The Jazz AgeThe Jazz Age

The 1920’sThe 1920’s

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The Jazz AgeThe Jazz Age

The 1920s were a The 1920s were a time of rapid time of rapid social change in social change in which many which many people people –– particularly particularly women women –– adopted adopted new lifestyles and new lifestyles and attitudes.attitudes.

The FlapperThe Flapper

Wore shorter dresses Wore shorter dresses than their mothers. than their mothers. (9-inch hemline for (9-inch hemline for mom)mom)

Short hair and hats Short hair and hats to show off short hair to show off short hair Bobbed hairBobbed hair

Wore make upWore make up Drank and smoked in Drank and smoked in

publicpublic

Women working in the Women working in the 1920s1920s

15% of women 15% of women were were professionalsprofessionals

20% had clerical 20% had clerical jobsjobs

By 1930 29% of By 1930 29% of the workforce was the workforce was women.women.

Women and the VoteWomen and the Vote

1920 1920 –– women were women were allowed to vote.allowed to vote.

1920 only 35% of the 1920 only 35% of the women eligible to women eligible to vote vote –– did vote. did vote.

Americans on the moveAmericans on the move

1920: First time in 1920: First time in American history American history that there were that there were more people more people living in cities living in cities than on farms.than on farms.

African Americans African Americans moved Northmoved North

Growth of SuburbsGrowth of Suburbs

Electric trolley Electric trolley cars and buses cars and buses got people from got people from jobs in the city to jobs in the city to suburbs quickly suburbs quickly and cheaply.and cheaply.

American HeroesAmerican Heroes Charles LindberghCharles Lindbergh

Lucky LindyLucky Lindy May 20, 1927: First May 20, 1927: First

man to fly non-stop man to fly non-stop New York to Paris.New York to Paris.

Amelia EarhartAmelia Earhart 1928 1928 –– first woman to first woman to

cross the Atlantic in a cross the Atlantic in a plane.plane.

1932 1932 –– first woman to fly first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.solo across the Atlantic.

First to fly from Hawaii to First to fly from Hawaii to California.California.

Mass Media and the Jazz Mass Media and the Jazz AgeAge

The founding of The founding of HollywoodHollywood Drew film makers to Drew film makers to

the area in 1900.the area in 1900. Variety of landscapes Variety of landscapes

(mountains, desert, (mountains, desert, ocean)ocean)

Warm climateWarm climate Lighting was betterLighting was better Large work force from Large work force from

LA.LA.

Mass Media in the Jazz AgeMass Media in the Jazz Age

UNTIL 1920s the UNTIL 1920s the US had been a US had been a collection of collection of regional cultures.regional cultures. Accents differedAccents differed Customs differedCustoms differed Entertainment Entertainment

differeddiffered

Mass Media and the Jazz Mass Media and the Jazz AgeAge

Films, national Films, national newspapers and newspapers and radio created the radio created the ““nationalnational”” culture culture of the country. of the country.

MoviesMovies 1910 1910 –– 5,000 theaters in 5,000 theaters in

the country.the country. 1930 1930 –– 22,500 theaters 22,500 theaters 80 million movie tickets 80 million movie tickets

were sold every week.were sold every week. Until 1927 movies were Until 1927 movies were

silent.silent. The first sound film THE The first sound film THE

JAZZ SINGER JAZZ SINGER –– 1927 1927 Al JolsonAl Jolson Going to the Going to the ““talkiestalkies””

was a popular was a popular pastime.pastime.

Newspapers and Newspapers and MagazinesMagazines

Golden Age of Golden Age of newspapers.newspapers.

EVERY town had a EVERY town had a newspaper.newspaper.

The rise of The rise of newspaper chains.newspaper chains. Some owners had Some owners had

monopolies on the monopolies on the news in their news in their states.states.

NewspapersNewspapers

More Americans More Americans began to share the began to share the same information, same information, read the same read the same events, and events, and encounter the encounter the same ideas and same ideas and fashions.fashions.

Created a common Created a common culture.culture.

