How was the 1920s a decade of change?
- Make connections between their research and your own
- Respond to their posts and pose your own questions
- Provide additional information/insight on their topic
Monday, April 17, 2017
US History Block 1 Spring 2017: 1920's research assignment
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Amelia Earhart lived a restless and adventurous life. Although not the first, she was the most famous woman aviator. Amelia saw her first airshow in 1920 where she got the privilege to ride in a plane for the first time. She immediately fell in love and began taking flying lessons. After getting her license she went on to become a famous pilot. Amelia wisely used her platform to make a difference. During this decade of change, she influenced both technology and culture. Amelia helped progress aviation technology and the woman’s rights movement during her time as an aviator.
ReplyDeleteAviation was still relatively new when Amelia began flying. She became well known after being a passenger in the first flight with a woman across the Atlantic Ocean. She used this platform to inform others of her opinions. She was a firm believer in airplanes being a source of future transportation. Earhart knew that airplanes would be a part of everyday life soon enough. She accepted the fast progression of technology and encouraged others to do the same. Amelia had a love for aviation and wanted nothing but the best for it in the future.
At the time Amelia became a pilot, women were seen as inferior to men. Amelia, the courageous woman she was, decided to prove that women could do anything men could. She began breaking aviation records such as fastest speed and highest altitude. There was no challenge she wasn’t willing to take. Earhart was an advocate for gender equality and used her fame to help her stance. She encouraged other women to become pilots and fight for their rights. For Earhart, it was even better that she could do what she loved while advocating for her beliefs.
Amelia Earhart’s biggest mission was to fly around the whole world. Her and a passenger went on this journey to never return. Although it is not known how Earhart passed, it is likely that her death was somewhere within the Pacific Ocean. Amelia died doing what she loved and made a point out of it. During her time on the Earth she left a huge impact. She opened people’s eyes to change both culturally and technologically. In a decade of change, Amelia was the role model people needed to make them comfortable with the massive changes occurring around them. She was able to be successful, comfort those around her, and advocate for her beliefs in both aviation and women’s rights during her small amount of time on this earth.
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DeleteI know very little about Amelia Earhart and am left wondering:
DeleteHow, or did, Earhart specifically technologically change how planes functioned? Basically, among her many great accomplishments, did she invent anything?
Woman prior to the 1920’s were different. It was forbidden to have your skirt line above your ankle. Smoking and drinking was a myth. Women working, voting, wearing makeup, and hanging around men didn’t exist. But even though all these restrictions, women still found a way to get their equality and break the standards put on them by their mothers and generations above them. The amount of change that the women in the 1920’s created was more change than you’d expect to see.
ReplyDeleteRight when the 1920’s kicked off was when the 19th amendment was passed. This marked the time where women were allowed to vote and were able to take a stand and have their voices heard in politics. It gave women the motivation they needed to make this decade full of changes for equality. The focus of this change was put of the youth. Teens and adults started breaking out of their parents hold and traditions to become their own people and who they deserved to be. The hemline of skirts slowly started raising and by the end of the 1920’s, it had made it above the knee. Petticoats were abandoned, short sleeved and sleeveless dressed were in, corsets were rare, the miss america and prom dresses started becoming popular and the cosmetics industry boomed. Teens began to break their parents rules, sneak out, hang out with boys, smoke, drink, party, played sports, did activities meant for men, created their sexual freedom, and broke religious customs. They created what became known as an entirely new women. Divorce was more common as women began to break the traditional housewife role. They started buying machines to do their laundry, clean the dishes, etc. and decided to spend their time going back to school to get a job. They joined the workforce as nurses for war, finally able to take a stand in it. The middle class girl in school left their teaching and social service work to go to the offices or publishing, tearoom management, sold antiques and real estate, opened small shops, and even invaded the department stores. Women took advantage of this sexual freedom, and so did advertising for birth control and cosmetics. The spread of birth control encouraged these women to go out and do whatever your parents told you not to. The spread of cosmetics told these women that if you wore these products, the guys would be all over you. They fit hand and hand to create the new girl: the flapper. Flappers were the smoking, drinking, party girl. This girl became an idol for young women, a star in movies and books, and the main focus in paintings, music, and other art. The women of the 1920’s brought on so much change it’s hard to name it all.
The 1920's changed so many things in the social aspect of American culture, especially for women. One of these major changes was the night life, and how previously just men had been involved, but following the prohibition laws, women such as the "flappers" began to go out along with the men creating a little more equality than before. It's funny that something as simple as banning alcohol can shift the social behavior of an entire country.
DeleteJust as woman strived for freedom in the twenties, the Harlem Renaissance helped African Americans strive for freedom as well. As writing and music of African Americans became popularized, the artists took this opportunity to thrust their civil injustices upon the worlds stage. Prominent poets, such as Langston Hughes, composed poems about such injustices and much of blues music was focused around this as well.
DeleteWithin my research I learned that D.H. Lawrence (a man) who was a writer in the Lost Generation was a huge influence for the acknowledgement of woman's human nature and that they should be treated the same as men since we are all humans. This helped men see women as more than just wives but people with desires as they have also.
DeleteLooking back, a women in the 1920's would never of expected to be remembered as a "new woman." One of the major rights that women wanted was to be able to take part in politics. In 1920, women were granted the right to vote; tho not all women wanted to vote. The roles of women in the 1920's varied, majority were housewives. Although the number of working women rose by about 25% during the time when the world war was going on. As well, the number of women attending colleges rose about 10% during the 1920's.
