Unit 7 – The Roaring Twenties

1. Unit 7 – The Roaring Twenties SOL’s Covered: USII.6a-c

2. I. How was social and economic life in the early twentieth century different from that of the late nineteenth century? A. Technology extended progress into all areas of American life, including neglected rural areas.

3. B. Results of improved transportation brought by affordable automobiles. 1. Greater mobility. 2. Creation of jobs.

4. 3. Growth of transportation-related industries. a. Road construction, oil, steel, automobile.

5. 4. Movement to suburban areas.

6. C. Invention of the airplane. 1. The Wright Brothers (1903).

7. 2. Charles Lindbergh (1927).

8. 3. Amelia Earhart (1932).

9. D. Communication changes. 1. Increased availability of telephones.

10. 2. Development of the radio. a. Role of Guglielmo Marconi.

11. 3. Broadcast industry. a. Role of David Sarnoff.

12. 4. Development of the movies.

13. Classic movies of the 1920’s and 1930’s

14. E. Ways electrification changed American life. 1. Labor-saving products. a. Washing machines, electric stoves, and water pumps.

15. 2. Electric lighting.

16. 3. Entertainment. a. Radio.

17. 4. Improved communications.

18. F. What factors increased factory and labor productivity? 1. Use of the assembly line. a. Henry Ford and the automobile. b. Rise of mechanization.

19. II. Prohibition A. What was Prohibition, and how effective was it? 1. Prohibition was imposed by the 18th Amendment that made it illegal to manufacture, transport, and sell alcoholic beverages.

20. B. Results of Prohibition 1. Speakeasies were created as places for people to drink alcoholic beverages.

21. 2. Bootleggers smuggled illegal alcohol and promoted organized crime.

22. 3. Repealed by the 21st Amendment – Ended Prohibition.

23. III. The Great Migration A. Why did African Americans migrate to northern cities? 1. Economic conditions and violence led to the migration of people.

24. 2. Jobs for African Americans in the South were scarce and low paying. 3. African Americans faced discrimination and violence in the South.

25. 4. African Americans moved to cities in the North and Midwest in search of better employment opportunities. 5. African Americans also faced discrimination and violence in the North and Midwest.

26. IV. Art, Literature, and Music A. The 1920s and 1930s were important decades for American art, literature, and music.

27. B. Who were the leaders in art, literature, and music? What were their contributions? 1. Art a. Georgia O’Keeffe, an artist known for urban scenes and, later, paintings of the Southwest.

28. Georgia O’Keeffe’s New York Night and Manhattan

29. Georgia O’Keeffe’s Red Canna and Ram’s Head

30. 2. Literature a. F. Scott Fitzgerald, a novelist who wrote about the Jazz Age of the 1920s.

31. b. John Steinbeck, a novelist who portrayed the strength of poor migrant workers during the 1930s.

32. 3. Music a. Aaron Copland and George Gershwin, composers who wrote uniquely American music.

33. C. How did the Harlem Renaissance influence American life? 1. The leaders of the Harlem Renaissance drew upon the heritage of black culture to establish themselves as powerful forces for cultural change.

34. 2. African American artists, writers, and musicians based in Harlem revealed the freshness and variety of African American culture.

35. 3. Art a. Jacob Lawrence, painter who chronicled the experiences of the Great Migration north through art.

36. Jacob Lawrence’s Migration

37. Jacob Lawrence’s This is Harlem

38. A couple more paintings by Jacob Lawrence.

39. 4. Literature a. Langston Hughes, poet who combined the experiences of African and American cultural roots.

41. 5. Music a. Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, jazz composers.

42. b. Bessie Smith, blues singer.

43. 6. Popularity of these artists spread to the rest of society.