The Jazz Age, the Gilded Age

After WWI… US went back to Isolationism Nativism rose Red Scare: People afraid Communism would overthrow the government Quota System: Legislation that set a limit on how many immigrants from a certain country could enter the US every year Roaring 20’s: time of widespread change in society and the economy

President Harding A troubled Presidency Became President after Woodrow Wilson Teapot Dome Scandal: One of his cabinet members sold federal oil reserves to an Oil company Tariffs: Passed high taxes on foreign goods to protect American businesses. However, this prevented other countries from making enough money to pay back the US after WWI

President Coolidge Friend of Big Business Did not interfere: Laissez faire Presided over one of the most economically successful periods of US history

Roaring 20’s! People’s incomes increased 35% America owned 40% of the World’s wealth Cities Expanded and Businesses grew astronomically Mass Production of goods made modern conveniences affordable to almost everyone and created a national culture (appliances, cars, radio, motion pictures.)

Not everyone Roared Agriculture based jobs decreased and were paid less money Expensive machinery to boost production Overproduction of crops due to increased efficiency made prices go down so they ended up losing money

Suffrage: The 19 th Amend. The Perfect 36: the amount of states needed to pass the 19 th amendment which would give women the right to vote (gender no longer mattered) Anne Dallas Dudley: Established the first woman suffrage organization in TN Harry Burn: State representative that fought for 19 th Am. in TN Albert Roberts: Governor of TN when 19 th Am. was passed

Fundamentalism Christian movement that involved a literal interpretation of the Bible Rejected Evolution Scopes Trial (1925)- High School teacher in TN (John Scopes) taught evolution despite a TN law against teaching it (religion vs science) Clarence Darrow faced William Jennings Bryant to determine the fate of evolution in schools Bryant won, but Darrow was able to get him to admit he did not always follow a literal interpretation of the Bible (blow for Fundamentalism)

Accomplishments Charles Lindberg-First solo flight across the Atlantic The Jazz Singer-First major film with sound F. Scott Fitzgerald-Great Gatsby: detailed life in the Jazz Age Bessie Smith-Empress of the Blues, sold a million recordings

Harlem Renaissance Literary and artistic movement celebrating African American culture (outside of Harlem too) Increase in appreciation for AA writing, music (jazz), and other forms of culture Led by well-educated, middle-class AA who expressed a new found pride in their culture Writers: Claude McKay-poetry of black ghettos Langston Hughes: Poetry of working class AA

Jazz Came from New Orleans Spread to Chicago in 1918 with the Creole Jazz Band Louis Armstrong-Joined the band in 1922 and became famous for his Trumpeting “Duke” Ellington: Played piano and composed some of the best Jazz music

Prohibition leads to Organized Crime 18 TH Amendment-Prohibited the sale and making of alcohol People still wanted it so crime organizations arose to illegally sell alcohol. Organized Crime-Group of criminals with a central boss or authority Speakeasies-hidden saloons that sold alcohol Bootleggers-people who smuggled/transported alcohol Al Capone-Notorious crime boss

Problems with Economy Uneven Riches Buying on Credit High Tariffs Buying on Margin

Stock Market Crashes Dow Jones Industrial Average Prices dropped steadily in 1929 Crashed in 1929: signaled the beginning of the Great Depression

The Great Depression The U. S. slid into an economic Depression over the next two years The Depression was characterized by unemployment and overproduction of goods