DeleteHow would you think todays world would look like if women had never fought for their right to take a part in politics and just went on with the way they lived back then?
DeleteAmelia Earhart was one of the many women who challenged the social expectations of women. She proved that she could do anything men could and encouraged others to do the same. Thanks to women like Amelia and many others these changes toward gender equality were possible!
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ReplyDeleteReplying to Danielle Upton:
ReplyDeleteAmelia Earhart is a perfect example of the new women in the 1920's that I described for my topic. She fought for what she believed was right and changed the work force for the better as a women. All women did this during the 1920's, but she made a statement doing it her way. She proved to every women that we could do what men can do which allowed other women to make the changes needed for equality!
The Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s was the second of the three incarnations. The KKK emerged after the civil war. The KKK is part social fraternity and part terror organization, asserted white supremacy. Anglo-Saxon, and Protestant values in American society. They drew on and incited hatred of blacks, immigrants, catholics, and jews.
ReplyDeleteThe Klan was declared to be a non-political organization. It made no distinction between democrats and republicans. In the years 1922-1924, was influential in electing governors in Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Colorado, Oregon, and Maine. Texas and Oklahoma senators relied heavily on the Klan backings. In the mid 1920s the Klan filled every office in Colorado.
Klansmen liked to portray themselves as upholders of traditional moral standards and involvement in local community activities. They supported prohibition and condemned gamblers, abusive husbands,and adulterers among others. To join the Klan you had to find a fellowship and activity in a small town largely devoid of leisure entertainment. David Chalmers put all the numbers of murders and assaults over a thousand in Oklahoma and Texas alone. Many believe that publicity increased Klan membership.
In the 1920s, Negro Leagues were formed that allowed African Americans to play baseball at a professional level. The formation of these leagues was a step towards race equality and would be something the KKK was extremely opposed to. This was one of the first steps taken in sports towards race equality.
DeleteSome additional information that I found while doing research is that klan leaders measured the worthiness of their speeches by how the audience responded. As well the klan claimed to "speak for the great mass of Americans of old pioneer stock." They thought that their ancestors being "strong and adventurous" created the great nation. During my topic which was the election of 1928, the KKK got involved. The klan kept reminding people that Irish catholics and others weren't "true americans." William Pattangall beat catholic candidate for governor in Maine in 1924, mainly because of the KKK's views.
DeleteSome more info on the KKK, the KKK also had clan member that were actually African American that fought right along beside them against their own people. This was also the case for another group named the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers were a group composed of African American men but actually had white men found within their group even though they were against the Caucasian population.
DeleteREPLY TO DANIELLE UPTON! hi, how are you? Unlike Amelia who wanted equality the KKK did not. They were white supremacists and Earhart was a feminist. Earhart seemed to influence the world in a positive way where as the KKK was a negative influence on society. K BYE.
ReplyDeleteReplying to Jacqueline Dumont:
ReplyDeleteYour topic is super interesting and I would love to learn more about it! I have one question: Besides the publicity increases membership, did the Klan do any advertising of their own through posters, newspapers, etc.? I just think it would be cool to know!
Football in the 1920's wasn’t even close to what it is today, it was a blue-collared hard hitting sport without pads. The forward pass was considered unmanly and unfair, it didn’t become popular in the NFL until the late 20's. The thing that people loved about this sport was that it was new and exciting, that’s what the 1920’s were all about. The 1920's was very open to new bold things and that what football was all about.
ReplyDeleteThe NFL was a good representation of the 1920 American worker. Blue-collared men going to war on a field to see who can out power the other. Football was new and one of the only sports that could match the physicality of boxing. People liked this sport because there was more of an objective to the game and much more strategic unlike Boxing. More and more people came to watch this new magnificent sport and people even began to pack stadiums by the 10000’s.
The 1920’s is definitely a decade of change because people welcomed this new sport with open arms. Football in the 20’s represented teamwork and how people can work together to achieve a tough objective. Football was hard hitting and still is today, it was a symbol of what is was like to be bold and brave. In the end i can say that football proved to everyone that life is a team game and you’re going to need help from the team to accomplish similar goals. Many people saw this connection and that is why they were so open to this new sport.
I think it is very interesting how football grew in popularity over the 1920s. I couldn’t help but make the connection between football and how the radio helped make it popular. Radio could be heard across the country and often broadcasted live sporting events. Also, did you know that the first broadcasted football game was in 1920?
DeleteI think that this was a great era for sports, as there were now different things for people to watch other than baseball. This definitely makes a connection with the prohibition law of 1919. A lot of social activity for people was going to saloons and bars after work, and now because prohibition prohibited this, sports became more prominent sources of entertainment, with people heading to sports stadiums instead of saloons.
DeleteReply to Paul Smith:
DeleteI don't really understand football that well but it seems like an interesting sport! I was wondering if any of the rules and regulations changed over the years? It would seem like they would because safety rules change every so often.
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ReplyDeleteThe 1920s were a period of dramatic changes. More than half of all Americans now lived in cities and the growing affordability of the automobile made people more mobile than ever. Although the decade was known as the era of the Charleston dance craze, jazz, and flapper fashions, in many respects it was also quite conservative. At the same time as hemlines went up and moral values seemed to decline and the nation saw the end of its open immigration policy.
