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Rise of Jazz Music

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Women gender roles changed. Women started smoking. Women started drinking. Women changed their sense of style for clothing. Women buzzed their hair.

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The Roaring Twenties

The 1920s was a time of profound change. So significant was this change that the decade is commonly called the ' Roaring Twenties.' World War I ended in 1918, and Americans were eager for a return to normalcy. Following the Great War (another name for World War I), the United States emerged as the new world superpower. Within a few years, the U.S. economy was booming.

The 1920s was a dynamic decade, characterized by prosperity, leisure, technological advances, consumerism and major shifts toward modern values. Modern values were particularly pronounced in urban locations. As more people relocated to large cities, like New York and Chicago, a way of life developed that was dramatically different from the rest of rural society. This urban culture became the hallmark of the entire decade.

Perhaps you have read the book or seen the movie The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby typifies urban culture during the 1920s. If you have read the book or seen the movie, you probably have a good idea of what 1920s urban culture was like. If you are not familiar with this classic, that's okay, because we are going to review several themes that were integral to urban culture during the 1920s.

Urbanization and Innovation

In the years leading up to the 1920s, and throughout the decade, urbanization took place at an extraordinary pace. What is urbanization? Urbanization is simply the process by which people move into urban areas and contribute to their growth. For just a moment, let's backtrack to the year 1800. This will help us put things in perspective.

In the year 1800, an estimated 5% of the American population lived in urban areas. By the year 1920, that figure jumped to 50%. It is commonly suggested that more people lived in urban areas than in rural areas throughout the 1920s.

Also during this time, more white-collar jobs became available. Blue-collar jobs, like mining, farming and other forms of physical labor, were by no means rare in the 1920s, but they were increasingly being replaced by white-collar jobs in fields such as law enforcement, public service, private business and the like.

The automobile played a crucial role in modernizing society during the 1920s. When the automobile was first invented, it was available only to the extremely wealthy. Henry Ford's affordable Model T helped change that. The Ford Model T and similar imitations opened up a whole new world of possibilities for the middle class.

Because of the automobile, people were traveling farther and more frequently. The popularity of this modern machine also helped birth a host of industries, including gas stations, hotels and automobile repair, just to name a few. The automobile created an entirely new, mobile way of life.

Social Issues

Alcohol consumption was an integral part of 1920s urban culture. Although Prohibition had gone into effect in 1920, alcoholic beverages were readily available at illegal bars called speakeasies and through other means, such as bootlegging. Prohibition was inconsistently enforced. In many cases, law enforcement officers were bribed to turn a blind eye to the production and consumption of alcohol. Prohibition is widely cited as a leading cause of organized crime during the 1920s.

Arguably, one of the most prolific symbols of the entire decade is the flapper. Flappers were young women who challenged traditional, Victorian standards of womanhood. They often smoked, drank and danced in public. Typically, they wore shorter hairstyles, gaudy jewelry and slinky, form-fitting clothing. Flappers typically embodied feminist ideals.

Feminism made tremendous strides during the 1920s. In 1920, the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote and inaugurated a decade of feminist progress. In an age of political progressivism, homosexuality also gained increased acceptance.

Leisure and Entertainment

The technological advances and the economic prosperity of the 1920s allowed for unprecedented leisure opportunities. Moving pictures were relatively new and attending the cinema became a popular activity. Film stars, like Clara Bow, Joan Crawford, Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino, rose to become national (and sometimes international) celebrities. Baseball emerged as a national pastime during the 1920s, as athletes, like Babe Ruth, captivated sports fans. Advertising was an important component of the decade, as consumerism played an increasingly visible role in society.

The 1920s has also been called 'The Jazz Age.' Jazz music flourished during this time. With its emphasis on improvisation and rhythm, this bold new genre was decidedly modern. To traditionalists, it was downright threatening. Popular performers, like Armstrong and Duke Ellington, delighted crowds as they played in venues like New York's Cotton Club. Across the nation, dance fads like the Charleston became all the rage, much to the chagrin of social conservatives. Jazz music represented all that was modern, carefree and even reckless.

Centered in Harlem, New York, an African-American cultural movement, called the Harlem Renaissance, took place throughout the 1920s. This movement was primarily artistic and intellectual. Artists often used bold, abstract imagery to express the uniqueness of African-American culture. Langston Hughes, an African-American writer who pioneered experimental forms of poetry, emerged as a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance.

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1920s american culture: city life & values - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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1920s American Culture: City Life & Values - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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The 1920s was a time of profound change. So significant was this change that the decade is commonly called the ' Roaring Twenties.' World War I ended in 1918, and Americans were eager for a return to normalcy. Following the Great War (another name for World War I), the United States emerged as the new world superpower.

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1920s pop culture reflected the huge changes of the Roaring '20s.
"All rides are guaranteed to get you back in one piece, your money back if you get killed."

