During the 1920s in America, known as the Jazz Age, jazz culture thrived and became synonymous with the free-spirited era. Jazz represented rebellion against prohibition and greater personal freedom, especially for women. The development of cinema and radio contributed to economic prosperity during this time by providing jobs and entertainment, though radio monopolies also emerged. While the Jazz Age brought aspects of unity through shared experiences, it also highlighted ongoing social and racial divisions in American society.

1. The Jazz Age

2. Key
• Red writing – years/dates
• Yellow writing – historical evidence
• Blue writing – key words/phrases
• Purple writing – evaluation points

3. • During the 1920s, Jazz culture thrived, becoming almost a way of life.
• Jazz represented the free spirit attitude of the age, reflecting a
rebelliousness within society, especially against Prohibition; Jazz became
associated with speakeasies selling illegal alcohol.
• During this age, people were more able to make choices about their lives,
and this contributed to the changing lives of women with the emergence of
‘flappers’.
• The Jazz Age created the first celebrities, and the first talking movie was
called ‘The Jazz Singer’.
• It represented the first celebration of black culture and the Harlem
Renaissance, but there was still racism under the vibrancy.

4. Cinema and radio

5. Prosperity
• The development of cinema and radio had an effect on the economic
boom:
• Provided jobs
• Made electricity more desirable
• Normalised the individual’s exposure to advertising
• Made those from immigrant communities rich (esp. Jewish communities)
• 3 million radios owned by 1922
• Provided jobs in manufacturing and raw materials industries
• Broadcasting company shares rose astronomically
• RCA’s shares rose 929% 1925-1929
• HOWEVER: It could be argued that, radio in particular, was only a
result, rather than a driver, of prosperity:
• Not everyone could afford to buy radios, and it couldn’t have taken off without Ford’s
development of mass production techniques.

6. Radio
• Radio became a source of entertainment for millions, bringing the
country together and breaking down divisions.
• The main programming on the radio was entertainment, and many
programmes were sponsored; certain programmes would become
synonymous with the company who sponsored it.
• HOWEVER, as there were 556 radio stations by the end of 1922, the
number of mergers increased and this led to monopolies:
• Fox, Warner Bros, CBS and NBC owned 90% of the radio industry between
them.

7. Cinema
• After the film Birth of a Nation was made, it became clear that it was
possible to make feature-length films.
• The new emerging technologies were taken advantage of, and Jewish
and Eastern European immigrants put their imagination to the new
technology.
• During the 1920s 1000 films were being made per year.
• The economic boom meant that people could afford to go to the
cinema, and some went more than once a week.

8. Cinema and society
• The cinema, as a billion-dollar industry, was seen as a luxury, and
cinemas themselves were made comfortable.
• The films being made gave an image of the ‘Roaring Twenties’, and
brought people together as language was no barrier in the world of
silent film.
• Even after the Depression hit, cinema attendance was still high;
people wanted to have a laugh during the hard times and escape
from the reality of their situation.

9. Evaluation

10. • It had been argued that the Jazz Age brought people together,
creating – in effect – ‘one American society’.
• However, Jazz and the culture that it created had many who opposed
it, and it led to an uncomfortable clash between the old and the new:
• The ‘old’ were those living in small-town rural America, who were
likely to support Prohibition and harsher immigration laws, and/or be
KKK members.
• The ‘new’ were those experiencing the urbanisation of cities and the
Harlem Renaissance, who rebelled against Prohibition by going to
speakeasies.

11. General opposition
• Racists didn’t like Jazz as it was derived from music sung by slaves.
• The right-wing felt that it was leading to a decline in morality.
• Feminists such as Carrie Chapman blamed the Jazz culture for rising
illegitimacy rates:
• Using contraception became more acceptable
• Women’s behaviour changed (e.g. drinking more) and this was perceived as a
threat
• Provided young, unmarried couples the opportunity to date without
chaperoning

12. KKK opposition
• The KKK saw Jazz culture as disturbing what was ‘truly’ American.
• The clubs where Jazz was played and listened to were associated with
breaking Prohibition laws and so were seen as immoral.
• The KKK also didn’t like that women were assuming more masculine
roles.

13. Divisions within cities
• Even those within the urbanised cities were divided over the issue of
the Jazz culture, and whether or not black culture deserved to be
celebrated.
• Ghettoisation led to many African-Americans living in poor areas with
poor facilities such as healthcare and education.
• The White Flight led to the more affluent white workers leaving the
cities for the suburbs.
• African-Americans were not allowed into the clubs where Jazz was
being played, even though most of the Jazz musicians were black.