ReplyDeleteIn the first few years after World War I, the country experienced a brief period of anti-radical hysteria known as the Red Scare. The absence of widespread labor in 1919, combined with a wave of bombings, the Communists in power in Russia, and the short‐lived Communist revolt in Hungary, fed the fear that the United States was also on the verge of revolution. Under the direction of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, thousands of suspected radicals were arrested in 1919 and 1920; those that were aliens were deported. Although the Red Scare faded quickly after 1920, it strengthened the widespread belief in a strong connection between foreigners and radicalism. The Red Scare deeply impacted immigration because it was the Soviets against the US. The U.S. was in the habit of limiting the numbers of certain racial groups coming into America when it seemed like there were too many people coming in. The Red scare affected mainly Eastern Europeans, especially Russians because the Americans were more suspicious so the limited the number of people from that area who could come through.
Shortly after the Red Scare in the 1920s attitudes in the US also changed immensely. Many in the US lashed out at the nation's immigrants and minorities by aggressively asserting traditional American culture. Their reaction was the climax of several decades of growing doubts about the impact of the foreign-born on American society. Other forms of this anti-immigrant expression included religious fundamentalists rallying against Catholics, Jews and also Protestants who denied the liberal truth of the Bible. Overall, the Red Scare only lasted a few years but affected US citizens in many aspects.
Reply to Taylor:)
ReplyDeleteFlappers inspired women to reject the stable, careful life of a mother/wife. Because of them, going out and partying as a single women was more common. They were chic and modern and without them women today wouldn't be as they are today. I just thought they were interesting and fun:)
REPLY TO TAYLOR ULERY. hi, how are you? Again, the woman's movement was huge in the 1920s and was an extremely good movement for woman and society, but the KKK also had a woman's Ku Klux Klan (WKKK) they fought for educational and social reforms but with extreme racism and and intolerance. WKKK did try to work without violent tactics while the KKK got as violent as it can get. K BYE.
ReplyDeleteReplying to Pritthida Chea:
ReplyDeleteI never knew about this until now! Was this red scare one of the reasons the Ku Klux Klan was created? When it happened it sounds like most Americans hated immigrants and minorities which is what the Klan showed themselves as also.
REPLY TO PRITTHIDA CHEA. hi, how are you? VIOLENCE. #relatable Violence was extremely big for The KKK but the violence only happened in the United States. The Red Scare was similar with trying to limit the immigration and started the change the outlook of immigrants. K BYE.
ReplyDeleteReplying to Danielle Upton:
ReplyDeleteIt seems like Amelia Earhart proved to the world that women can accomplish anything! Other things I wonder about her would be: Why was it so important for her to fly, was it always to make a difference in society or was it originally just for her own enjoyment? Was she a feminist growing up or did she realize that she wanted to challenge women's social norms later in life?
These are just some questions I was wondering.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteReply to Jacqueline Dumont:
ReplyDeleteUnlike the KKK, Amelia Earhart was a supporter of equality. While the KKK wanted white supremacy, Amelia Earhart wanted gender equality. Earhart recognized that all humans have the same living potential and felt they should have the same rights because of it. Both Amelia and the KKK however effected culture immensely in the 1920s.
The 1920's was an era of economic, social, and cultural change throughout the United States. The ending of World War I brought about many of these changes, especially the 18th Amendment to the Constitution banning the sale, transport, and manufacture of intoxicating liquors. Prohibition did many great things for the country such as increasing workplace efficiency, bringing awareness to the effects of alcohol on the body, and being able to send wheat and barley to impoverished European countries. However only those who followed the law reaped the benefits, as a large percentage of the population refused creating a massive black market and the first organized crime groups highly influenced by gangs.
ReplyDeleteThe Prohibition law had been pushed by government officials for decades as many individual counties had tried being “dry,” but the idea never really stuck until after World War I. Prohibitionists argued that the law would increase workplace efficiency due to the lack of hungover workers from the night before, as well as bringing awareness to the issue of intoxicated driving. This era was the first time that the dangers of excessive alcohol were explored and acknowledged by medical officials. Along with these factors, the mass destruction of people’s homes during World War I lead the government to consider using wheat and barley typically used for alcohol to send to impoverished European allies who could use it as food. The positive effects of the law were far outweighed by the negatives, as a massive underground bootlegging market was created, completely disregarding the law. Bootleggers began by smuggling across the Canadian and Mexican borders, but as these had increased government suspicion, they had to get more creative. The most influential bootleggers were those involved with gangs, such as Al Capone. Gangs such as his grew to take over entire cities, and were multi million dollar enterprises by the end of prohibition. Many of the most intense crime organizations in America, such as the Mafia or the American Syndicate arose from bootlegging.
Massive social change also arose from the prohibition law, redefining culture and nightlife within the country. Before the law was put into effect, middle and upper class people viewed saloons and bars as lower class, scummy establishments. They tended to be specifically for urban workers. Now after this law was created, the exciting activity of going to a speakeasy for a drink was for all classes. Women were now also involved in the drinking culture as it had typically been a male activity. The prohibition law altered many things in American culture but was ultimately a failed law as it was repealed after only 14 years in the Constitution.
Prohibition had a large impact on the atmosphere of baseball games at the time. Even now many fans enjoy having a beer or two at baseball games. Back in the late 1800s, there were often saloons behind the outfield at stadiums where fans would indulge in some drinks as they enjoyed the game. With prohibition coming into effect, this obviously would've made it illegal for fans to continue this, therefore changing the atmosphere at the major league games.
