Harlem Renaissance & The Jazz Age

The Roaring 20’s Life After WWI Science and Technology

Harlem Renaissance Revives African American Culture Harlem, NY real estate bought by Philip Payton, Jr. By 1920- most Harlem residents were African Americans. Harlem Renaissance- Symbol of rebirth and hope for African Americans Harlem became home to writers, musicians, painters, sculptors & scholars.

The Jazz Age -- Radio Radio broadcasts became a part of life in the early 1920s. The World Series was broadcast for the first time in 1921. NBC (National Broadcasting Company), the first network, broadcast for the first time (via radio) Nov. 18, 1926.

The Jazz Age -- Movies Millions of Americans went to the movies in the 1920s. Major movie stars: Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. Theaters were very luxurious. The first talkie, The Jazz Singer, was shown in 1927.

The Jazz Age – Athletes Jim Thorpe, an outstanding athlete, won gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon at 1912 Olympics. Later played pro baseball and football. Other notable athletes: Harold “Red” Grange, the “Galloping Ghost” and George Herman “Babe” Ruth (NY Yankees). Negro National League (baseball) formed at this time and had stars like Satchel Paige and James T. “Cool Papa” Bell.

The Jazz Age – Aviation Pilots were often considered heroes during the ’20s. Charles Lindbergh was perhaps the biggest hero. He and his plane, Spirit of St. Louis, took off on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. It took 33 ½ hours. Amelia Earhart became the first female to accomplish this feat in 1932.

The Jazz Age -- Art Art deco was the modernist architectural style. Painters created images of workers, factories, and technology. Notable artists of the time: Georgia O’Keefe, Edward Hopper, and George Bellows.

The Jazz Age – Music Ragtime, blues and jazz music were very popular. While there were many famous musicians at this time, Louie Armstrong, Bessie Smith, and Duke Ellington are three of the most well known. Chicago was a major center of jazz in the 1920s.

The Jazz Age – Art and Literature Harlem, New York became the largest African American community. The Harlem Renaissance, a period of remarkable artistic accomplishment, took its name from the area. Famous writers of the time: Countee Cullen, Zora Neale Hurston, and Langston Hughes.

The Jazz Age – The Lost Generation Writers who criticized American culture in the 1920s became known as “The Lost Generation.” Some moved to Europe and lived as expatriates (people who leave their native country to live elsewhere). Members of the Lost Generation included: Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sherwood Anderson and John Dos Passos.

Other Cultural Changes Ku Klux Klan Membership increased Used violence against African Americans & others Marcus Garvey Founded Universal Negro Improvement Association Wanted African Americans to move to Africa.

Lost Generation Saw Progressive ideas end in WWI Saw little hope for the future Expatriates (Americans who live in another country) moved to Paris. The End of a Decade