of these 2 societies clashed: Women, African Americans, Nativism, Prohibition, & Religion

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was the flourishing of black culture Jazz music blended African & European musical traditions Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington Authors Most popular was Langston Hughes- he wrote poems & novels about black pride Harlem represented the “New Negro”: the idea that African Americans should freely express themselves, embrace their culture, and strive for racial equality

Changing Role of Women In 1920, the 19th amendment granting women suffrage passed New fashion trends, voting rights, & more leisure time led to an increased sense of freedom Advertisers emphasized women’s sexuality and appearance Many young unmarried women embraced their independence and sexuality as “flappers”

Flappers Women who threw off traditional values Fashions like bobbed hair, shorter hemlines, and hats became popular Women smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol, danced at clubs, and used makeup Many had sex outside of marriage and used cars to “park” with boys

Literature The 1920’s produced some of America’s most important literature Authors F. Scott Fitzgerald & Sinclair Lewis were critical of 1920’s consumerism and conformity They became part of the “Lost Generation” who rejected war and were very critical of American society, they hated materialism

Sports Mania New forms of entertainment emerged as Americans gained more leisure time and personal income. Baseball, boxing, & football were popular sports Radio broadcasts brought sporting events to national audiences Sports gave Americans a new generation of heroes Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees was the biggest sports hero of the 1920’’s Heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey was so popular, his prize fights set financial and attendance records

Jack Dempsey Satchel Paige Babe Ruth Josh Gibson

Movies, Music, and Radio Over 500 radio stations connected the nation by broadcasting music, sports, as well as, religious, comedic, and dramatic programming “Talking” movies helped grow Hollywood and celebrity movie stars Tin Pan Alley produced 90% of the popular music – focused on ragtime, dance music, and jazz Irving Berlin was the most popular of the ragtime composers

Tin Pan Alley

Improved Transportation Car manufacturing became the largest industry in the nation and stimulated the US economy New roads, gas stations, and shopping centers were built Airplanes captured the attention of Americans in 1927 when Charles Lindbergh made the 1st trans-Atlantic solo flight. He became the biggest celebrity of the 1920’s