DeleteIts very interesting how poorly this law worked out for the government and it can also be seen in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald who was a writer during this time period. In Gatsby it is clear how much corruption there was during this time and that the law fell flat on its face as it became even cheaper than before the law.
DeleteReply to Will Brooks:
DeleteThe fads and crazes of the 1920's were caused by a new attitude of being wild and living life to the fullest. I can see where people could have taken this attitude to the extreme by being involved in illegal acts such as bootlegging. The young generation, from my research, did have a knack for danger and this is just another example of it.
Replying to Taylor Ulery:
ReplyDeleteAttitudes and fashion in women have definitely changed throughout time! With all these differences in womens' behaviors were they ever treated poorly in society? Did everyone agree that women should be given the right to vote or were some people highly against it? Just some questions I had in mind, but I thought women in the 1920s was really interesting to learn about how they have changed!
REPLYING TO JACQUELINE DUMONT
ReplyDeleteThe KKK intimidated many African-American athletes through racism. They forced blacks to play in there own "negro-league" sports league. They did this in baseball and in football. The first African-American didn't play NFL football until 1939 (Kenny Washington). Why did they refuse to let them play with each other?
The 1920s was the decade of fads and crazes. One of these crazes were gossip column. Magazines had created these columns to feed the public's craving for information about the rich, the prominent, and the powerful. No aspect of a celebrity's life was beyond the scrutiny of gossip. Gossip served the purpose of blurring the lines between those in power and the masses. Magazines like Time were published including categories like life, sports, celebrities, and fortune and the everyday viewer loved it.
ReplyDeleteFast food was also established during this time. This was the perfect companion for the "on the go" lifestyle. It allowed the busy, working adult to snatch a quick meal on the way home. White Castle was the first fast food joint. It offered cheap hamburgers and fries and helped pioneer the use of franchising. Although it lacked variety, it lowered the cost of the food and gave the consumer what they wanted; a quick and easy meal.
Amoung the teens of the decade, prom was the rite of passage to becoming an adult and movingly on in your life. It was usual the first formal event in their lives so obviously it was a big deal (it was also hella stressful #stillis). Girls would have to buy the long dresses and spend copious amounts of money on their hair. Boys were expected to wear a suit and ask a girl and give her a corsage. Nowadays going by yourself or with a group of friends is more expected but the cost is still expensive.
When doing research of my own I found jazz was often categorized as a "fad", due to its popularity among the young. Its infancy and development also helped to push it towards the "fad" tendency. It became widely popular quickly and the new sound was revered.
DeleteResponse to Paul Smith:
ReplyDeleteAircraft was similar to football in the 1920s in that it was relatively new. People began welcoming aircraft at this time and many took it up as a hobby. Although it did not bring out as many viewers as football seemed to, it still left an impact during this decade. Aircraft and football both represented the change present in the 1920s and still leave a huge impact on our lives today.
Radio was a significant change in the 1920s. Americans all over the country started listening to the same radio shows which broadcasted news, advertisements, sporting events, and entertainment. Radio had a huge effect on culture in the United States because of its widespread use; "There is radio music in the air, every night, everywhere. Anybody can hear it at home on a receiving set, which any boy can put up in an hour". Radio in the 1920s is a lot like today's television, it provides its listeners with a sense of entertainment that could be shared with friends and family.
ReplyDeleteOne of the many uses radio had was to broadcast live sporting events. Like today, Americans in the 1920s had a passion for sports, and there was now a way to listen to big sporting events in real time in the comfort of your own home. The first football game was first broadcasted in 1920 and the first baseball game was broadcasted live was in 1921. Soon after, all major sporting events were played through radio stations and were listened to by millions.
As popularity of the radio grew, the business for them started to boom. “The Radio Boom” started in the early 1920s and exponentially continued to grow throughout the decade. Radio sales jumped to $60 million in 1923 to $842 million in 1927. Stations began to sell ad time to different companies and advertising executives took this advantage. By 1929, advertisers would pay up to $10,000 for a hour of premium time.
Radio soon became out of control as stations would fight for air time and listeners. It was common to have frequencies overlap each other because of stations taking each other's frequencies. Private radio use that was used in the navy would sometimes be heard over public frequencies. The government felt the need to help restore order. In 1927, the Federal Radio Commission was created and helped prevent the chaos that was happening before.
There is no doubt that radio caused a significant change in the 1920s. It was a business that grew rapidly and became very successful. Cultural and social fads were spread through the use of radio. It was a technological advance that connected Americans all over the country and changed America forever.
The radio played an extremely large role in the expansion of baseball. As you said, it allowed fans of sports to listen to events from the comfort of their own homes. Do you think that the expansion of sports would have been the same if the radio had not been invented until later?
DeleteSome additional information about the radio is that Marconi Marconi invented the first radio system in 1895. Lee De Frost was the person that introduced the radio broadcasting to the public. The United States radio industry started in 1913 when Edwin Armstrong invented a circuit that made long range radio transmission of music and voice possible. Lastly Warren Harding was the President during the boom of the radio
DeleteRadios also played a big part when it came to aviation. From helping pilots where to go and land to giving people information of a big event such as the flight that Charles Lindbergh had taken in 1927 as when he had landed, people had heard of his landing through the radio and came to cheer for him .
