The 1920s saw major social and cultural changes in the United States following World War I. Women's fashion became more liberated with shorter dresses and hairstyles like the bob. Jazz music flourished as an African American art form. Popular leisure activities included going to movie theaters and speakeasies. Politically, Republicans controlled the presidency advocating for business over regulation. The booming economy was driven by consumerism, installment buying, and automobiles provided by Henry Ford's assembly line production. Socially, women gained independence while the Harlem Renaissance celebrated a new African American cultural identity.

1. http://www.stylisheve.com/1920s-hairstyles-for-men/
http://mens-fashion.lovetoknow.com/Men's_Fashion_in_the_1920s
http://www.1920-30.com/fashion/
http://web.emerson.edu/tartuffe/2012/09/19/famous-flappers/
http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/tbacig/studproj/is3099/jazzcult/20sjazz/
http://www.merchantcircle.com/answers/q/214900/What-was-popular-
entertainment-in-the-1920s
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090210080633AAcXIlL
https://www.etsy.com/listing/81703168/great-gatsby-original-book-cover
http://www.shmoop.com/1920s/timeline.html
http://stevelutz.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/henry-ford-the-cost-of-not-
innovating/
Fashion/Clothing/Hairstyles
Women:
The roaring 20’s was also known as the era of the flapper. Flappers wore short
dresses with silhouettes that rose just above the knee. Women started wearing
shorter dresses to show their ankles as a part of feeling some sense of freedom
during this time. They also started wearing brighter and lighter colors like men,
representing the joy of the economy and the country in the 20’s. the dresses weren’t
as heavy due to all the new fabrics coming about. Designers created new kinds of
dresses with the use of fur and hemlines. The hairstyles were short and the trendy
styles were known as “the finger wave”, “the marcel wave” and “permanent waving”
appeared in vogue. Corsets were smaller and flexible, allowing a new variety of
clothes. Women also wore head pieces that commonly had a flower or a net around
them. Fashion was very important for women in the roaring 20’s.

2. MUSIC:
The Roaring 20’s was the age of Jazz. Jazz evolved in each city becoming an African
American Jazz Culture. Musicians in this time period consisted of King Oliver, Louis
Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Kid Ory. African American Jazz Culture was very
popular because the musicians recordings were available to a more white, upper
middle class, audience. Here is an attatched recording of Louis Armstrong’s “Masters
of Jazz vol. 1”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WXWElo7aV0
recreation/ leisure:
People went to the cinema to see a movie. In 1927, Warner Bros. released the film
called “The Jazz Singer” and that was the first movie with spoken dialogue. People
referred to the movies with actual talking dialogue instead of music or silence as
“Talkies”. People loved “Talkies” and by 1928, Hollywood Studios produced more
and more “Talkies”. Television was non-existent during the 20’s, however people
listened to the radio and they went to the Vaudeville, which was a theater where
people watched plays or movies. There were clubs for live music and stadiums for
sports, such as football and baseball. Speakeasies were underground places where

3. gambling and drinking took place. Crossword puzzles also came out during this time
as well. People read books by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charlie Chaplain, and many others.
Politics
1920s was a republican era. Herbert Hoover, Warren G. Harding, and calvin
coolridge were the presidents during this decade. Americans elected republican
presidents because the candidates favored business expansion, rather than
regulation. They believed the economy was booming because republicans were
ruling the house. The first Red Scare happened 1919- 1921 because Americans were
afraid of communism, so they launched the Palmer Raids in response to the postwar
Red Scare. There was also the Sacco- Vanzetti trial where two Italian radicals are
executed and charged for murder with little evidence, however they were standing
up for themselves because the country was founded on the right of freedom of
speech. Housewives also pushed for the Volstead Act, which was banning the sale of
alcohol because they were sick of being abused by their drunken husbands. The 19th
amendment was passed, which gave women the right to vote. There was also the
Scopes- Monkey Trial where John Scopes was charged with breaking a law against
the teachings of evolution. The significance of this trial was that it revealed the
tensions between traditional beliefs and modern beliefs. Also, the KKK came about.
Economy:
Economy was booming because after WWI, African Americans have now been in a
wok place and they have found a new sense of identity, which brings a change of
attitude. People were investing in the stock market and buying margins as well.
Most homes have electricity and appliances, and we also have the second industrial
revolution. This revolution gives more time for pleasure and fun, which brings a lot
of money into the economy. The Automobile Age also helped the economy. Henry
Ford developed the Assembly Line, which allowed automobiles to be produced in
mass production very quickly. Ford lowered the price so the average person could
buy a car.

4. VALUES/CULTURE
During the 1920’s art, literature, and a sense of identity is very important to the
American people. This is the first time African American culture is being accepted in
America, so their sense of identity is very important to them and the rest of America.
There was of course the Harlem Renaissance, which was the life of art and literature
during the 20’s. The two factors that led to the renaissance were the Great Migration
and the African American’s feel for their sense of identity. Blacks see the renaissance
as the creation of a new culture and identity. Whites see the renaissance as a trendy,
exotic form of entertainment. In this decade, women grew more independent. When
men were at war, women took the men’s job, which were sometimes very
dangerous. Women also played sports and stood up for themselves getting the
Volstead Act passed. Women gained a great sense of independence in the 20’s by
also getting the 19th Amendment, which was their ability to vote. There is also the
Equal Rights Amendments that ensure that men and women have equal rights. This
is an attached list of all of the slang terms used in the 20’s.
http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm
inventions
in the 20’s, the traffic light was invented by William Pott, which allowed for a much
smoother way of getting around on the road with a less chance of accident. The
traffic lights are obviously still around today. The first automobile was invented by
Henry Ford. The automobile gave people more efficient transportation, it created
more jobs, and called for more cultural changes. The telephone also came about,
which brought for better communication.

5. celebrities
Some celebrities in the 1920’s included F. Coco Chanel, Gloria Swanson, and Louise
Brooks. These ladies were entertainers and actresses. Coco Chanel however, is a
fashion designer and her brand is still huge today in clothes, accessories, and shoes.
Some famous men included Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Lindbergh, Albert Einstein, and
Al Jolson. F. Scott Fitzgerald is mostly famous for his amazing books such as The
Great Gatsby, while Charles Lindbergh was the first to make the nonstop flight from
New York to Paris. Also, Al Jolson is a white actor, however he is portrayed as a
black singer in The Jazz Singer. Meanwhile, Albert Einstein is the world’s most
famous, intelligent scientist to ever live.
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