...THE ROARING TWENTIES AN AGE OF JAZZ By: Vinson Gill Instructor: Dr. C.A. deGregory “The Golden Twenties or the Roaring Twenties as the 1920’s has been known to be called; when everybody seemed to have had money to party. The nightmare of the Wall Street Crash of October 1929 was inconceivable right up until it happened. While looking backward in time, when we hear “The Roaring Twenties” we tend to think almost automatically: mobsters, flappers, the Charleston (dance), a nightlife that seemingly was the highlight of the day, and that is what Hollywood would have you believe. Actually Hollywood has its beginnings in the twenties and celebrated the culture. The new fad was a new music form called Jazz; a culture for a new generation, a passion for the young adult, a crossover appeal that rocked the urbanites of America and a passionate people who were not just fascinated by jazz but supported it. Langston Hughes described jazz as, “The music from the trumpet at the Negroes lips is honey mixed with liquid fire.” At first the art form was not accepted by black intellectuals. Most blacks distanced themselves from a music that seems to draw white attention to black culture; criticized and called it folk art. Jazz was born in brothels, performed in speakeasies which were illegal, actually brought together music lovers of all races in some clubs. Jazz went from being played only in New Orleans to becoming a staple of the American airwaves, dance halls, and homes. African Americans...
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...I. Introduction a. A testament to the United States' unprecedented prosperity in the Roaring Twenties, jazz's growing popularity sparked a grave controversy, with many viewing the appeal of jazz as either an annoyance or a threat. b. Should the testament to the United States’ prosperity in the Roaring Twenties about jazz’s growing popularity be viewed as an annoyance or threat? c. Jazz’s growing popularity in the United States in a time known as the Roaring Twenties, was a dramatic turning point in the American life. The growing of this musical industry meant jazz would be thrived in adversity and come to symbolize a certain kind of American freedom, and would be called upon to lift the spirits and raise the morale of a frightened country. The growing of this genre would break barriers between Americans. II. Body a. Opponents of this position protest that jazz was an annoyance and a threat to America. People in the mid-twenties argued that “it is not music at all. It is merely an irritation of the nerves of hearing, a sensual teasing of the strings of physical passion.” They claimed that a moral disaster was upon young American girls at this time due to the “pathological, nerve-irritating, sex-exciting music of jazz orchestras." Also, the origins of jazz were claimed to be “the Negro’s brothels of the South”, which left many white older people to be appalled when they saw their children dancing to jazz music. Some even felt that playing this music backwards...
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...The Roaring Twenties. One of the most memorable times in US history. The country was reeling from the war and the economy as bouncing back. Men, women, and kids all were having fun in celebration of the new freedom from the violence of war. However, of the three groups, the most important were the women. A whirlwind of events was happening to them, including the cliche views of society being drastically changed. The ‘gibson girl,’ a small waisted lady with long locks of hair, dramatic dresses and skirts, with manners and self spoken, was soon replaced by a short haired woman that wore short dresses and danced into the night. Flappers, as they were called. However, that wasn’t the only change. Feminists and fighters for women’s rights were succeeding in their fight. Jobs were opening, voting became available, and women were soon being treated more equally to men. The era of dancing and music was fuelled by the booming economy. Cars were being sold for cheap prices, nightclubs were popping up on every corner, and a prominent look for the people walking the streets. Women and men alike were spending their time dancing and partying, celebrating the new economy. However, the cliche look of the gibson girl didn’t look quite right out on the dance floors. Long, tight dresses with tight curly hair didn’t go well with quick and free movements. To...
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...The Roaring Twenties were between World War I and The Great Depression in 1929. Americans wanted to have fun, make their own time, and wanted to see the important values in life. This era was characterized with updated technology. The Model T changed transportation for Americans. Ford sold over fifteen million Model T automobiles (Alchin). The Roaring Twenties had great artists during this time, their economy had a major impact on people's lives, and alcohol impacted women and others. World War I broke up artistic communities in Paris and Munich. Most artist did join the army. Artists were to record the events at war. Men who were too old for active duty or who had been injured and returned home were an official war artist. Artist had rules during this period of time. They were not allowed to use shapes or lines to make art (Gaff). Alcohol was very big during the Roaring Twenties. The flapper was a younger woman with bobbed hair and short skirts, who did not do lady-like things, who drinks, and smokes. Flappers wanted freedom. The 19th Amendment gave people the right to vote in 1920. Therefore, women were able to work now. Technology made it easier for women to do household work. Birth control helped women have less children. The 18th Amendment banned the making and selling of alcohol. People started selling...
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...Heitzel Gonzalez HIST 1023.05 Crash Course: Roaring Twenties The roaring twenties was an era of movies, cars, music, illegal liquor, prosperity, credit, gangsters, and prejudice against immigrants. There was exciting changed, freedom, and a change in art like music, poets, and movies. Laissez-fair capitalism led to business growing drastically by governments not regulating it. Trade commission with people who shared same views. Government corruption warren, picked horrible friends they turned out being money hungry, and he was the first to have a cabinet member to be convicted of a felony. The first cars to be created Fords, Chrysler, and General Motors, however, other than for transportation, cars led people to have love affairs. Car and electronic business grew and stretched overseas, causing America to manufacture 85% of the world’s cars and 40% of other good. Toasters, vacuums, refrigerators, and washers allowed Americans’ to have more leisure time, to...