DeleteReplying to Jacqueline Dumont:
ReplyDeleteThe KKK was really interesting to read about! The KKK also affected immigration after the Red Scare in the following ways:
-The KKK did what ever they could in their power to instill fear into US immigrants
-The KKK sometimes used violence to scare and intimidate immigrants
-KKK tactics might have scared some immigrants from coming to the US
-Palmer racially profiled many immigrants and unconstitutionally deported about 600 immigrants
-US Government treatment of some immigrants may have kept some people from moving to the US
-The KKK and the Palmer raids made the United States' government and citizens of the United States look poorly to the rest of world
RESPONSE TO ANDREW SMITH
ReplyDeleteThe Radio helped those who could not attend sports games listen to them. This not only made it easier to find out who won but they could listen live and get commentary from the announcer. This was a breakthrough and ultimately helped draw a bigger crowd at major sporting events. Did the radio draw bigger crowds at the game because people wanted to see it live?
Even prior to the start of 1920, automobiles were making a booming introduction in the transportation industry. By 1920 there were already 8 million automobiles registered and by 1929 that number nearly tripled to 23 million. Ford's Model T first sold in 1914, was the first automobile available to the general public. It sold for $850. But as many thought Ford was taking a turn for bankruptcy, the industry took a major turn in the right direction. Even though the Model T was being sold for at one point $260, before the Model T became discontinued. But by 1920, Ford became the most famous figure in the automobile industry and over seventeen million Model T's had sold worldwide, and also became the best known automobile around the world. As popularity was continuing to rapidly increase, this led to the making of General Motors and Chrysler. This group of companies became known as the "big three" in the automobile industry. Profits were very widespread along automobile manufacturers, especially among the large companies. During the decade, the automobile industry took the country by storm and became the top industry. Americans owned 39 percent of the world's automobiles, but the large automobile companies were also widely popular in Europe, bringing worldwide success to automobile companies. Automobiles also didn't only benefit the world with their newfound technology but they created many jobs. Automobile factories, road construction, producing spare parts, repair shops/garages, oil/steel industry, motels, cuisine (fast food, roadside diners), and state/federal funding are some of the jobs created because of the automobile industry. All of these new jobs and the new automobile itself caused major economic growth all around the world, especially for the United States.
ReplyDeleteWith this new technology coming into the hands of a lot of people, there are bound to be problems; and problems did arise. Americans for the first time experienced automobile related accidents and the death rate, for a short period of time, increased. Also the people demanded the government to issue state level safety/license programs to regulate who can safely operate automobiles. Although these setbacks, automobiles were still one of the greatest changes in the 1920's and set standards for life as we know today.
Automobiles were a major change in the United States, especially during the 1920's. As the first automobile was released, the initial reactions and effects boiled into the 1920's. The automobile became a symbol of life, a symbol of your status and importance of one's style and style of living. Automobiles started to set trends and standards among Americans. The automobile also made shipping and aviation more popular and they started to come up in the 1920's, new to the transportation industry. The 1920's was a decade of change and many trends and new aspects of living made it really a decade of change. Automobiles were no different, automobiles helped shape the world for change and a better future to come.
Having the ability to go places quickly really was a significant change for those during the 1920's. However this new privilege came with a lot of responsibility, and during the early years of cars, many car accidents due to intoxicated driving occurred. This was the first time that the effects of alcohol on the body was really acknowledged by many, and this was one of the main motivations for the prohibition law.
DeleteRadio was a lot like automobiles because it was a new technology that was used all over the country. I also find it interesting how both radio and automobiles had challenges that were overcome by government regulations.
DeleteBaseball was an intrical part of the 1920s and how change developed in that time. From radios, a new style of play, to a complete change in culture in some facets, baseball in the 1920s gives a tremendous snapshot on what this decade was like in America.
ReplyDeleteDuring this time, baseballs were starting to be made differently, with corked centers, not with as much yarn. This lead to a large jump in offensive production throughout the major leagues. This shift from pitching and defense, to hitting and baserunning, resulted in many fans being overjoyed by this new style of play, while still leaving some to be disappointed by the lack of the game being played how it was originally meant to be. The player that lead this wave of offense the most was Hall of Famer, Babe Ruth. Ruth was an offensive machine at a time when it was just becoming normal to have good offensive statistics. Ruth became the favorite player of many and was one of the leaders of this cultural change in, what at the time was, the most popular sport in the country. Ruth and this new style of play eventually lead to attendance numbers almost tripling from the beginning of the ‘20s to the end of the decade.
There were two cultural changes that took place outside of the physical playing of the game itself which would be the invention of the Negro Leagues and the allowance of games on Sundays. Although African Americans were still not allowed in the Major Leagues and would not be for over a decade, the creation of the Negro Leagues was a large step in the right direction for African Americans in baseball. Before this, there were no “professional” leagues for African Americans. These leagues lead to players like Jackie Robinson, the first African American in MLB history, to be able to get their opportunity at playing in the majors. At this time, any step in society for African Americans lead to positive outcomes in the future. When it came to playing on Sundays, this was not allowed at first in the majors due to the almost country wide observation that Sunday was a holy day. Whereas today it seem somewhat outlandish that the playing of a sport on a Sunday was outlawed, this change very much so lead to that opinion that many of us have today. With the new allowance of Sunday baseball, many wanted to tune into their favorite team playing, without having to necessarily go to the stadium. This is where the mass production of radios became important to baseball.
