The Roaring Twenties:
Understanding
Social Life
Mr. Phipps
U.S. History
California State Standards
11.5.4. Analyze the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment
and the changing role of women in society.
11.5.5. Describe the Harlem Renaissance and new trends
in literature, music, and art, with special attention to the
work of writers (e.g., Zora Neale Hurston, Langston
Hughes).
11.5.6. Trace the growth and effects of radio and movies
and their role in the worldwide diffusion of popular
culture.
11.5.7. Discuss the rise of mass production techniques, the
growth of cities, the impact of new technologies (e.g., the
automobile, electricity), and the resulting prosperity and
effect on the American landscape.
Social Background
Before the Great War…





People hitched their horse outside the general store
Women scrubbed their clothes on a washboard
If they could read (about 25%) people read by flickering
gaslight
Most houses contained only two books: The Holy Bible
and Shakespeare
Women-folk stayed at home to have kids
After the Great War…




People got gasoline from a pump for their automobile
Women washed their clothes in an electric washing
machine
People read their “pulp fiction” by electric light bulb
Women voted, wore short skirts, and partied at clubs
Women
in the 1920s
Women
Political Changes for Women




Water-dancing and posing, a popular fad,
symbolizes the new freedom for women
during the 1920s. Notice that these
women are wearing bathing suits, not
bathing dresses.

Most white women, prior to 1920,
did not work;
Women got jobs in factories during
WWI due to labor shortage (over
23,000)
Considered more equal because
of work, demanded equal rights
under 13th, 14th, and 15th
Amendments
19th Amendment (1920): gave
women suffrage (140 years after
Bill of Rights)
First election: women voted for
Warren G. Harding (who won)
because he was the more
handsome candidate
Outside National Suffrage Party Headquarters. This, obviously, is a staged picture
promoting the popularity of the suffrage movement.
Equal Women
Changing attitudes



Increased employment
resulted in greater
independence and
spending money
Margaret Sanger
advocated “looser”
sexual behavior,
recommending birth
control for women
Marriage postponed
until later
The cosmetics industry, which began in the 1880s,
became very popular in 1920s with the advent of
Hollywood. The movie industry, which promoted
beauty also sold a new image for women: sexy,
attractive, fashionable.
Women and Fashion
The Flapper and the Vamp
 Research indicated that:




In 1919, 10% of a woman’s
body was uncovered
By 1927, over 25% of a
woman’s body was uncovered
Hemlines got shorter (above
the knees), hair was cut short
(bobbed), corsets were not
worn (changed to bras)
The Flapper: a rebellious
young girl who wanted
independence, to be sexy, to
smoke in public, to “park” their
car, and “pet” in their auto
Women’s fashion in the early 1920s still
emphasized modesty. Note, the casual-wear on
the left suggest the shape of the woman. On the
right, the fashion, again emphasizes the height of
the woman, her grace. Included: feathers, hats,
clingy fabric, plunging necklines, low waistlines.
On the left, a fashion plate from 1924. On the
right, a plate from 1925. Note that the
hemlines are moving closer to the knee.
On the left, fashions from 1926 indicate the
increasing liberalism of the decade: higher
hemlines, lower necklines, clingier fabric. This, and
the fashions from 1927 (at right), symbolize the
trend-setting fashions of the rich, that dresses were
meant to party in, and women were meant to be
pretty.
Louise Brooks,
First Fashion Model
African-Americans
in the 1920s
The New Negro
Background to the
“Harlem Renaissance”



Artists, during the Harlem Renaissance, borrowed
from the Modernist style of art, emphasizing heavy
angular lines and primary colors. The focus was on
form and movement, rather than on a realistic
illustration. African-Americans, in particular, sought
to incorporate traditional African themes, colors,
patterns, and stories into their art.
Millions of AfricanAmericans migrated to
northern cities for war jobs
Most stayed within selfsegregated neighborhoods
“Rebirth” of culture
flourished in New York
City’s Harlem
neighborhood

High concentration of
authors, poets, artists, and
entertainers
Defining the
New Generation


Focus of the Harlem
movement was on creation,
productivity, civil rights,
expression, and PRIDE
Grew out of the early
African-American civil rights
leaders:



William DuBois (who
advocated racial equality)
Booker T. Washington (who
advocated racial separation
and accomplishment)
Marcus Garvey (Black Pride
and “Back to Africa”)
Langston Hughes, painted here by artist
Winhold Reiss, epitomized the New
Negro: talented, well-educated, an
outstanding author who wrote about
subjects dealing with the AfricanAmerican experience, and handsome.
“Swing Low, Sweet
Chariot” by William
Johnson.
Music:
The Birth of Jazz
A New American Music

Jazz originated from New
Orleans fusion of Creole,
French, African, and slave
music




Duke Ellington composed, arranged, and
played jazz in Harlem. Known as a ruthless
businessman and a genius, most jazz
musicians got their start in Ellington’s band

Moved to Chicago approx.
1910
Moved to NYC/Harlem approx
1919
First called “jass” in music
reviews
Combined African rhythms
with European instruments
Jazz intended to be
improvised and danced to
Popularity


