By: Becky Rampey

• The 1920’s - a time of prosperity and cultural change
– Fashion
– Music
• Jazz age
– Jazz is a genre of music based on improvisation, musicians creatively recombine different forms of music.
– Made popular by mostly African American musicians
– Spread with the Great Migration and became the musical symbol of the roaring twenties
– Consumer revolution
• Installment purchases

• BUT it was also a time of growing labor unrest and race issues
– Labor unrest after WWI
• Causing the first red scare
– 1919 “ Red Summer ”
• Resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan
• Race riots breaking out all across country
– Tulsa Race Riot
– Indian Citizenship Act 1924
• Granted full U.S. citizenship to Native Americans

In spite of racial tensions African American culture began to flower in the 1920’s; Harlem Renaissance
• New York City’s Harlem became the focal point for the aspirations of hundreds of thousands of African
Americans
– 200,000 blacks settled in Harlem (Great Migration)
• Dynamic blend of different cultures
• Marcus GarveyBorn in Jamaica, he moved to
Harlem and promoted universal black nationalism.
Garvey advocated for separation of the races.
• The idea of “Black Pride” began to spread
• Harlem Renaissance- Growth of African American culture including Novelists, poets, artists, musicians

• Economy of 1920’s –
– End of WWI – U.S. on top economically –
Everyone owes us!
– Assembly Line process perfected allowing companies to make many good quicker and cheaper.
• Customers want to buy all the new items available…
– Installment Plans – Buying on Credit !

• Companies are making money with all the new items they have to sell and everyone wants in on the action.
– Individuals begin investing in the stock market like never before (Even your grandma owned stock!!)
– Buying on Margin – Buy the stock at a % of it’s actual worth borrowing the rest of the money from a broker / bank… Inflated the stocks to look like they were worth much more than they were!

• Stocks were so inflated that when the crash began there was no way to stop it!!
– Buyers owed the Brokers
– Brokers owed the Banks
– EVERYONE was Broke!!
– OCTOBER 29, 1929 – BLACK TUESDAY!!

• Didn’t just hit the business guy… hits everyone.
• Farmers – Depression since the 1920’s
– Don’t know how to decrease their production in order to make money!
– Over use the Land!
Farmers are so indebt to the banks by the time the
REAL depression hits Banks are able to foreclose and begin taking over farms at a rapid rate!

• Okies – Those who fled the Dust Bowl area
(regardless of what state) for a better opportunity. (usually headed to California)
• Grapes of Wrath and John Steinbeck – Story of a Dust Bowl Family.

• Hoover – Trickle Down Economics –
Pump money in at the top and watch it trickle down.
– “Hoovervilles”
– Bonus Army
– Election of 1932 – FDR offers HOPE

• “Fireside Chats”
• Illustrates that the federal government does care about the little guy.
– FDIC - Insure Bank Deposits
– WPA – Works Progress Administration
– TVA – Tennessee Valley Authority – Thousands of jobs and electricity to 7 rural / poor states.
– Social Security Administration – Old age pension plan.
– CCC – Civilian Conservation Corps