The mass production of radios lead to many people being able to listen to their favorite team’s game without having to actually go to the ballpark. This was one of, if not the biggest technological change during the decade. It made life much easier and was a great luxury to have for the average baseball fan, as some fans could not afford to or were not able to go to their favorite team’s games, and the radio gave them the ability to listen to every game from the comfort of their own home. The radio was just one of the first technological advances over the past century or so to make life more convenient for baseball fans all over the country.
It is clear that Babe Ruth was a terrific player and definitively made a huge difference in the game but do you believe that he is the best baseball player of all time? Do you think the atmosphere of the games has changed a lot since this time period? How do you predict that it will continue to change? Will there ever or could there ever be another player like Babe Ruth?
DeleteThe Harlem Renaissance was a complex event of the arts. Harlem was a new community which oozed with energy and hope, the optimism which came to characterize the artwork and publicity of the artists. Though the Renaissance took place all over the United States, and internationally, Harlem provided a symbolic capital for the movement to gravitate. Within the United States during the 1920s, left-wing cultural nationalists wanted to detach ideas of American culture from that of English culture. The rise of African American artists and writers viewed their work as able to support such disconnection from the English ideals, offering a stage for their work to be thrust upon. One of the main components of the Harlem Renaissance was music.
ReplyDeleteThe 1920s otherwise known as the Jazz Age, was nicknamed, rather obviously, because of the emergence of jazz. Musical forms, such as jazz and blues were brought to the forefront in Northern cities because of the new migration of African Americans from the south. Jazz called to abandon traditional harmonies in favor of the abstract. Jazz pushed the boundaries of the sounds which instruments could produce with new and improvised techniques, often having a fast and upbeat pace. Because of its freshness jazz became known as the foremost modern American art form. Blues was rather the opposite, music was often composed in performance using conventional melody and harmony. The lyrics tending to be lamentations of personal disaster. The complete overhaul of traditional music coupled with the popularization of jazz helped to develop a unity in “American” culture.
Reply to Madison Raza:
DeleteI am a big fan of music and cant help but wonder;
Were there significant musicians of the Jazz Age that helped build support of it?
How did people figure out how to push the boundaries of music with the instruments they had? Were new ones invented?
The 1920s brought about many new discoveries and inventions in almost every sector of industry. Through supplying allies in World War I, the U.S. transformed from an isolationist country into an international trader and banker. Businesses began to boom and there was a surplus need for certain goods and services that opened opportunities for many new jobs. Products like cars and radios were highly desired, creating quickly growing industries. One of the most notable businessmen, Henry Ford, sold 15 million of his Model T cars in 1927. A project that's responsible for creating this many vehicles opened up many high paying jobs that would help the economy thrive. The U.S. aircraft industry also began to flourish with the beginning of the first commercial airlines and flight shows hosted by World War I pilots. Pilots from the war would use their flying skills to perform tricks in stunt planes in front of thousands of spectators. Entrepreneurs would buyout landing strips and charge people $1 per minute flown and eventually built up millions of dollars in revenue that would lead to the opening of Sydney Airport, one of the world's most renowned airports. The ending of the war also caused the demand for hardware, household goods, and stocks to explode. These businesses had flourished, but only for a short period of time. The stock market crash of 1929 would put a huge halt to the roaring 20s.
ReplyDeleteThe quickly growing popularity of Wall Street stocks led to the stock market crash of 1929. Investors began rapidly selling stocks, which demonstrated the lack of trust in the market. Due to the introduction of credit, the American economy started to slip and showed declines in the construction, steel, and automobile industries. Consumers were building up huge debts and eventually the market crashed in late September of 1929. Prices and high periods of selling increased to try and recover from the crash but only made it worse. In late October the market had lost 11 percent of its value. People began to panic and stopped buying stocks causing the market to lose an additional 13 percent of its value. The stock market lost 30 billion dollars and this failure would assist in the beginning of the Great Depression in the 1930s.
As you said, the radio became a booming business that changed America forever. But did the stock market crash of 1929 have any effect on the radio industry?
DeleteThe 1920's was a time jam packed with cultural, social and economic changes. The Lost Generation writers such as, T.S. Elliot, Earnest Hemingway, D.H. Lawrence and F. Scott Fitzgerald all pushed literature forward at a time that is now considered a renaissance of writing. There were far more writers considered part of this group however I feel that these are the most influential. They pushed the literature and social norms forward at this time to what we see and read in our everyday lives today.
ReplyDeleteOf all of these extremely influential writers the one I feel has had the most impact on our social and cultural beliefs today is D.H. Lawrence. The writing he is most know for is very sexual and was extremely scandalous during this time period. His books focused on the desires of women and that they are human too and its okay for them to express themselves in any way including intimately. This was the very beginning of this genre of writing which we are very aware of today in books such as fifty shades of grey. He is a huge part in making the push towards that kind of imagery acceptable. Earnest Hemingway and T.S. Elliot created very new and unique styles of writing which changed the way we perceive modern works. Hemingway had a way of packing meaning into sentences that were so simple you could miss the true thought behind it. This style has gained much critical acclaim as he is heavily read in both college and high school English classes. T. S. Elliot who was a poet also wrote deeply meaningful works that depicted struggles of life, time and meaning. His work is considered extremely profound and complicated almost all college level reading courses will spend time with his poems as they created a new style that pushed literature forward. F. Scott Fitzgerald, possibly the most well known, particularly for us high school students, also pushes the literature of this time forward with his masterpiece the Great Gatsby. Its view on the socioeconomic state of America and the symbolism of the American dream pushes many to look deeper into the time period and how corrupt and how economically unstable it was. Overall These writers and many others, completely changed not only writing but many of the cultural commonalities we know today.
