the roaring 20s

Roaring Twenties

A decade characterized by economic prosperity, cultural dynamism, and social change.

Jazz Age

A period marked by the popularity of jazz music, influencing dance and culture.

Warren G. Harding

The 1st President of the 1920s, whose campaign slogan was 'A Return to Normalcy'.

Teapot Dome Scandal

A scandal during Warren G. Harding’s presidency involving secret leasing of government land to oil companies.

The Ohio Gang

Friends of President Harding who held high-level positions in government.

Charles R. Forbes

Member of the Ohio Gang who sold veteran medical supplies for profit.

Harry Daugherty

Attorney General who took bribes from German agents who wanted to buy German businesses that the US Government confiscated during the Red Scare.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

Agreement among nations to renounce war as an instrument of national policy, reflecting the desire for peace following the devastation of World War I.

Dawes Plan

Solved the problem of post-war debt by provided loans to Germany to help pay war debts to France and Britain.

Calvin Coolidge

President after the death of Harding who believed in laissez-faire economics.

Silent Cal

Nickname for Calvin Coolidge, reflecting his quiet demeanor and distance from the Harding scandal.

Fordney-McCumber Act 1922

Legislation that raised tariffs on American goods imported from abroad.

Smoot Hawley Tariff Act

An act that raised import duties to protect American businesses but hurt farmers because Europe stopped buying their products. This was the beginning of the Great Depression

Washington Conference on Naval Disarmament

A conference aimed at discussing naval disarmament and establishing treaties to limit naval arms. It placed a ten year halt on the construction of new warships.

Five Power Naval Limitation Treaty

Agreement between the USA, Britain, France, Italy, and Japan to halt warship construction.

Nine Power Treaty

A treaty agreeing to respect China’s independence and to continue the Open-Door Policy.

Supply-Side Economics

Economic theory advocating for lower taxes to stimulate economic growth. Lower taxes, conzumers spend extra money, when they spend more money, the economy grows and we get wealthier.

Assembly Line

An industrial process that divides operations into single tasks for mass production (make more, charge less). High supply = low demand/low cost.

Charles Lindbergh

First person to make a solo trans-Atlantic flight in 1927.

Radio Industry

The rise of radio broadcasting networks such as NBC (National Broadcasting Company) and CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) in the 1920s.

Consumer Goods

New household items like washers, dryers, and ovens that were mass-produced. Business at department stores such as Sears and Roebuck, JC Penney, and Woolworths skyrocketed.

Rise of Advertising

The emergence of persuasive and appealing advertisement linking products with success and convenience, leisure, fashion, and style.

Easy Consumer Credit

In the 1920s, borrowing became socially acceptable, leading to increased consumer spending. Before the 20’s it was considerent shameful to be in debt. Americans began buying things such as cars, furniture, and home appliances on credit.

American Standard of Living Soars

During the 1920s, the average annual income rose and Americans held a large portion (40%) of the world’s wealth. The average annual income rose 35% during the 1920s (from $522-$705).

Fundamentalists

Mainly Christian groups who opposed the changes in morals and values during the 1920s. They were against Keeping alcohol legal, the new morality exercised by women, and the teaching of evolution.

18th Amendment

Outlawed the manufacture, sale, or distribution of alcohol.

National Prohibition Act

Legislation to enforce the 18th Amendment (prohibition), also known as the Volstead Act.

Prohibition Failed

Prohibition did not stop the drinking; it led to illegal distribution and organized crime.

Rise of Organized Crime

Organized crime flourished during Prohibition, with figures like Al Capone being well-known.

Speakeasies

Secret bars where alcohol was illegally sold during Prohibition. People had to speak quietly when ordering their drinks.

Scopes Trial

The legal case involving teacher John Scopes who taught evolution, challenging state law. Scopes was convicted and fined $100. The case opened the door for evolution to be taught in public schools.

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote, marking a significant advancement in women's suffrage.

21st Amendment

Repealed the 18th Amendment, ending Prohibition.

Flappers

Women in the 1920s who defied traditional norms (lady-like image and relgious values) with their fashion and behavior. They took to drinking and smoking shortened their skirts and their hair, used birth control, wore makeup, and went out with boys unchaperoned.

