Roaring Twenties Data Set
Frank, English II, 2012
Name:______________________
Instructions: Read through each piece of information individually and highlight the most important parts. In the lines
below summarize the information in 1-3 words.
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The 1920’s were an age of great social and political change in America and parts of Europe. The nation’s wealth
more than doubled between the years 1920 and 1929. This economic growth caused many Americans to be
affluent for the first time.
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After World War I, Germany had a lot of reparations to pay. The Wall Street invested or lent Germany money,
who paid back their debts to other companies with American dollars. Then, America got interest when Germany
paid back Wall Street. This brought a lot of wealth into American society.
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The new wave of wealth spread to major cities, especially New York, New Orleans, Chicago, Paris and London.
These cities became cultural centers for new kinds of music, art, and style. New technologies also helped create
a new feeling prosperity.
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The automobile was one of the most influential new technologies to spread during the twenties. It gave people
a sense of freedom, and for the first time, the streets of major cities were filled with cars. In 1918, there were
300,000 cars in the U.S. By 1929, the amount of cars had boomed to 1.9 million.
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On August 18, 1920, women gained the right to vote for the first time. This marked an important moment in
equal rights for men and women. Women began going to co-ed colleges more frequently, and the “new”
woman strove for both a family and a successful career.
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A new social movement of women called “flappers” came into existence. For the first time, flappers used birth
control, had short hairstyles called “bobs,” had casual sexual relationships, and drove cars. For the first time,
women drank alcohol and went into saloons and bars called “speakeasies.” The flapper identity became a
symbol for women’s freedom.
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Women’s fashion changed drastically. Flappers wore short skirts, had bare shoulders, and no longer wore tight
corsets. High heels also became popular. American fashion was greatly influenced by the French, specifically
Coco Chanel.
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Roaring Twenties Data Set
Frank, English II, 2012
Name:______________________
8. After World War I, a group of young artists and writers expressed disillusion and cynicism about the world.
Many of them moved to Paris and were called “The Lost Generation.” They were very famous in America; some
examples of such individuals are F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein.
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9. Art Deco style originated in the 1920’s and influenced many paintings, advertisements, and buildings. The most
famous Art Deco building is the Chrysler building in New York City. It was the tallest building in the world at the
time.
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10. Initially, the movies were in black and white and silent. In 1922, the first color film was released, and in 1927,
the first movie with talking was released. The public went wild for these “talkies.” Also, Walt Disney created
“Steamboat Willy,” which was the beginning of Mickey Mouse.
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11. “The Great Migration” was a pattern movement of the African-American population from the South to many
Northern cities such as Chicago and New York City. Harlem, in particular, became home to a growing middle
class population of African-Americans that produced new culture. Many musicians, writers, and poets created
great works that became an important influence in American culture.
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12. Jazz music became extremely popular during the Roaring Twenties, and it contributed to the flapper culture. It
was influenced by a mix of African-American and European culture, and was the beginning of modern Rock and
Hip Hop. It is defined by blues melodies, swung notes, and improvisation.
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13. Certain jazz musicians played in speakeasies in New York and Chicago and gained great fame. Some of these
artists were Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong. George Gershwin created a mix of Classical and
Jazz in his very famous “Rhapsody in Blue.”
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14. In 1919, the 18th Amendment outlawed the sale of alcohol in America, which was called prohibition. This,
however, did not keep people from drinking. In the major cities, the drinking of alcohol actually increased. The
federal government did not have enough resources to completely stop it, and the illegal sale of alcohol was
common in speakeasies across America.
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15. Prohibition led to bootlegging, or the illegal sale of alcohol. This, in turn, led to a dramatic rise in organized
crime in the cities. American gangsters such as Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and Moe Dalitz were extremely
famous, fashionable, and easily recognized by the American public.
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Roaring Twenties Data Set
Frank, English II, 2012
Name:______________________
Look back over your annotations and summaries of all of your data. In a 5-6 sentence
paragraph, summarize all of the information into a general explanation of the Roaring
Twenties. Do not focus on one or two facts; try and come up with a cohesive paragraph
that describes what the 1920’s were like.
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