Overview of the 1920s

Overview of the 1920s

! Although the United States did not enter the First World War until April 1917, the conflict cast a shadow over American society. The Great War would take a while to become a memory. There was a brief time at the start of the 1920s where the economy suffered from a recession. People did not have the money to buy things because the war had cost so much for the country. However, as the decade moved on, the economy boomed. America began the age of consumerism. Many Americans bought cars, radios, and fridges. Americans started to buy things that they wanted not just needed. In order to get these items right away, Americans started buying on credit. ! ! Major cities such as New York and Chicago grew rapidly. The building of skyscrapers like the Empire State Building, seemed to show the world that America was back on its feet. ! At the same time, many Americans wanted to enjoy themselves as much as they could. Americans started going to night clubs and listening to jazz music. People went to these nightclubs to illegally buy alcohol and dance. They learned

Overview of the 1920s

new dances such as the Charleston and the black bottom. Many young women started cutting their hair very short. Women also started wearing dresses that came to just below the knees! Huge crowds would go to the movie theater to watch film stars like Charlie Chaplin. Americans also loved to watch baseball and Babe Ruth. The importance of having fun and spending money has led to the 1920s being called the Roaring Twenties. ! However, for many Americans, the 1920s was a decade of poverty. Generally, groups such as African-Americans, women and farmers did not enjoy the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. More than 60% of Americans lived just below the poverty line. Life was very difficult for African-Americans in the Deep South states. The majority of black people endured a combination of poverty and racism. Although some women were able to enjoy more independence and wear the latest fashions, the reality was that most women were poorly paid. The jobs women could find were as cleaners and waitresses.

Overview of the 1920s

You will be working on a research project dealing with the Roaring Twenties. You will need to choose one of the topics listed the following page and then create a keynote presentation. You will be working alone on this project. A description of each slide for your keynote is listed on the page after the topics.

On the last page is your assignment for today.

Overview of the 1920s

Overview of the 1920s

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download