RadioRadio 1920 Westinghouse 1920 Westinghouse

Electric engineer Frank Electric engineer Frank Conrad put a transmitter Conrad put a transmitter in his garage in in his garage in Pittsburgh. Read news, Pittsburgh. Read news, played music.played music.

KDKA KDKA –– the FIRST the FIRST American radio station.American radio station.

By 1922 500 radio By 1922 500 radio stations across the stations across the country.country.

The Jazz AgeThe Jazz Age

The radio The radio audience and the audience and the African American African American migration to the migration to the cities made jazz cities made jazz popular. popular. Improvisation of Improvisation of

musicmusic Syncopation Syncopation ––

offbeat rhythm.offbeat rhythm.

The Jazz AgeThe Jazz Age

Young people Young people were NUTS about were NUTS about jazz.jazz.

1929 1929 –– 60% of 60% of radio air time was radio air time was playing jazz.playing jazz.

Heroes of JazzHeroes of Jazz

Louis Armstrong Louis Armstrong (1901 (1901 –– 1974) 1974)

““SatchmoSatchmo”” and and ““The GiftThe Gift””

New Orleans to New Orleans to Chicago to the Chicago to the world.world.

Trumpet and Trumpet and singing singing ““scatscat””

Jazz Clubs and Dance HallsJazz Clubs and Dance Halls

To hear the To hear the ““realreal”” jazz jazz –– NYC and NYC and the neighborhood the neighborhood of Harlem.of Harlem. 500 jazz clubs500 jazz clubs Cotton Club the Cotton Club the

most famousmost famous

Literature in the 1920s: Literature in the 1920s: The Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation

Many writers, Many writers, artists, and artists, and musicians went to musicians went to Europe and most Europe and most ended up in Parisended up in Paris Cheap livingCheap living Racial toleranceRacial tolerance Intellectual Intellectual

tolerancetolerance

The Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation

F. Scott FitzgeraldF. Scott Fitzgerald Wife ZeldaWife Zelda THE GREAT GATSBYTHE GREAT GATSBY THE SUN ALSO THE SUN ALSO

RISESRISES Showed the people Showed the people

of the jazz age of the jazz age havinghaving self-centered self-centered and shallow ways.and shallow ways.

Cultural Conflicts in the Cultural Conflicts in the 1920s1920s

PROHIBITIONPROHIBITION The 18The 18thth

Amendment to the Amendment to the ConstitutionConstitution

Made Made manufacturing of manufacturing of alcohol illegal.alcohol illegal.

Most people chose Most people chose to ignore it.to ignore it.

Goals of ProhibitionGoals of Prohibition

Eliminate Eliminate drunkennessdrunkenness Causing abuse of Causing abuse of

family family Get rid of saloonsGet rid of saloons

Prostitution, gambling Prostitution, gambling densdens

Prevent absenteeism Prevent absenteeism and on-the-job and on-the-job accidents stemming accidents stemming from drunkennessfrom drunkenness

How Effective was How Effective was Prohibition?Prohibition?

They drank in the They drank in the White HouseWhite House

1924 1924 –– Kansas had Kansas had 95% of people obeying 95% of people obeying the law not to drink.the law not to drink.

Only 5% of New Only 5% of New Yorkers obeyed the Yorkers obeyed the law.law. Contrast between rural Contrast between rural

and urban moral values.and urban moral values.

SpeakeasiesSpeakeasies Bars that operated Bars that operated

illegally. illegally. To get into a To get into a

speakeasy speakeasy –– you you needed a password needed a password or be recognized or be recognized by a guard.by a guard.

Sometimes hidden Sometimes hidden behind legit behind legit businesses.businesses.

SpeakeasiesSpeakeasies

Before Prohibition Before Prohibition the whole state of the whole state of Massachusetts Massachusetts had 1,000 saloons.had 1,000 saloons.

AFTER Prohibition AFTER Prohibition Boston alone had Boston alone had 4,000 speakeasies 4,000 speakeasies and 15,000 and 15,000 bootleggers.bootleggers.

