LESSON 2 The Twenties The Twenties Postwar Prosperity

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LESSON 2 The Twenties

LESSON 2 The Twenties

The Twenties Postwar Prosperity and Glamour • After the war, Americans became consumers, spending

The Twenties Postwar Prosperity and Glamour • After the war, Americans became consumers, spending money instead of saving. • Cars became more affordable and therefore more popular. • Most homes had electricity so Americans bought appliances like toasters and refrigerators. • Since most families only had one income, people relied on credit to pay for things.

What’s in a Name? • The decade of the Twenties has several nicknames. o.

What’s in a Name? • The decade of the Twenties has several nicknames. o. The “Roaring Twenties” o. The “Jazz Age” o. The “Lawless Decade” • What do these nicknames tell you about the 1920 s?

A Time of Prosperity • After the war, the US economy began to boom.

A Time of Prosperity • After the war, the US economy began to boom. Businesses grew and people had money to spend. • Many people moved from rural, farming areas to urban areas (cities). As a result, cities grew. • Americans, especially young Americans began to challenge traditional values.

The Twenties Mass Media & Entertainment • Art, music, and literature transformed into new

The Twenties Mass Media & Entertainment • Art, music, and literature transformed into new forms. • The blues and jazz filled nightclubs across the country. • Families listened to comedies, detective stories and jazz music. • The earliest films, Silent Films, became a hit. • Baseball and Boxing events became huge spectator events.

The Twenties Automobiles and Tourism • Transportation changes impacted life in South Carolina in

The Twenties Automobiles and Tourism • Transportation changes impacted life in South Carolina in the 1920’s • Trollies and automobiles led to the creation of suburbs. • Cars also made it easier to travel. South Carolina beaches became a popular spot for tourism.

The Twenties The Car Culture Emerges

The Twenties The Car Culture Emerges

The Twenties A Cultural Awakening The Harlem Renaissance Southern Literary Renaissance • A period

The Twenties A Cultural Awakening The Harlem Renaissance Southern Literary Renaissance • A period of great achievement by African • The response of southern American writers, writers and artists to artists, and performers. criticisms that the South • A celebration of black was “an unsophisticated literature, music, cultural wasteland. ” theater, and visual arts centered in NYC’s • This movement celebrated Harlem District. the cultural heritage of the South. • Its influence spread to urban areas throughout • Led by the Poetry Society the country. of South Carolina

A Cultural Awakening Actors rehearsing a Langston Hughes play.

A Cultural Awakening Actors rehearsing a Langston Hughes play.

The Twenties A Decade of Hard Times • Although many businesses prospered in the

The Twenties A Decade of Hard Times • Although many businesses prospered in the 1920 s, many farmers did not. • SC’s agriculture had been in steady decline after WWI ended. • Farmers were producing as if a war time economy still existed. • European countries were not trading as much as they could focus their own agricultural production now that the war was over • Boll weevils destroyed much of the cotton crop that decade. • Years of drought added to the difficulties. • Many farm families were forced to leave the state.

The Twenties A Decade of Hard Times • Because of the declining cotton prices,

The Twenties A Decade of Hard Times • Because of the declining cotton prices, farmers were not making enough money to pay off their mortgages. • Many farmers lost their farms. • This becomes a problem for the banks as they could not sell the foreclosed farms. • This caused bank failure in South Carolina even before the stock market crashed in 1929.

The Twenties Tough Times for Textiles • Despite the troubles faced by cotton farmers,

The Twenties Tough Times for Textiles • Despite the troubles faced by cotton farmers, the textile industry grew. • South Carolina led the nation in production of cotton goods. • Northern industrialists were attracted to South Carolina because of the ready supply of cheap labor

The Twenties Tough Times for Textiles • Factory owners began using the “speed up”

The Twenties Tough Times for Textiles • Factory owners began using the “speed up” and “stretch out” methods to increase production while lowering production cost. • Machines set at a faster speed to produce more. • Workers were stretched out and given more machines to tend to. • In the late 1920’s, industry began to decline as there was a lower demand over production of textiles.

The Twenties The KKK, the Red Scare, and Prohibition • The 1920 s saw

The Twenties The KKK, the Red Scare, and Prohibition • The 1920 s saw a return of the KKK. • This KKK was different from the KKK of the 1860 s and 1870 as they targeted more groups • The group continued to target blacks, but expanded their hatred to Catholics, Jews, immigrants, and bootleggers. Lynchings and beatings resumed. • The climate of the 1920 s contributed to the KKK’s resurgence as they used advertising and business organizations to promote their organization.

The Twenties The KKK, the Red Scare, and Prohibition • A “Red Scare” swept

The Twenties The KKK, the Red Scare, and Prohibition • A “Red Scare” swept the country. Since Russia had been taken over by Communists, scared Americans thought the US was next. • The country passed the 18 th Amendment which banned the making or selling of liquor. • This led to an increase in crime. • Organized crime made millions of dollars selling illegal alcohol. This was called bootlegging.