HIST+151+-+1920s

The Jazz Age: The 1920s

• Overview of life during the 1920s in America.

Consumerism

• Definition: The purchasing of goods and services for convenience or leisure.

• Causes of Consumerism:

  • Increased productivity attributed to Taylorism which improved manufacturing.

  • New Merchandising Techniques: Introduction of modern advertising strategies.

  • Shift in consumer ethic focusing on wants rather than needs, influenced by:

    • A decline in Calvinist Protestant values.

    • Erosion of faith in the producer ethic leading to its failure.

  • Rise of Consumer Credit making goods more accessible.

Heightened Productivity

• Enhanced productivity resulted in an abundance of consumer goods.

• The growth of department stores and the availability of products at lower prices.

Mass Media Growth

Radios as Mass Media

• The Literary Digest exemplified the meld of education and entertainment, highlighting the importance of radio.

• Radios became a primary source of information and entertainment, fostering national culture.

Advertising Innovations

Case Study: Listerine

• Focus on effective advertising methods that linked personal hygiene to social acceptance.

• Campaigns claimed significant cold prevention statistics relating to the use of Listerine.

  • Detailed testing results showing a large reduction in the incidence and severity of colds for regular users.

• Methods such as engaging messages appealing to societal trends and fears made the product desirable.

Other Advertising Techniques

• Misleading claims and interesting pitches for products such as Listerine Shaving Cream, focusing on quality rather than pleasure.

Icons of the Jazz Age

• Sports Figures:

  • Jack Dempsey: Known as a cultural icon of strength, he popularized the connection between sports and consumerism.

  • Red Grange: One of the first major football celebrities, influencing both athletics and advertising.

  • Babe Ruth: The embodiment of sports celebrity culture and early mega-stars in American sports, transcending sports to become a national icon.

Cultural Movements: The Lost Generation and Harlem Renaissance

• The Lost Generation: Group of American writers disillusioned by World War I; prominent figures included F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway.

• Harlem Renaissance: African American cultural movement with a focus on literature, art, and music.

  • Key figures included Langston Hughes, who championed black cultural identity and pride.

The Red Scare

Background

• Fear of communism fueled by events such as the Bolshevik Revolution; led to widespread paranoia in the U.S.

Key Events

• Palmer Raids: A series of government actions against suspected radicals; employed by J. Edgar Hoover.

• High-profile trials like that of Sacco and Vanzetti, showcasing tensions between labor, immigration, and civil rights.

Legislation

• The National Origins Act reduced immigration and significantly preferred European immigrants over others, shaping demographic trends.

Societal Impact

• Mass hysteria surrounding the threat of communism illustrated the complexities in American society post-WWI.

The 1920s: A Catalyst for Change

• Transformation in societal attitudes towards race, gender, class, and culture facilitated by consumers’ shifts in values.

• Prohibition and its ties to organized crime highlighted the contradictions in American values and law.

• Flappers exemplified changing gender roles, symbolizing independence and modernity.

Final Reflection: The Legacy of the Jazz Age

• The 1920s set the stage for future cultural shifts, with implications for civil rights movements and economic policies in later decades.