Key Figures and Events of the 1920s

Key Figures and Events of the 1920s

• Sinclair Lewis: First American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature, critiqued 1920s conformity and materialism.
• Charles Lindbergh: First person to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean, becoming a beloved American hero.
• Lost Generation Writers: Group including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Sinclair Lewis who wrote about the horrors of World War I and the negative aspects of consumerism.
  • Ernest Hemingway: Criticized the glorification of war.
  • F. Scott Fitzgerald: Portrayed the negative side of 1920s gaiety, depicting privileged yet troubled lives.
• Langston Hughes: Celebrated African American culture in his poetry, depicting the lives of working-class African Americans.
• Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot: Presented a bleak view of 1920s society stripped of humanity.
• Louis Armstrong: A highly influential jazz musician, considered a founding figure and important figure in the history of jazz, known for his rhythm and improvisation skills, spreading jazz to the North.
• Al Capone: Famous bootlegger operating in Chicago. Arrested for income-tax evasion.
• George Gershwin: Combined traditional elements with American jazz, creating a unique American sound.
• John T. Scopes: Teacher who was tried for teaching evolution, challenged the role of science and religion in schools.
• Clarence Darrow: Attorney who defended Scopes during the trial.
• W. E. B. Du Bois: Founding member of the NAACP, leading the fight for civil rights.
• NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People): Advocated for African Americans' civil rights and protested racial violence.

Cultural and Social Trends

• Jazz Music: Originated in New Orleans, spread to the North, and became a defining musical style of the 1920s.
• Flappers: Young women who challenged societal norms with their radical fashion and behavior.
• The Great Migration: Mass movement of African Americans from the South to Northern cities seeking jobs.
• Speakeasies: Illegal underground saloons and nightclubs operating during Prohibition.
• Prohibition: The 18th Amendment (1920) banned the production and sale of alcohol; it was notoriously difficult to enforce. The 21st Amendment (1933) repealed Prohibition.
• Harlem Renaissance: A cultural movement in Harlem, New York, that celebrated African American arts and culture.
• The Kellogg-Briand Pact: An international agreement signed in 1928 aiming to prevent war.
• Urban Sprawl: The growth of cities outwards due to expanded automobile use. Workers could live further from their jobs.
• Red Scare: Fear of communism's spread in the United States. Fear of anarchists and communists trying to overthrow the American way of life.

Political and Economic Events

• Quota System (Immigration): Limited immigration based on nationality. Led to discriminatory practices towards certain immigrant groups.
• Fundamentalism: A Protestant movement interpreting the Bible literally.
• Teapot Dome Scandal: Corruption in the Harding administration involving the leasing of government oil reserves.
• Fordney-McCumber Tariff: A high tariff that protected American businesses but hindered foreign trade, potentially contributing to the Great Depression (1922-1930).
• Sacco and Vanzetti: Italian-American anarchists who were convicted of murder (1927) amid controversy and allegations of bias.
• Warren G. Harding: President who died in 1923.

Other Key Details

• Employers' Accusations: During labor strikes, employers accused strikers of being communists.
• KKK Reemergence: The resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan was fueled by fear of immigrants, communists and associated bigotry during the Red Scare and by those with anti-immigrant biases.
• US Policy Post-WWI: The US followed a policy of Isolationism following World War I.
• Installment Plans: A common payment plan during the 1920s to encourage consumerism and purchasing.