Gatsby-1920's Informative Speech Ideas
Choose one of the following topics, conduct extensive research on the topic, and prepare a 3-5 minute informative speech to be
presented to the class. You must use a minimum of three sources and cite them in your speech, and you will be required to turn
in a works cited list when you give your speech. Use the note taking guide to collect your source information and take notes.
Consider the appropriate type of organization and visual aid to use in your speech. The informative speech will be delivered in
outline or manuscript format.
1. Between 1920 and 1929, automobile registrations rose from eight million to twenty-three million. What effects have
automobiles had on the lives of American people (pollution, gas use, industry, roads, car accidents)? What contribution did
Ford make to the automobile industry?
2. Research Marcus Garvey and his “back to Africa” movement to resettle African Americans in Africa during the 1920's. Who
was receptive to his message, and why? Research his newspaper "Negro World".
3. How did women's fashions change in the twenties? Have these styles survived or ever been revived? How do they reflect the
new freedoms many women were enjoying in the twenties?
4. Research the case of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Italians convicted in the 1920 murder of a Massachusetts
paymaster and his guard. Explain why the case was so controversial. What was the general feeling towards immigrants at the
time and how might that have affected the trial's outcome?
5. Immigrants began to come into the United States in large numbers after WWI. Research the history of immigration to the
U.S., particularly during the 1920's. What legislation was passed by Congress concerning immigration in the 1920's (see the
Emergency Quota Act of 1921, and the Immigration Act of 1924)?
6. In The Great Gatsby there are many references to illegal activity—A) world series fixing, B) bootlegging,C) police complicity
in crime. Research criminal activity in the 1920's, including the D) Harding Administration scandal and the E) Teapot Dome
scandal.
7. Discuss the stock Market crash of 1929. Why did it happen and what was its aftermath? How did it lead to the Great
Depression.
8. The Eighteenth Amendment, the Prohibition Act, was passed in 1919. How and why did the temperance movement win this
battle? How did it affect the country? When and why was it repealed?
9. Charles A. Lindbergh was a very important figure in the 1920's. In 1927 he made the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight.
How did this flight affect Americans? And what other parts of Lindbergh's life became important in the psyche of the American
people?
10. The Nineteenth Amendment was made effective in 1920. Trace the history of the women's suffrage movement. What
arguments were made for and against women's suffrage. Were any of these ideals or worries realized? How has women's
right to vote changed the United States?
11. The Harlem Renaissance was a period of literary and intellectual flowering that fostered a new black cultural identity in the
1920's and 1930's. Report on the variety of arts and people that were involved in the Harlem Renaissance. Why would it have
happened in such a specific place and at such a specific time?
12. Research a few of the major literary figures of the 1920's discuss their contributions to American literature. Some of these
writers include: F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Weldon Johnson, Ernest Hemingway, Sherwood Anderson, Robert Frost, Eugene
O'Neill, Langston Hughes, Zora Neal Hurston, Claude McKay, Carl Sandburg.
13. The 1920's is often called the Golden Age of Sports. What accomplishments were made in sport in the twenties? Who was
involved in these accomplishments? A) Baseball B) Boxing C) Horse Racing
14. During the 1920’s Jazz music was popular. What effect did it have on American society and popular culture.
15. Dance marathons were a fad during the 20’s. Research this topic and explain why they were so popular during this time.
16. Popular Dances of the 20’s. What dances were people doing?
17. The Ku Klux Klan’s following grew during the 1920’s, especially in Indiana. Explain why it might have gained such
momentum at this time.
18. Research economic and social conditions for African Americans during the 1920’s. Focus on their role in urban American
society.
19. Explain the “Flapper” culture in America during the 20’s.
20. Explore Blues music of the 1920’s. Where was it most popular, and why was it confined to this area?
21. What was America’s political and military role in the world after WWI? Explore our international policies at the time with
regards to world politics and military influence.
22. Research the world of organized crime and the mafia during the 1920’s. How did it affect society? Who were the major mafia
characters of the time?
23. Expatriates in Paris. Who was going to Europe, and why? What was life like for them?
24. 1920’s Films. What was going on in the film industry in the 1920’s? What movies were made and who were the stars?
25. Age of Innovation. What were the most important inventions of this decade, and how did they change life at this time?
26. Language of the 20’s. This is the generation that first made slang popular. What words and phrases became in use, and
how did this change life in America in the 20’s?
27. The Lost Generation. Why did this generation get this title?