From widespread acceptance of the automobile, which one famous person said would never catch on (tell that to someone in L.A. Traffic), to flappers sitting for days at the top of a flagpole, 1920s pop culture was a crazy and bizarre mix of sports, events, economy and spectacles.

The American Symbol of Freedom - 1920s Automobiles

In the 1920s cars were a symbol of independence more than the fashions, the jazz, the booze, because they made those things possible.

The Soundtrack of the 1920s: Music & The Jazz Age

The 1920s is inseparable from the music that became popular with the youth of the decade.

Jazz shaped the age, it set the move, it was the soundtrack of a new era. It became the theme song to flappers dancing on rooftops, gangsters hanging in smokey speakeasy's, it was the track running behind Steamboat Willy's trip down the ol' Mississippi.

The 1920s is known for it's famous musicians like Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington and Bix Biederbeck who all became famous names in The Jazz Age. And countless other nameless musicians who helped shape jazz into what it has become.

The Rise of the Criminal Celebrity: 1920s Crime, Bootleggers & Gangsters

Prohibition was signed into law in 1919, and took effect in 1920. It gave rise to a new culture of criminal businessmen: bootleggers and gangster crime bosses who began to dominate entire cities with their illegal booze, racketeering, prostitution, gambling, etc.

Al Capone ran the city of Chicago with an iron fist, with his underground tunnels supplying the south side of the city with booze and broads. In 1920s pop culture, he turned the criminal lifestyle into something to be glamorized and romanticized in the tabloids.

Lucky Luciano was also brought up in "The 5 Points Gang" wit Al Capone. He went onto be the boss of the Genovese crime family.

One of the biggest moments in 1920s popular culture was the Saint Valentine's Day massacre on February 14, 1929. Al Capone's gang carried out a plan to kill his rival "Bugs" Moran, while Moran was not killed 7 of his men were.

The Birth of The Silver Screen: 1920s Movies

By 1920 over 2000 movie theaters existed across the United States.

Hollywood and New York became meccas for this new type of entertainment. Warner Bros., Fox Film Corp. (later 20th Century Fox), and Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, were three of the largest an most powerful production companies in the world.

Hollywood sold sexuality to a sex hungry marketplace.
They began to employ some of the most handsome and beautiful actresses of the time and turned them into stars. 1920s pop culture began ushering in a new type of celebrity.

Gloria Swanson, Clara Bow, Mary Pickford, Colleen Moore, Louise Brooks, Charlie Chaplin, Al Jolson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. all became household names.

The movies truly gave rise to the culture that valued beauty and fashion, and sparked the entire cosmetic and fashion industries into gear.

Weird Stunts Involving Everything From Airplanes To Really Tall Poles

From the files of "WTF? 1920s pop culture" People did a lot of weird stuff to get in the news in the Roaring 20s.

Because of cameras these spectacles are readily available for us to laugh at.

Flagpole Sitting

Was a craze across the country. For reasons unknown to me people would climb to the top of a tall pole and sit there on a little platform for as long as possible. Sounds like a really boring time, with horrible consequences if you fall asleep. I'm not sure how much you'd have to pay me.

Dance Marathons

For some inexplicable reason people would dance until they dropped. Usually for some charity or contest, these dance-a-thons were very popular with the youth of the 1920s and were widely covered by the media.

Barnstorming

Made famous by daredevil Mabel Cody's Flying Circus it seems anything was fair game when it came to death-defying feats in the 1920s.

From chasing an airplane down in a automobile and grabbing onto a rope ladder attached to the plane's wing, to hanging on for dear life while the plane does aerial tricks, barnstormers did it all.

Go to the top of our 1920s Pop Culture Page

Read Much More about the 1920's on Our Homepage

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1920s pop culture was a mixed bag of beautiful celebrites, 1920s automobiles, and weird stunts like flagpole sitting and barnstorming.

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1922

What Happened in 1922 History

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is created in 1922.

Egypt declares its independence.

The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) is formed and financed by a Post Office license fee of 10 shillings, payable by anyone owning a radio receiver.

The Fordney-McCumber Act places a high tariff on imports into the United States.

Gandhi preached for mass civil disobedience, non-violence and peaceful resistance against British Rule in India and British Authorities sentenced him to six years' imprisonment.

Fifty thousand people affected during Lower Louisiana Floods in 1922.

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1923

What Happened in 1923 History

King Tutankhamun's Tomb is opened by Howard Carter.

Insulin is mass-produced for the treatment of diabetes.

The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo and Yokohama in 1923 leaving over 100,000 fatalities.

Lady Elizabeth Rowes-Lyon and Prince Albert, the Duke of York, are married at Westminster Abbey. Prince Albert will later become King George VI of England.

First Home Game Played at the Original Yankee Stadium between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox

Adolf Hitler leads the Nazi Party in failed coup attempt ( Beer Hall Putsch ) in Germany.

The first successful flight of an autogyro, the predecessor to a helicopter, takes place.

1924

What Happened in 1924 History

The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held on November 27th, 1924.

Ellis Island closes as an immigration entry point to the US.