Jazz musicians including
Bessie Smith (vocalist), Joe
Oliver (drums), “Jelly Roll”
Morton (piano), and Louis
Armstrong (trumpet) toured
most local speakeasies
Musical style became so
popular by 1925 that white
musicians were forming
their own bands

By the late 1920s, musicians often played more than 3
sets: one for the rich white party-goers, one for the
African-Americans, and one to work on “chops”, practice
sessions which would last until daylight.
By the 1930s, Harlem jazz
had degenerated (whitiefied) into “Big Bands” and
“Swing”
Louis Armstrong (left) redefined the trumpet as an
instrument. His improvisational phrasing became the basis
for all jazz trumpeting, copied and adapted by all subsequent
musicians. The Cotton Club (above) was one of the most
popular nightclubs in Harlem. Critics of jazz accused
musicians of drug use (Armstrong had mafia ties and a drug
record for marijuana possession) and clubs as a haven for
drug use, prostitution, and immoral activity. They were,
more often than not, correct.
Sports Mania
in the 1920s
Sports Fever
Why Sports?




Decreased working hours,
increased leisure time, and
more spending money
American public wanted
entertainment and heroes
Developed activities which
were uniquely American,
not European
People reveled in
individual accomplishment
Red Grange, the “Galloping Ghost was the first
millionaire football player
The Babe
George Herman Ruth:
“The Babe”

An unlikely sports hero:




Ate excessively
Drank even more
excessively
Terrible womanizer and
abuser
Swore and cursed
everyone
Ruth, as a slugger, earned the homerun record of
60 long balls in a single season. It would take 30
years for Roger Maris to beat this record, and
another 30 for Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Barry
Bonds to beat all…with some help.
The “Curse of the Bambino”
Boston and “The Babe”



Started his career as a pitcher
in Boston, for the Red Sox
Earned recognition as a hitter
Boston sold contract to New
York Yankees (1920) to help
finance a Broadway play
The “House that Babe/Ruth
Built”
With Ruth on the mound, Boston won 5 of the first 15
World Series. After The Babe was sold to the NYY,
Boston would have to wait until 2004 when the they
finally won a World Series. In the 84 years since the
Yanks acquired Ruth, they won the World Series 26
times. The Red Sox only made it to the World
Series 4 times, losing every time.


Moved to the outfield and
played every day (not on
pitching rotation)
Doubled homerun record with
54 home runs and earned 60
homeruns in 1927
Prizefighting
Boxing: Another All-American
Past-time


An opportunity for individual
accomplishment abased on
training, cunning, brute force,
strength, and endurance-American values
Jack Dempsey v. Gene Tunney,
2nd Challenge (1927)

Dempsey’s title was surrounded in scandal.
During the seventh round, Tunney was knocked
down, but the referee made a “long count” during
which Dempsey was supposed to (not officially)
to go to a neutral corner. Instead, Dempsey
chased Tunney. Tunney spent the rest of the
match dodging punches.



Dempsey lost first fight in 1920
Rematch in 1927: 40 million
listened to the fight on the radio
Fight profits exceeded $2.6 million
Dempsey won in the final round
Other Sports
Harold Grange, “the Galloping Ghost” (left), became the first
football millionaire, after making 4 consecutive TD for a total
of 263 yards in the first 12 minutes of a game against a top
ranked Michigan team. Gertrude Ederle (above) challenged
gender stereotypes, world records, the environment, and
strong oceanic currents when she was the first female to
swim across the English Channel. Her time, 14 hours 31
minutes, was almost 2 hours faster than the men’s record.
Consumer Spending
in the 1920s
Public Spending
Prosperity Becomes
Evident



How long could it last? Credit expenses, particularly for
the lower and middle classes (who were the primary
targets for ads) often matched their incoming cash flow.
A worker in Indiana, who only earned $35/wk spent
$35/month on the family car. A worker in Chicago,
making $60/wk, spent $27.50 on home furnishings and
his wife’s new coat.

Availability of consumer
credit
Cheaply made, mass
produced goods
Widespread availability
of electricity creates
demand
Population boom
creates demand
Some Evidence of Growth





Annual income 1850 was
$95
Annual income 1918 was
$586
In 1920, only 50% of
income needed to be spent
on necessities (down 20%
from 1900)--life was getting
cheaper
Two of the most popular home purchases was the radio and
Gross National Product
the phonograph. Both items provided home entertainment.
increased 34%
This revolutionary technology, however, completely changed
the home environment. Rather than playing musical
Life expectancy for men
instruments, families listened passively. Instead of playing
and women increased 7
together, they listened separately. Instead of creating, they
passively listened to mass produced radio shows and music.
years since 1900
Many considered these items “mechanisms of the devil”
which eroded family values.
Buyer Psychology



Advertisement focused on
selling product units
Used sex, frustration (Listerine
will end loneliness of bad
breath), anxiety, need to sell
products, pseudo-science
(45,512 unnamed doctors
recommend Listerine)
Allowed for installment plans

Foreshadowing our own modern times, ads
showed a new body image which people
struggled to attain. The desire to look like the rich
and beautiful caused many people to overspend
their limits, and sometimes, to commit suicide.

