Lecture 10 - The Roaring Twenties

The 1920s, often called the Jazz Age, Ballyhoo Years, or Aspirant Age, followed World War I and saw dramatic changes in American society.

The U.S. participation in World War I under the Wilson administration was framed in noble terms:
- A war to end all wars.
- A mission to make the world safe for democracy.
Government propaganda played a significant role in promoting nationalism and patriotism during the war.
However, propaganda can lead to extreme patriotism, where dissent or perceived lack of patriotism was equated with treason.

Transition from war to peacetime was turbulent:
- The Senate struggled to ratify the Treaty of Versailles post-war.
- President Wilson returned home after six months abroad, subsequently suffered a stroke, leaving him incapacitated for much of his presidency.
Demobilization was chaotic with no clear plan, leading to an abrupt end to wartime economic control.
Returning soldiers faced difficulties reintegrating as many experienced trauma and disillusionment from the war.

Demobilization involved discharging about 4,000 soldiers daily; stark adjustments impacted the economy.
Consumer prices surged, nearly doubling during the war, leading to widespread inflation, particularly problematic in 1919.

Strikes erupted as labor unions pushed for rights denied during the war (higher wages, 8-hour workdays, collective bargaining rights):
- Significant strikes included steel workers against U.S. Steel.
- The Boston Police Strike led to state militia intervention.
Public perception viewed these labor movements as evidence of a radical leftist uprising, relating fears to the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia (1917).

The Red Scare emerged in 1919, fueled by labor unrest and the fear of communism.
Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer led extensive raids, known as the Palmer Raids, arresting thousands of suspected radicals, often without concrete evidence.

Increased racial tensions arose from the Great Migration, where African Americans left the Jim Crow South:
- Returning white soldiers assumed jobs held by Black workers, leading to violent race riots across numerous cities in 1919, termed the Red Summer by James Weldon Johnson.
Post-war lynching rates increased, with more than 70 lynchings occurring from 1919 to 1920.

The Spanish flu pandemic compounded the issues of the late 1910s, resulting in approximately 50 million deaths globally, including over 250,000 Americans.
American culture experienced significant changes, where prohibition sparked underground movements and a rise in organized crime.
- Al Capone emerged as a notorious figure in Chicago during this era, symbolizing the lawlessness associated with prohibition.

Warren G. Harding's 1920 campaign centered around a return to "normalcy," promoting a passive government approach.
Following Harding's death, Calvin Coolidge succeeded him and maintained a pro-business stance, asserting that "the business of America is business."
The economy recovered post-war, leading to prosperity, as reflected in the growing Gross National Product (GNP).

The foreign policy transitioned into isolationism, particularly during the 1920s, though pragmatic diplomacy characterized U.S. relations, such as through the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which attempted to outlaw war.

The 1920s saw a resurgence of nativism and xenophobia, largely targeted against Southern and Eastern European immigrants.
- The Sacco and Vanzetti trial exemplified the era's fears, where two Italian anarchists were tried and executed amid national hysteria against foreigners and radicals.

The Ku Klux Klan experienced a revival in the 1920s, appealing to fears regarding rapid societal changes and emphasizing white supremacy and nativism.
- President Harding was reportedly initiated into the Klan, showing its influence in politics.

The rise of fundamentalism opposed the changes introduced by modern science and morality (e.g., evolution vs. creationism).
- The Scopes Trial (1925) became a battleground between modern science (represented by Clarence Darrow) and fundamentalism (represented by William Jennings Bryan).

The term "Jazz Age" characterizes the vibrant cultural scene of the 1920s, with jazz music becoming a symbol of the decade's excitement.
- Harlem became the focal point of African American culture and the Harlem Renaissance celebrated Black artistry, writers, and musicians.
Notable figures included poet Langston Hughes, writer Zora Neale Hurston, and activists Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois, who represented various responses to racial issues.

The migration of African Americans to northern cities transformed cultural landscapes and significantly influenced the subsequent civil rights movement.
Madam C.J. Walker became America’s first female self-made millionaire through her successful line of beauty products for Black women.

Women’s roles transformed during the 1920s, with the flapper culture emerging as a significant counter-narrative to traditional femininity.
- The 19th Amendment (1920) granted women the right to vote, furthering their social and political engagement.
Divorce rates increased as women sought personal happiness over traditional constraints.

The 1920s were marked by a cultural clash between old and new values, showcasing the struggle of a society adapting to rapid changes in demographics, morality, technology, and politics in the post-war world.