Amelia Earhart

The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Heroes in Sports

Public figures like Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey became icons of sports during the 1920s.

Charlie Chaplin

A famous silent film actor known for his comedic roles.

Rudolph Valentino

A romantic silent film star known as the 'Latin Lover'.

Lost Generation Writers

Authors disillusioned by World War I, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. They were rebellious about what America had become by the 1900's.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

A Lost Generation writer who coined the term 'Jazz Age' and wrote 'The Great Gatsby' which criticized society's superficiality also wrote The Case of Benjamin Button which tells the tale of a man growing from old to young. He also criticized the upper classes.

Ernest Hemingway

Lost Generation author (fought in WWI) known for works like 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' (Spanish Civil War) and 'The Old Man and the Sea' (Cuban fisherman) and ‘Farewell to Arms’ (WWI).

Edwin Hopper

Painter known for capturing the loneliness of urban life (empty streets and solitary people).

Georgia O'Keeffe

Painter famous for her vibrant paintings of New York City and later moved to New Mexico and painted nature and flowers.

Nickelodeon Culture

The rise of movie theaters, with millions of tickets sold weekly in the late 1920s.

Marcus Garvey

Jamaican immigrant who promoted Black nationalism and founded the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association). Believed in Black pride/Nationalism. Advocated racial because of black superiority.

Marcus Garvey

Believed that Blacks should return to Africa. He purchased a ship to start the journey called the Black Star Line. He attracted many investors; the government charged him with fraud. He was found guilty and was eventually deported to Jamaica.

Charlie Chaplin

Silent movie star; in 1927 "The Jazz Singer" was the first talking movie.

Babe Ruth

Known as the Sultan of Swat. Baseball player for the New York Yankees.

Jack Dempsey

World champion heavyweight boxer

Chicago

city most known for organized crime

Al Capone

Chicago’s crime boss and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition of Alcohol.

Bootlegger

a person who makes, distributes, or sells alcohol illegally.

Result of Washington Conference on Naval Disagreement

Five Power Naval Limitation Treaty and the Nine Power Treaty.

Calvin Coolidge Motto

“The Business of the American People is Business”

Kellogg-Brand Pact

Outlawed war and agreed to settle all disputes peacefully.

Margaret Sanger

An American birth control activist, sex educator, writer, and nurse. The founder of the birth control movement in the United States and an international leader in the field. → Planned Parenthood

Jacob Lawrence

African American artist who grew up in a settlement house in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance. His life in Harlem and the struggle of other Black American inspired his earliest work.

Duke Ellington

A jazz composer, conductor, and performer during the Harlem Renaissance. Among the first to focus on musical form and composition in jazz. (Cotton Club)

Cotton Club

The Duke Ellington Orchestra was the "house" orchestra for a number of years at the _______. The revues featured glamorous dancing girls, acclaimed tap dancers, vaudeville performers, and comics. All the white world came to Harlem to see the show.

The Lost Generation

A group of people who came of age during World War I were disillusioned by the war's horrors.

Other Scandals

Charles Forbes sold veteran medical supplies from veteran hospitals for profit, while Attorney General Harry Daugherty accepted bribes from German agents seeking to acquire confiscated German businesses during the Red Scare.

Dawes Act vs. Dawes Plan

The Dawes Act (1887) was legislation intended to assimilate Native Americans into American society by allocating individual plots of land and granting citizenship, resulting in significant loss of tribal land.

In contrast, the Dawes Plan (1924) was an economic strategy that involved providing loans to Germany to assist in repaying war reparations after World War I, thereby promoting international economic recovery.

Fordney-McCumber Act 1922

Legislation that raised tariffs on American goods exported overseas, implying that if foreign countries wanted American products, they would need to pay the higher prices.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act

An act that raised European import taxes by 59% on goods entering America, aiming to protect American businesses and farmers, but ultimately contributed to economic decline.

Isolationism

The national policy of avoiding involvement in world affairs.

• Most Americans were tired of being entangled in European politics

• The U.S. will be safer if it stays out of world affairs

• Not relying on armed forces or the League of Nations