Class Notes 2/21/07

Today in class we viewed one of the Schlessinger Videos called "The Roaring Twenties" which was, quite obviously, about the 1920's. Here are some of the most important points.

• By the 1920's the ideas of Progressivism were starting to wear thin, and its ideas were replaced with those of a high living standard, and becoming a consumer nation. This period was also known as the "Jazz Age"
• To appeal to this consumers market, companies began flashy advertising campaigns. The automobile industry introduced yearly models. Soon enough, eight out of every ten cars were owned by Americans.
  
• The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. The middle/upper class of these young, white, and independent women were known as "Flappers".
  
• Advertising was used to show off the deficiencies of people, such as lack of beauty, bad breath, yellowed teeth, or body odor, in order to convince buyers they needed certain products to cure these ailments.
  
• The cinema was seen as an assault on traditional American values, but proved to be one of the most influential aspects of mass culture in our country. Jazz also arrived from the South (in New Orleans) to New York City in time for the Harlem Renaissance.
  
• In Harlem, Marcus Garvey spoke out to the African American working class.
  
• Harlem became a renaissance center for African American writing and artistry.
  
• Once prohibition was established, it failed to have a huge effect on inner cities because of the numerous "speak-easys" where gin was served.
  
• A revived Ku Klux Klan gained great strength and by 1923, controlled 3 state governments. The Klan was against Jews, Catholics, blacks, and foreigners/immigrants with any sort of non-white ethnic affiliation. Most Klan members were white protestants from the Mid-West.
  
• The Scopes Trial in Tennessee debated over whether to teach evolution in public schools. The fundamentalist Christians won, meaning evolution was not to be taught. However, William Jennings Bryan walked away feeling defeated after a stinging cross-examination by his former friend, Darrow.
  
• America developed a new fascination with celebrity.
  
• Babe Ruth-Famous baseball player
• Charles Lindbergh-Flew alone across the Atlantic in 1927. Was nicknamed "Lucky Lindy"
  
• The newly formed "Gospel of Business" declared working for prosperity was working to bring about the American Dream.
  
• In October 1929, the decade was closed by a severe Stock Market crash, closing out the twenties, and opening up the Great Depression.
  

Those are the major points the video touched on. I don't know about you guys, but I have to get back to working on those note cards. Good luck on the test tomorrow.