1920s A Decade of ContradictionsDirections: Watch the documentary and answer the following questions.
1. Why is this decade referred to as a period of contradictions?
There were competing ideals and values and those who previously did not have a voice
really agitated to have their voices heard- women
2. Why did people start to support Temperance Movements- think about events
and prejudices that were in place?
WWI, Nativism- distrust of the new immigrants who drank more (culturally)
3. Why was Prohibition’s failure a surprise and why was it so dangerous?
Those in support of Prohibition could not conceive that people would break the
rules to the extent that newly organized crime did.
4. What happened on February 14, 1929?
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, this was a rival gang assassination. Al Capone’s men
impersonated law enforcement and assassinated members of Bugs Moran’s gang.
The Klan Resurfaces5. Why did the Klan resurface in the 1920s?
A movie brought it back to national interest- the klan was depicted very positively in
the film which was set during Reconstruction in the south.
6. How did the Klan impact politics?
A large klan march was held in Washington, DC and senators and governors were
elected on the klan platform.
The Harlem Renaissance7. What areas of the arts were impacted by black artists?
Poetry- see Langston Hughes, visual arts, drama
Jazz8. Who was the most popular Jazz Age musician?
Louie Armstrong
9. What were Race Records?
These were records marketed to African Americans.
10. What did Dorothy Parker say about ‘the flapper?”
She would not be the kind of girl that your grandma was or would approve of…
Scopes Trial:
11. What did John Scopes get in trouble for doing?
He violate the Butler Act which only condoned creationism not evolution and was
therefore used as a test case!
12. Define fundamentalist Christian and an evolutionist.
Fundamentalist Christians were
13. Why was the Scopes Trial a big deal?
It was the challenge of all things traditional in favor of modernity.
Sports:
14. Why did George Herman Ruth achieve fame?
What couldn’t the guy do! “Sultan of Swat” “King of Crash”
15. What kind of guy was he “off of the field?”
Visited childrens’ homes, humanitarian
16. How long did his homerun record stand? Almost 40 years till Hank Aaron
broke it.
Actors:
17. What do we mean by saying that Clara Bow had “it?”
She had sex appeal, 45,000 letters a month!
18. What was her opinion of ‘talkies?’
Didn’t like the criticism of her voice, felt like talkies detracted from her cuteness
Aviation:
19. What motivated Lindbergh to take the ‘Spirit of St. Louis’ across the Atlantic
from New York to Paris? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, adventure and the confidence of
Americans behind him.
20. How was Lindbergh received in Paris and back at home? He became an
international hero/ticker tape parade in NY upon return home.
World Powers21. What was happening in Europe after WWI?
Lenin in Russia, peasants were dying- 1924 formed U.S.S.R. Trotsky and Stalin
competed for power- think back to tenth grade world history!!
22. What do you remember about Stalin?
Purges
23. What was going on in Italy?
Benito Mussolini- Fascism, used a dictatorship to try and promise the people a
new Rome.
24. What was Hitler up to in Germany?
Hitler was writing Meine Kamfe (totally gave his plan for what would happen
with the Nazi Party; he will become chancellor of Germany by 1933.
America’s Economic Boom25. What kind of economic program would Harding, Coolidge and Hoover use in
the 1920s?
Laissez faire- “let it be”, the businesses and corporations were left alone by the
government meaning that they could do what they wanted!
26. Describe ‘Silent Cal.’
“The business of America is business.” Pretty ineffective and decided not to run
in 1928. This was fine as long as the economy stayed okay.
27. Why would consumerism (buying things) grow?
Increased wages, taxes low, new products- washing machines, cars, the advent
of debt and buying on credit. Americans also started to speculate on the stock
market.
28. How did marketing start to encourage people to buy more?
Psychology was used, ‘you have to buy this or you’ll be a social pariah!’
29. What did Hoover’s policy of ‘rugged individualism’ involve? That people fix
their own problems, that it was not the role of the government to fix people’s
individual issues. AND that if the government had to that it should be the role of
the state or local government to do so.
The Market Crash30. What happened to the Stock Market in October of 1929?
The bottom dropped out of the market, speculators bought on credit only
paying perhaps 5% of the total value of the share. They were counting on the
fact that the price would soar and then they could pay off the investment. When
the prices tanked instead, the speculators were stuck with debt that they could
not repay!