Age of ExcessAge of Excess

America in the 1920s was undergoing dynamic America in the 1920s was undergoing dynamic changes. changes.

Between 1921 and 1924 the country’s gross Between 1921 and 1924 the country’s gross national product jumped from $69 billion to $93 national product jumped from $69 billion to $93 billion while aggregate wages rose from roughly billion while aggregate wages rose from roughly $36.4 billion to $51.5 billion. $36.4 billion to $51.5 billion.

The United States had entered World War I a The United States had entered World War I a debtor nation and emerged as Europe’s largest debtor nation and emerged as Europe’s largest creditor, to the tune of $12.5 billion.creditor, to the tune of $12.5 billion.

From a relative standpoint, America was rich, From a relative standpoint, America was rich, and it showed.and it showed.

InnovationInnovation

Wealth seemed to breed innovation. It took Wealth seemed to breed innovation. It took over one hundred years for the US Patent over one hundred years for the US Patent Office to issue its millionth patent in 1911; Office to issue its millionth patent in 1911; within fifteen years it issued its two-within fifteen years it issued its two-millionth. millionth.

Scores of new factory products flooded the Scores of new factory products flooded the growing consumer market.growing consumer market.

Social ResponsibilitySocial Responsibility

People hadn’t had this kind of People hadn’t had this kind of wealth beforewealth before

People spent money a lot more People spent money a lot more freely and were less responsiblefreely and were less responsible

It is common to hear that the It is common to hear that the 1920’s was a time of little social 1920’s was a time of little social responsibility and chasing of the responsibility and chasing of the “American Dream”“American Dream”

CelebrityCelebrity

Americans in the 1920s were also Americans in the 1920s were also obsessed with a new cult of celebrity. obsessed with a new cult of celebrity.

The decade gave rise to sports legends like The decade gave rise to sports legends like Babe Ruth, who was just as renowned for his Babe Ruth, who was just as renowned for his voracious appetite as for his homerun record, voracious appetite as for his homerun record, and Jack Dempsey, the heavyweight and Jack Dempsey, the heavyweight champion who by the mid-1920s appeared in champion who by the mid-1920s appeared in almost as many films as he did title fights. almost as many films as he did title fights.

ConflictConflict If they enjoyed its prosperity, they also If they enjoyed its prosperity, they also

feared its social consequences. feared its social consequences. The rise of premarital sex, the entry of The rise of premarital sex, the entry of

women into the workplace, the breakdown of women into the workplace, the breakdown of traditional religious mores, and the influx of traditional religious mores, and the influx of millions of new immigrants from Southern millions of new immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe gave rise to a powerful and Eastern Europe gave rise to a powerful backlash. backlash.

Thus, the same decade that gave rise to Thus, the same decade that gave rise to Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald also witnessed a Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald also witnessed a powerful backlash. powerful backlash.

Conflict Cont’dConflict Cont’d In towns and cities throughout America, a In towns and cities throughout America, a

revitalized Klu Klux Klan railed against African revitalized Klu Klux Klan railed against African Americans, immigrants, Catholics and “loose Americans, immigrants, Catholics and “loose women.” women.”

Supporters of Prohibition drove through a Supporters of Prohibition drove through a restrictive law that banned the sale or production restrictive law that banned the sale or production of liquor. of liquor.

Conservative Christians formed Fundamentalist Conservative Christians formed Fundamentalist churches and sought to restore God to his churches and sought to restore God to his traditional place in homes and schools. traditional place in homes and schools.

There was, in short, a deep and pervasive There was, in short, a deep and pervasive contradiction – and many Americans sensed it.contradiction – and many Americans sensed it.

The EndThe End

The world that Fitzgerald The world that Fitzgerald chronicled came crashing down on chronicled came crashing down on October 29, 1929. October 29, 1929.

That was Black Tuesday, when the That was Black Tuesday, when the stock market collapsed. The boom stock market collapsed. The boom economy went bust. economy went bust.

America’s Jazz Age was officially America’s Jazz Age was officially over.over.