The very first Winter Olympics are held. They take place in Chamonix, France.

The Indian Citizenship Act confers citizenship on all Native Americans born within the United States.

The first around-the-world flight is completed after 175 days by two places from the United States Army.

United States --- Wrigley Building Finished

J. Edgar Hoover appointed as the head of the Bureau of Investigation

1925

What Happened in 1925 History

The Butler Act which prohibits evolution from being taught in public schools is passed in Tennessee in 1925 it is not repealed until 1967.

The classic novel "The Great Gatsby" is published by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Sears Robuck opens its first retail store in Chicago, Illinois in 1925. Sears had been selling through Home Shopping Catalogs since 1893 and would continue selling through catalogs for next 70 years at the same time as building one of the largest chain stores in the country.

The first television transmitter is developed by John Logie Baird in Great Britain.

The First Motel (Motorists Hotel) opens in San Luis Obispo, California.

The Scopes Monkey Trial comes to an end.

The first issue of the New Yorker magazine is published

The Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting.

1926

What Happened in 1926 History

General strike takes place in England during 1926.

Route 66, a major U.S. road running from Chicago to Los Angeles, is opened.

British warships battle for control in China off of the Yangtze River.

The famous magician and escape artist Harry Houdini dies from a burst appendix at the age of 52.

The Ford Motor Company announces the creation of a 40-hour work week for factory workers.

John Logie Baird conducts the first public demonstration of a television.

The first SAT college admissions test is given to high school students.

Chicago Al Capone Turf Wars

1927

What Happened in 1927 History

The Holland Tunnel under the Hudson River opens connecting New York City with New Jersey in 1927.

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flies The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic nonstop and solo, direct from New York City to Paris, as the first solo transatlantic flight.

Earthquake measuring 8.6 on Richter scale strikes Xining, China in 1927 killing 200,000

Work begins on Mount Rushmore in the late 1920's carving the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. It takes nearly 15 years to complete.

The Great Mississippi Flood in 1927 affects 700,000 people in what was then considered the greatest national disaster in US history.

The Columbine Mine Massacre takes place in Serene, Colorado during 1927

Part of 1920s Cars

Studebaker 1929 President Eight Roadster
Price From $1,589 to $1,895
Studebaker 1929 President Eight Roadster seats two in the comfortable front seats and two in the Rumble, 115 Horsepower engine, hydraulic shock absorbers, wire wheels, spare tire and bumpers are additional to the price. Part of our Collection of Childrens Clothes From the Decade

Childrens Toys From The 1920's
Check out the new toys pages where you can see some of the children's toys that could be found during the Roaring Twenties and other decades. Toys include Teddy Bears, Velocipedes, Tinker Toys, Gyroscopes, and Magic Lanterns.
From Our Twenties Toys Page
Below are some examples of kids pedal cars, you will notice from the advert below the toy pedal car makers were quick to mimic the cars of the period
Part of our Collection of Toys from The 1920's

Part of 20s Furniture

Portable Bathtub With Water Heater

Many if not most rural homes in the twenties did not have full indoor plumbing so this was your best chance of having a hot bath, the water heater could be a Gasoline or Kerosine based burner, To use the bathtub you first needed to fill the tank with water ( held 12 gallons ), next light the burner and when ready fill the bath, to empty the bath attach the 6ft length of hose to the water outlet and drain out through the nearest window.

1920s Music
Jazz was the music of popular choice and some of the best known musicians were jazz musicians including Duke Ellington and Al Jolson. One other popular musician/composer was George Gershwin. Many of his songs are still recorded and listened to today. A popular dance of the times was known as the Charleston.
From our 20's Music Page

Popular Culture

Due to the new technology available allowing movies to have both sound and color, the movie industry in Hollywood grew fast, as did the number of Cinemas showing the films. In 1919, laws were passed for the Prohibition of the consumption and even possession of alcohol, making it illegal. Due to these laws, the Decade provided some of the best known gangsters a means to create vast wealth by opening illegal bars called speakeasies that would provide alcoholic drinks for the people that patronized these establishments. The most well known gangster of the time was possibly Al Capone.

Also this period saw the growth of the Ku Klux Klan and the growth of the Vigilante groups who took the law into their own hands and lynched victims most often black without any trial.

The other great change in people's lives came from an invention and technology developed prior to the twenties. After World War I, the birth of commercial radio helped the radio to became a significant part of life providing news and entertainment to the masses in their homes.

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What Happened in the 1920s inc. News, Pop Culture, Prices and Tech

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What Happened in 1922 History The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is created in 1922. Egypt declares its independence. The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) is formed and financed by a Post Office license fee of 10 shillings, payable by anyone owning a radio receiver.

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Women wear different stuff now. Women wear masculine clothing. Women drink and smoke. Everyone has rights. Men still drink and smoke. Some men wear feminine clothing.

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Changes related to 1920s "pop culture" affect American society and vice versa as evidence from the flapper, the prohibition movement, and the progressive movement.