Comprehensive 1920s US History: WWI, Jazz, Prohibition, and Politics

World War I casualties

Over 37 million, including combat deaths, missing soldiers, and the wounded.

Spanish flu

The global influenza pandemic that emerged at the beginning of 1919.

Deaths from the Spanish flu

20 million.

Origin of the Spanish flu

In the United States, particularly at Camp Funston in Fort Riley, Kansas.

American lives lost to the Spanish flu

Nearly 700,000, fourteen times the number of American soldiers killed in World War I.

Labor unrest in 1919

A wave of labor unrest, including strikes that affected nearly every major industry.

Racial violence in 1919

An issue that intensified, exposing flaws in American democracy.

Wilson's arrival in Paris

December 16, 1918.

Reception of Wilson in Paris

He was celebrated and greeted with great enthusiasm, reflecting his popularity and the U.S.'s rising global power.

Wilson's slogan in the 1916 election

"He Kept Us Out of War."

Wilson's goal in World War I

To make the world "safe for democracy."

Wilson's postwar agenda

His famous Fourteen Points, which included ideas like self-determination and freedom of the seas.

Wilson's priority at the Paris Peace Conference

The establishment of the League of Nations.

Wilson's argument for the League of Nations

That it would help peacefully resolve international conflicts.

Reaction of French and British leaders to Wilson's ideas

They were largely dismissive, prioritizing punitive measures against Germany instead.

Major flaw of the Treaty of Versailles according to Wilson

It placed sole blame for the war on Germany and imposed harsh penalties.

Key provision of the Treaty of Versailles defended by Wilson

The inclusion of the League of Nations.

Wilson's support strategy for the Treaty of Versailles

Through a cross-country speaking tour in the fall of 1919.

Health issue Wilson faced during his tour

Chronic cardiovascular problems, which worsened and eventually led to a stroke.

Wilson's condition on October 2, 1919

He suffered a massive stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed.

Edith Wilson's role after Wilson's stroke

She took charge of managing government affairs and controlled access to the president.

Political impact of Wilson's stroke

It left the U.S. without a clear leader for 18 months, and Wilson became effectively incapacitated.

Key opponent to Wilson's League of Nations

Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, who led the Reservationists.

Concern of the Reservationists regarding the League of Nations

The sovereignty of the United States, particularly with regard to Article X of the League's Charter.

Senate's vote on the Treaty of Versailles in March 1920

The treaty was rejected by a vote of 49-35.

Effect of the U.S. rejection of the League of Nations

The League's effectiveness was greatly weakened without U.S. membership.

Major domestic crisis in the U.S. during 1919

A wave of labor strikes, including the Seattle General Strike.

Seattle General Strike of 1919

A city-wide strike involving over 100 labor unions, lasting five days.

Wilson administration response to steelworker strike

It failed to broker a resolution and the strike ultimately collapsed under violence and public opposition.

Event leading to the Red Scare in the U.S.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the fear of Bolshevism spreading to the U.S.

Espionage and Sedition Acts

Laws passed in 1917 and 1918 that limited free speech and protest against the government during wartime.

U.S. government response to radicalism after World War I

Through the Palmer Raids, which targeted suspected subversives, and widespread surveillance by the Justice Department.

Head of the General Intelligence Division (GID)

J. Edgar Hoover, who later became the first Director of the FBI.

Suspected radicals arrested during the Palmer Raids

Nearly 2,000 individuals were arrested across the U.S.

Palmer Raids' objective according to Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer

To 'clean up the country' by removing radical ideologies from American society.

Fate of foreign-born radicals during the Palmer Raids

They were deported, including anarchist Emma Goldman, who was sent to Soviet Russia.

Palmer's use of propaganda during the Red Scare

By seeding newspapers with articles and cartoons warning of the radical threat.

'Clear and present danger' test established by the Supreme Court

It was used to determine if speech during wartime could be suppressed without violating the First Amendment.

Case establishing the 'clear and present danger' doctrine

Schenck v. United States (1919).

Charles Schenck's conviction in Schenck v. United States

Distributing anti-draft leaflets, which the court deemed a 'clear and present danger' during wartime.

Result of the Debs v. United States case

Eugene Debs was convicted for delivering an anti-war speech, despite arguing for the right to free speech in a democracy.

Justice Holmes' dissent in Abrams v. United States (1919)

He argued that Abrams' pamphlet did not present an immediate danger and should be protected under free speech rights.

Significance of the Sacco and Vanzetti trial

It became a symbol of injustice and anti-immigrant sentiment, with the two Italian immigrants executed despite limited evidence.

Red Scare's impact on anti-immigrant sentiment

Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe were disproportionately targeted as radicals due to their political ideologies.

Great Migration

The mass movement of over one million African Americans from the South to northern and western cities between 1915 and 1920.

Reasons for African Americans migrating during the Great Migration

They sought better economic opportunities, escaped Jim Crow segregation, and fled racial violence.

City with a 611% increase in African American population during the Great Migration

Detroit.

Harlem's role in the Great Migration

Harlem became known as the 'Black Mecca' and a cultural center for African-American and Black Caribbean society.

Cultural movement emerging from the Great Migration

The Harlem Renaissance, which celebrated African-American art, literature, and music.

Spread of jazz music during the 1920s

Jazz spread with African-American migrants to cities like Chicago, Kansas City, and St. Louis, and then globally.

Origin of jazz music

New Orleans.

