1. Changing Ways of Life in the 20s
How and why did society change in the 1920s?

2. Urban Life
By the 1920s 51% of Americans live in a city and 2 million more arrive each year
Why? job opportunities, easy transportation, liberal & diverse values, plus drinking, gambling & casual dating tolerated
Three largest cities: New York (5m), Chicago (3m), Philadelphia (2m)

3. Discuss: What were reasons for prohibition?
Rural Life
Small towns & farms had conservative values & were religious
Rural people saw cities as immoral places, esp due to alcohol, gambling and women’s “city behavior”
To save America, rural America joined forces with temperance groups to push for prohibition of alcohol
Discuss: What were reasons for prohibition?

4. Discuss: What dangers are in an illegal club?
Prohibiting Alcohol
18th Amendment passes outlawing the sale, consumption & manufacturing of alcohol starting in 1920
Volstead Act established a Prohibition Bureau to enforce law, but govt doesn’t give enough money to fully fund the bureau
Hidden saloons & social clubs called speakeasies open up in major cities, criminals run the illegal “speaks”
Discuss: What dangers are in an illegal club?

5. Discuss: What was ironic about the Cotton Club ?s:
Speakeasy Ad
Discuss: What was ironic about the Cotton Club ?s:

6. Organized Crime & Bootlegging
To get alcohol to “speaks” & clubs, bootleggers would smuggle alcohol from Canada & Cuba
Bootlegging money funded organized crime, which was run by immigrants that were discriminated against (esp Italians & Jews)
Chicago: Al Capone ran speakeasies, gambling, drugs and brothels. Capone responsible for 522 gang-related murders
New York: Arnold Rothstein ran illegal liquor and gambling, Lucky Luciano ran illegal liquor, prostitution and heroin
Discuss: How did bootleggers avoid the law?
Discuss: How was Valentine’s massacre cracked & did Prohibition really work?

7. The Scopes Trial
As bootlegging and crime were increasing in cities, Fundamentalists (take Bible literally) were gaining ground in rural America
1925: Tennessee bans teaching of evolution, John Scopes is arrested for teaching evolution
ACLU hires lawyer Clarence Darrow to defend Scopes’ 1st amend. right, William Jennings Bryan will assist the prosecution
Monkey trial more about Darrow challenging Bryan & Bible (faith v. reason), not Scopes action– Scopes found guilty but verdict overturned

8. Young Women Change the Rules
A flapper was a young woman who embraced new fashions and the urban attitudes of the 20s
New fashions: shorter hair, close-fitting hats, pumps, bright waistless knee-length dresses, beads & accessories
New attitudes: women also become more assertive, they smoke & drink in public and talk openly about sex
Many women were trying to break the double standard (women held to stricter standards then men) that was set prior to the 20s

9. Changing Roles
When men return to factories, women turned to other careers like teachers, nurses, secretaries, phone operators
Some like Amelia Earhardt went into less traditional professions (pilot)
Margaret Sanger: 1st birth control clinic, allowing women gain more control over bodies
Modern conveniences and pre-packaged food allow women to juggle a career & family
Women free to date and go out unescorted & free to marry who you want (love not money)