Reply to Shafer Rancourt:
DeleteJust like the writers of the Lost Generation, the general population of the 20's was becoming more accepting of the sexuality of women. The Miss America pageant started in the 1920's and featured women in more sexual clothing. Although it caused controversy among some of this time, more people were beginning to accept it. It is another reason why our culture is the way it is today.
Replying to Ryan Lynn:
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Ford's car business was popular in both Europe and the United States. Do you know how much money he made off of sales in Europe? I also find it surprising that so many jobs arose from Fords business.
Replying to Andrew Smith:
ReplyDeleteDo you think the radio caused the popularity of sports/radio advertising to grow rapidly? I wasn't aware that advertisers would pay up to $10,000 for a radio ad. Do you feel like that was a reasonable price for that time period?
Replying to William Rommell:
ReplyDeleteI feel like the radio was a huge advancement for entertainment. People who couldn't make it to the games could listen from home and keep up. Do you know how much a radio costed compared to tickets to a game at the time?
The 1920's brought an attitude among people of being carefree and risk takers. They lived by "Eat, drink, and be merry, for we die tomorrow." This shows that they wanted to live everyday to the fullest they could. These attitudes brought about change to the way people were entertained. With that came new crazes and fads to the United States. After World War I, Americans realized how different European values were from American ones and these crazes gave the people something strictly American. Another reason for the new fads were that business owners were over producing goods and if people became obsessed with their products, they would no longer be overproducing.
ReplyDeleteOne significant form of entertainment to emerge in the 1920’s was wing walking. Wing walkers were considered more extreme than barnstormers because barnstormers didn’t always leave the safe cockpit while wing walkers did stunts on the wing of airplanes. Pilots from the war craved more excitement. What drew audiences to watch these performances was the fact that at any moment, the performer could die. Ormer Locklear is considered the first wing walker. He started this craze by climbing out of the cockpit onto the wing in order to see directions to pass the test to become a pilot. He then continued to wing walk to fix parts of his plane when his commander asked him to perform stunts to boost moral. Wing walking was a significant part of flying circuses. By 1936, it was illegal to wing walk below 1,500 feet due to the mortality rates of performers.
Another craze was flagpole sitting where men, women, and children would climb to the top of flagpoles and do things such as shave or do a handstand. Although dangerous, it did not stop people throughout the country from trying more and more dangerous stunts. Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly actually stayed on top of a flagpole in San Francisco in front of a huge audience for thirteen hours. Flagpole sitting is just another craze to show the wild nature of the people in the 20’s.
The Miss America pageant began in 1921 in Atlantic City, New Jersey to draw tourism. It started out as a typical “bathing beauty” contest and it set the standards for beauty pageants to come. Although many criticized the pageant due to the body shaming of women and the fact that married women were allowed to compete, the pageant went on during the 20’s. The provocacy of the event brought many spectators and shows how this generation loved daring new things. In 1913, a New York newspaper put in a puzzle they called a “Word-Cross” that started the craze of crossword puzzles. Soon everywhere such as places like restaurants and train stations had crossword puzzles available. By 1924, Simon and Schuster printed a book filled with crosswords, making puzzle lovers go mad. Overall, the 1920’s showed change through the then newly found nature among the people to have this attitude of living life to the fullest as well as on the edge of life. Without the crazes they had, people of the 20’s would not have been able to express their risky desires.
The Election of 1928, Herbert Hoover and Al Smith running against each other for presidency greatly affected the decade of the 1920s. The 1920s represented a time period of extreme growth and change. In the late 1920s, Calvin Coolidge was the current president. In 1927 he announced that he didn't want to remain president for a second term. Many republicans began putting their names in the running for presidency. After the primary elections, the results were out and the favorite republican candidate was Herbert Hoover, who was secretary of commerce. For the democratic party, Al Smith was in favor. Following the primaries, they were both put on the ballots for the conventions. Both Al and Herbert were self-made millionaires, the difference being Herbert came from nothing to becoming a successful business man. Many citizens living in rural areas feared Al Smith because of the fact that he was a city man and they believed it was hard to trust someone like him. Over the race for presidency, Herbert was becoming more and more liked. People trusted him very much due to his life story and his values throughout his life. Another advantage Herbert held over Al was that Al suffered politically from anti-catholic prejudice.
ReplyDeleteThe growing popularity of Herbert Hoover made him win the election, him on top getting 444 electoral votes compared to Al Smith's 87 votes. The Election of 1928 impacted the lives on Americans' in the 1920s probably more so in a negative way. You could say they elected the right president at the wrong time; The Great Depression hit during Herbert's presidency. Herbert's four years in office could probably be considered one of the most difficult time periods in the nations history. Only one year after Herbert was elected into office, the stock market crashed. Getting back to the election, it was a big game changer and maybe you could say if things would differently in the election thus events such as The Great Depression would've turned out differently.
Reply to Madison Raza:
ReplyDeleteI love learning about the jazz era with all the music and dancing. Was there any conflicts that occurred as jazz emerged? And how did people keep jazz alive?