Phonograph $43.50 (5 down, 5
a month)
Piano $445 (15 down, 12 a
month)
Unlike our modern commercials, ads in the 1920s
were designed to tell a story and provide substantive
reasons why people should buy their product. Some
of the evidence was even accurate. Above, is a
General Electric ad for a kitchen product. At right, is
an ad for Imperial Records, a company which
continued to produce “hot acts” well into the 1950s.
Sheer, sexy, and hole proof,
hosiery was a luxury for all
women. Note the peacock: part
of the American fascination with
the mysterious Orient.
Entertainment
in the 1920s
The Movie Palace
Popularity of movies were due to






Increased leisure time
More “disposable” money
Desire to see glamour
Interested in seeing the news
Provided several hours of
entertainment
Cost of a ticket $.10-$.75 per
picture
Most every major city had at
least one 100 seat theatre

San Francisco, Hollywood, and
New York (Zeigfield’s Theatre)
boasted red carpets, velvet
curtains, gilded ceilings, and
crystal chandeliers
Grauman’s Theatre, in Hollywood, was the center
for all movie premiers. It was here, as it still is now,
where average Americans caught a glimpse of their
favorite star, and the paparazzi scratched for
gossip.
Rising Popularity





“The Jazz Singer”, released in 1927, was the first
movie to incorporate a soundtrack, rather than have
a separate accompanying band (or piano). Al
Jolson, the principal actor, portrayed an AfricanAmerican by using the common technique of
applying “black-face” makeup.
By 1920, 35 million
Americans attended movies
at least once a week
Large movie theatres could
hold 5,000 attendees
1926: First western genre
film--Great Train Robbery
1927: First “talkie” movie,
with sound--The Jazz
Singer
1927: First gangster, cop,
and swashbuckling film
(Robin Hood and Zorro the
Gay Blade)
Charlie Chaplin, right, had his
heyday during the silent
movie era. As “the Tramp”,
Chaplin represented the
downtrodden every-man.
He, along with Mary Pickford
and Douglas Fairbanks,
opened the first movieproduction studio outside
Fremont, CA.
Douglas Fairbanks, above,
was type-casted as the
masculine swashbuckler,
modeled as a hero of the
downtrodden, with plots
taken from dime-store pulp
fiction.
Greta Garbo, left, was
typically cast as the
brash, assertive sexpot.
Rudoph Valentino, here as the Sheik, captivated
women’s hearts and inspired men to be like him.
When he died suddenly at the age of 31, mourners
lined up for a mile to watch his casket pass.
The Radio




Pioneered new form of
popular entertainment
Availability of massproduced radios made them
cheaper for consumers
First radio station KDKA in
Pittsburgh, which
broadcasted the 1920s
election results
By 1922

By 1929, radio had become one of the leading
industries of the American entertainment industry.
The National Broadcasting Company, NBC, was
making $150 million a year.

3 million American houses
had radio
508 competing radio
stations
Comedies like “Amos and Andy” and serialized
drama mysteries like “The Shadow” became a part
of people’s everyday lives. Orson Wells, the voice
of the Shadow, became a fixture in Hollywood with
his famous radio show “The War of the Worlds.”
Churches also used the radio to evangelize
Fads
Dance offs (above) and Lindy-hopping (right)
were popular past-times which drew spectators
and cash rewards, similar to the breakdancing
competitions of the 1980s and the karaoke
competitions of the 1990s.
The Guinness
Book
Pole sitting and ping pong were also favorite pasttimes, but notice the bravado in these endeavors.
The ping pong competition is atop an airplane’s
wings.
Transportation
in the 1920s
Henry Ford’s Iron Horse
Impact of the Automobile





Fundamentally changed the way
people lived and traveled
Subsidized the expansion of
related industries: oil, gasoline,
rubber, glass, and steel
Cost of automobile cheap
enough so that the average
person could afford it
By 1918, 7 million cars were
registered
By 1929, 23 million cars were
registered
On the Line
Scientific Management to
boost worker efficiency




Based assembly line on
specialization of labor
Reduced amount of time it
took to produce a Model T
from 14 hours to 93 minutes
A finished Model T was
rolled off the line every 10
seconds
Lowered price from $700 in
1919 to $260 (1925) to
$180 (1929)
The Road
System
Federal Highway Act (1921) supported
automobile industry
 Constructed over 10,000 miles of
road
 Spread population westward
 Expanded small business


Hot dog stands, drive-in
restaurants, motor hotels,
billboard advertising, and
campgrounds
Supported American tourist
industry: roadside plaques,
battlefield sites, largest ball of
yarn, etc
A Changing Lifestyle


Automobile
provided sense of
freedom and
independence
Automobile
stimulated the
growth of suburban
neighborhoods
In the 1920s. 98% of all cars were
open to the weather.
Air Flight

Charles Lindbergh

First to fly across the
Atlantic Ocean