The Roaring '20s
1920s Partner Research Requirements:
20srequirements.pdf | |
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Republicans Rule
Business is Boss
Henry Ford started using the assembly line in the teens, but made history with it in the 1920s. Using interchangeable parts, decreasing wasted efforts/ products, and paying workers a good wage allowed the Ford Motor Company to produce the 10 Millionth Model T Ford in 1927. He understood that good pay for workers not only makes them loyal, it makes them customers.
Times, They are a-changin'
The Harlem Renaissance was a time of artistic advancement for African Americans. There was an explosion of popularity of the writings, poetry, drama, dance, music and art in the African American community. It was a period of curiosity. Whites wandered into Harlem to experience the rich culture and lively music of the mostly black Harlem residents. They also poured money into the Harlem economy as tourists. African American artists from this decade saw increases in sales of their trade and the subject matter of the art also opened the eyes of Americans to the plight of Black America.
Prohibition of alcohol was a huge part of the 1920s. It inadvertently brought about the "gangsters" and organized crime. It is a good example of the "Culture Clash" of the 1920s... Those who wanted to hang on to the proper behavior of days gone by versus those who want change and new ideas.
Young women of the era were in the market for something new, so they defied social norms as much as possible to prove their independence. They cut their hair, they cut their hemlines and they cut the double-standard. Any holdover ideas from previous eras were not welcome.
The Scopes "monkey" Trial:
It was illegal to teach evolution in Tennessee in 1925. The ACLU wanted one of their members to challenge this. John Scopes was a biology teacher who was arrested for teaching evolution. He was fined $100 which the ACLU paid, but the court case drew national attention. It became a spectacle between "Creationists" and "Darwinists." Science was advancing, but not without a fight!
The move to slow progress and return to normalcy or counter all of these "advancements" of the 1920s was called "Fundamentalism."
It was illegal to teach evolution in Tennessee in 1925. The ACLU wanted one of their members to challenge this. John Scopes was a biology teacher who was arrested for teaching evolution. He was fined $100 which the ACLU paid, but the court case drew national attention. It became a spectacle between "Creationists" and "Darwinists." Science was advancing, but not without a fight!
The move to slow progress and return to normalcy or counter all of these "advancements" of the 1920s was called "Fundamentalism."
The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same...
Fearing those that are different :0(
Sacco and Vanzetti are the biggest example of the fear of immigrants and anarchists that followed WWI. As people are fleeing a recovering Europe, many Americans become fearful of the ideas and cultural practices the immigrants bring with them.
This fear is known as the "Red Scare" for it's connection to American worry of a communist ("Reds") takeover.
This fear is known as the "Red Scare" for it's connection to American worry of a communist ("Reds") takeover.
Also in response to fear of changing populations, the membership of the KKK grew to the highest levels ever during the 1920s. This group carried out huge atrocities toward a number of minority groups including African Americans, Catholics, Immigrants and many more. Unfortunately for our state's history, this group was powerful and well-connected enough to score a majority of seats in our State Legislature, making Indiana a large part of the KKK's "Invisible Empire."