Throughout the 1920’s there were many changes that made an impact on what we know today. One being how the film industry began to grow in the sense of how it ran who were involved. The idea of people being able to go to a theater and watch a film was intriguing. This even being before ‘talkies’ were being produced. The 1920’s were the golden age for silent films. Silent films were the beginning of the industry. With screen actors being able to act out their roles without speaking it made the audience want to go watch the films and try to follow along the story the actors were trying to portray. But many actors could not act without over projecting their voices. With this happening the idea of adding sound to films began to go around within the industry. Radio engineers began to work on a system to add sound to films. Later on Sam Warner, (1 of 4 brothers who who founded Warner Bros) also began to work on a sound system. The system was first called Vitaphone(life-sound). This was a sound-on-disc system, the only problem was that at the time the cameras were hand cranked so it was not synchronized well enough. The obstacle later on was that power-driven cameras had loud motors that would be recorded along with the vitaphone and the actors voice. By 1927 the synchronized sound films began to really come together and work. With the success of the ‘talkie’ period: sound-on-disc and sound-on-film, many theaters and studios had to be completely rewired for sound.
ReplyDeleteWith the advancements of technology being used to produce films the industry had to begin to change the way they ran. Many actors began to become more known for their roles due to being able to speak out their roles instead of just simply acting them out silently. But that also meant that those who were in silent films also began to lose their jobs due to the language barriers at the time. This time period also introduced the work of a well known director/animator, Walt Disney. In 1928 Steamboat Willie was released and it was the first animated short film with sound. This animated short was the beginning to a larger company that is still to this day very well known and loved. It is important to note that films were not only just another way of entertainment for the audiences but they were also a way to project out messages. People could and still take away lessons being acted out. Through the films people can feel emotions as the characters are. The audience is able to make connections with the characters to their own personal things. This meaning that flms are not just another image on the big screen or your tv. Films also let you learn about everything there is to learn. Whether it's just for entertainment or anything educational films do have a bigger meaning to the audience.
The 1920’s was as period that everything evolutionized. Technology was beginning to start off and be explored, this making film production more advanced with time. Along with men and women being able to find new ways to project their acting skills and giving the audience an entertaining and without knowing it a chance to learn from the film.
Advertising in the 1920s was definitely a decade of change from all aspects like technology, clothing, etc. Specifically advertising played a big role at the time. You turn on the TV today and you might see an ad for health care or you can turn on your phone and a little green lizard can tell you how to save 15% or more on car ensure but the 1920s really set the initial trend of all this. A lot of people on this blog are talking about their products and how they changed the world like cars, sport, and clothes. What they don't know that none of that stuff would even be known today if it wasn't for the mass production of advertising and promoting in major cities like New York. Their was advertising on billboards, cars, newspaper and especially radios. companies were quick to take advantage of the opportunities that the radio offered. Radios were full with adverts and songs that were produced praising products. The American public was also gathered with information encouraging them to buy new consumer goods. In 1924 the popular drink we all know today only became famous because it was advertised over 300 times a day on the same radio station where everyone could hear. Other famous companies like AT&T and ford often showed off their products on the radio and billboards.
ReplyDeleteBesides just advertising their products, companies used their marketing techniques as a way of life. Like Babe Ruth was on the cover of most Coca Cola ads saying how there's no better drink. And therefore people who were inspired by him at the time would do the same and buy coke. Also Marilyn Monroe would wear specific clothes that women would want to buy since she was a figure of beauty and passion. Credit cards spread quickly throughout the US because of its clever slogan “Buy now pay later” all over the radio. So people everywhere would get these cards so they can buy homes, cars etc and pay it off as life goes on. Certain cigarettes started advertising women smoking on the signs so that women could start smoking equally as men. Advertising changed how people lived their life and not just what they should buy
Nathan Kumar^^^^^^
ReplyDeleteReplying to Shafer comment to Wills post about Babe Ruth. Babe Ruth was in fact a Fantastic player but, did you know he was also famous on and off the field. Actually most of his popularity came from advertising. His face was often seen in the coca cola commercials and people were inspired to be like him and drink coke as well.
ReplyDeleteReplying to Bridget Foner
ReplyDeleteYour topic is very appealing since fashion is always and will always be a big part of american culture but can you tell me what and average 20 year old women would seek for fashion in a magazine?
Reply for Andy Smith
ReplyDeleteThe radio was a very popular product at the time. Would you be able to tell me what stations were popular, if they are still here today, and what they would normally play on these stations to catch the listeners attention?
The 1920s had a lot to bring to the table when it can to technological advancements. For example planes, planes started to become a huge deal during World War 1 when the development of aero planes just first started growing. So during the 1920's planes were much more reliable and able to carry and heavier work load. And were finally used for passenger and commercial use that we see today. At first planes were mostly built of light weight materials including different types of woods then finally built into full metal planes which is more of what we see in today's world.
ReplyDeleteThe person I was assigned to was named Charles Lindbergh and he was the person who really pushed aviation to its limits during spring of 1927. There was a challenge that if completed offered a $25,000 reward for the first person who can fly from New York to Paris in one flight. And the man who accepted and ultimately completed the challenge was Charles Lindbergh using a custom built monoplane. Due to his accomplishments plane manufacturers competed and pushed even harder to improve aviation to even now with the fastest plane developed by NASA to hit 7000 mph. The 1920's was a huge decade for the change of aviation.