Early jazz pioneers from New Orleans

Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, and Louis Armstrong.

Louis Armstrong's role in jazz music

He became a celebrated trumpet virtuoso, known for his distinctive scat singing and improvisation.

Louis Armstrong

An influential musician in the dominant music genre of jazz.

King Oliver

An influential musician in the dominant music genre of jazz.

Chicago Defender

It promoted employment opportunities in Chicago and helped drive African-American migration from the South.

Cotton Club

An iconic venue in New York that featured prominent jazz musicians, including Duke Ellington.

Count Basie

A famous pianist and bandleader who helped define Kansas City's distinct 'swing' style of jazz.

World War I influence on jazz

African-American soldiers, including the Harlem Hellfighters, introduced jazz to Europe, where it gained international popularity.

Josephine Baker

An African-American performer who became an international star, particularly in France, and helped popularize jazz abroad.

Electrical recording in 1925

It improved the quality of jazz recordings, allowing for a fuller and more nuanced capture of the music.

Role of radio in the 1920s

Radio became a crucial medium for disseminating jazz to new audiences across the world.

Soviet Union's stance on jazz in the 1920s

Initially, Soviet Russia welcomed jazz bands, but Joseph Stalin later condemned it as 'degenerate bourgeoisie-capitalism.'

Opposition to jazz by social conservatives

They viewed it as immoral, associating it with alcohol, loose sexual mores, and low culture.

Jazz and the Roaring Twenties

Despite controversy, it became popular among young people and symbolized the freewheeling spirit of the era.

Red Summer of 1919

A period marked by a surge in racial violence and race riots, particularly between April and November 1919.

Lynchings in the U.S. during 1919

There were 76 recorded lynchings, the highest total since 1904, reflecting the intensity of racial violence.

Elaine Massacre of 1919

White mobs attacked African-American cotton farmers in Arkansas, leading to over 200 deaths.

Race riots in northern cities in 1919

Over 250 people died in race riots across northern cities that year.

Chicago race riot of 1919

The riot lasted seven days, resulting in 38 deaths, over 500 injuries, and significant property damage.

Eugene Williams

An African-American teenager whose drowning sparked the race riot in Chicago in 1919.

Racial violence in Washington, D.C., in 1919

Tensions escalated due to white servicemen, the Home Defense League, and racist newspaper coverage.

Marcus Garvey

The founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and a leader advocating for African independence and Black pride.

Garvey's slogan 'Africa for the Africans'

It called for African Americans to return to Africa and for African independence, aligning with the ideals of self-determination.

Size of UNIA by 1920

The UNIA had over 1,000 branches and an estimated 2 million members in 38 states and 41 countries.

Garvey's rally at Madison Square Garden in 1920

It drew over 25,000 supporters and showcased Garvey's rising influence and his message of Black pride and independence.

Tension between Garvey and W. E. B. Du Bois

The main source of tension was their differing approaches to race relations and strategies for African American advancement.

Garvey's message

Garvey's more militant message of Black nationalism contrasted with Du Bois's focus on civil rights through integration and political engagement.

Garvey's movement threat

Federal agents saw Garvey as a danger to national security, suspecting him of espionage or Bolshevism during the Red Scare.

Garvey's conviction

He was convicted of felony mail fraud related to the mismanagement of his Black Star Line shipping company.

Garvey's influence

His philosophy of Black pride and self-sufficiency influenced later leaders like Malcolm X and the rise of Black Nationalism in the 1960s.

What event marked the beginning of Prohibition in the U.S.?

The Volstead Act, enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment, took effect on January 17, 1920.

Temperance movement goal

To advocate for the prohibition of alcohol, driven by concerns over moral and social issues, especially among women and religious groups.

World War I and Prohibition

Wartime anti-German sentiment led to a crackdown on German-American breweries, and Prohibition gained a patriotic image as a wartime necessity.

Wilson's view on Prohibition

He vetoed it, believing that the wartime rationale for Prohibition was no longer valid after the war.

Prohibition's effect on consumption

Consumption dropped between 30-60%, but people found ways around the ban through illegal methods like speakeasies and homemade liquor.

Prohibition's impact on crime

It led to the rise of criminal syndicates and gangsters, who profited from the illicit alcohol trade.

Prohibition's effect on government

Prohibition led to an expansion of federal authority and intervention in citizens' lives, which alarmed many Americans.

Prohibition's influence on politics

Candidates' stances on Prohibition became a significant issue, influencing both local and national elections.

Prohibition's ultimate result

Prohibition was repealed with the ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933, ending the nationwide ban on alcohol.

Prohibition and the Nineteenth Amendment

Prohibition mobilized support for women's suffrage, linking moral and progressive reforms with the push for women's enfranchisement.

Nineteenth Amendment ratification date

August 18, 1920.

How long did it take for the Nineteenth Amendment to be ratified after it was first introduced to Congress?

Forty-two years.

First state to grant women's voting rights

Wyoming in 1869.

States granting women full voting rights by 1919

Twenty states and territories.

First woman elected to national office

Jeannette Rankin, elected to the House of Representatives in 1916.

Key organizations in the suffrage movement

The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and the National Women's Party (NWP).

Alice Paul's suffrage strategy

Militant protests and picketing outside the White House.

Wilson's change on women's suffrage

Public outrage over the mistreatment of suffragists led him to endorse the Nineteenth Amendment.

Percentage of eligible women voting in 1920

Only 35% of eligible women cast a ballot.