Roaring 20s Research Questions
1. Rank the following technological advancements of the 1920s on the impact they had on
American society in the 1920s from most important to least important. For each advancement
provide a rationale for how and why it holds the rank assigned.
a. Airplanes
b. Automobiles
c. Movies
d. Radios
2. Defend or refute the following statement, “The 1920s was an era of mass media, mass
production, and mass consumption.” Provide specific evidence to support your stance.
3. Compare and Contrast the “traditional” woman of the 1920s to the “new” woman of the 1920s.
How did their differences in attitudes, dress, and behaviors illustrate the transitional nature of
the 1920s?
4. What was the “Red Scare” and why was it such an important factor of the 1920s? How did the
“red scare” affect immigration policies and how society viewed both immigrants and labor
strikes?
5. The 1920s was an era defined by the prohibition of alcohol. Was the U.S. really “dry” during the
1920s? Why/Why not? What effects did prohibition have on American society?
6. What was the Harlem Renaissance? Who were some of the most important figures in the
movement?
7. Compare and Contrast the KKK of the 19th Century to the KKK of the 1920s? How did the Klan
change? How did it stay the same?
8. What was the Scopes Monkey Trial? What did it illustrate about the divide in American society
between Modernists and Fundamentalists?
9. The 1920s is often referred to as the Jazz Age. What was jazz music? How did it define the
1920s? What effects did have on other aspects of American society?