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...The Roaring Twenties, Jazz Age, and the Golden Years were names synonymous for the 1920’s. The economic boom after World War 1 liberated the American people resulting in an increase in population who were happy and worry-free. This inspired artists and writers to be creative. Some stories helped people dream and conquer all but others showed the hardships people faced. The Algonquin Round Table Journalists, editors, actors, and press agents met on a regular basis at the Algonquin Hotel in New York began meeting in June 1919 and continued fro eight years. They contributed to hit plays, bestselling books, and popular newspaper columns. They shared admiration for each other’s work. These people had very high standards and they were very outspoken, outrageous, and they often quoted one each other. This group began to fade away as The Great Depression neared. They were a great example of American artists F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote several stories with The Great Gatsby being his most famous work. This story helped inspire people to believe that they could dream anything and achieve it. Fitzgerald’s stories were mainly about people becoming very successful in the social and financial worlds, but they did not share the same prosperity and the morals. He also wrote This Side of Paradise. Unfortunately, not all books were happy and motivating. Several writers wrote about the hardships people faced in the 1920’s. In Alain Locke’s The New Negro, Locke wrote about the...
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...4/23/2014 Topic 8: The Roaring Twenties I. The Business Landscape & A Decade of Prosperity A. Consumer Impulse Vitalizes the Economy - Electricity > Courtesy of Thomas Alva Edison > Economy of the 1920s spurred by the introduction of affordable appliances to make domestic life less taxing > You name it: refrigerators, ranges, washers, vacuum cleaners, fans, razors, etc. > Almost a built in obsolescence – as newer & improved models came rolling off the lines – necessitating a new purchase every few years - Radios (principle means of media) - Automobiles > Cars introduced around turn of century (1900) > In the twenties – Henry Ford, using the technique of the mass assembly-line construction – introduces the Model-T – that was eminently affordable > New vehicle registrations will jump from 8 million in 1920 to 23 million in 1930` > Increased car production has ripple-effect in the economy - Supportive industries flourish – rubber, oil/gasoline, advertising, road construction, car parts, etc. B. New Ways to Make, Organize & Market Products - Make (Production) > Ford’s introduction of assembly line techniques to spur other industries to do same > Workers not expected to craft a product from start to finish but assigned to stations…performing repetitive and simpler tasks for entire shifts > Introduction of electric lighting...
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...Course HIS125 Roaring Twenties 9/9/2011 The Roaring Twenties After World War I there were significant changes that developed socially, economically, and politically. Americans put the war behind them and the roaring twenties became a very exciting time and change was evident. The roaring twenties brought social change for women and youths, while, new technology helped to create a new economic boom. However, the change in politics would unite Americans that was looking for positive changes. Even though most Americans felt modernism was best for America they were meet with opposition from the traditionalist. The roaring twenties opened the door for women who began to enter the work force, gained the right to vote, and a freer lifestyle. In 1920 the 19th amendment passed which grants suffrage to women. Other social changes for women included the way they thought, dressed, and danced. Women began to wear shorter hair, shorter dresses, and some were known as flappers. Whereas, women had many social changes so did the younger generation (U.S History, Para 1). Moreover, the roaring twenties brought tremendous change to society as a whole. With the emergence of modern radio programs and motion pictures they entertained and influence the younger generation. As the new generation began to change there was a clash of values. Values changed from traditional to modern. As more motion pictures were made that depicted a more modern dress, thoughts, and style the younger generation...
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..."The Great Gatsby" is based on a 1925 novel of the same title, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Given what you have read in the textbook, does the film effectively portray life in the 1920s? Why or why not? The Great Gatsby was a real journey back into the 1920’s during the times of the” Roaring Twenties. The movie was an extremely accurate portrayal of life in the 1920s. The Great Gatsby showed the economic prosperity in the urban communities among the rich and wealthy. The setting of the movies décor was very accurate from the dapper dressing of the men in pinstripes suits, silk shirts, and pinstripe suits for the men. The women in the Great Gatsby wore the sleek colorful dresses and skirts along with dazzling hair and head accessories. The Great Gatsby showed a scene that showed the backdrop of the ballroom for the parties that was the best example of the 1920s. The Great Gatsby ballroom was the size of three or four houses together with the multiple levels opening up to grandiose dancing areas. The ceiling was glittering with sparkling lights that looked like white bubbles, lights, ornaments, exotic chandeliers, and beautiful greenery. The Great Gatsby dancing, singing and music was right out the of the 1920s jazz age. The movie soundtrack was a trip into the pass with all the Jazz Greats playing their songs from the 1920’s from Louis Armstrong, Johnny Dobbs and King Oliver and many other jazz musicians. The Great Gatsby movie set was the perfect example of the real life...
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...The Age of The Great Gatsby In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald tells a legendary love story from the perspective of the narrator named Nick. The reader sees and hears about all the crazy parties, love stories, breakups and much, much more that all seem to stem from a dynamic character named Jay Gatsby. The story takes place in a promiscuous and rebellious period called the roaring twenties, the time period right before the great depression, and to make it worst in the city that never sleeps. The roaring twenties period is the backbone of this story, characters in the novel directly correlate with the illegal, rebellious, and careless behaviors that are seen in the twenties. The prohibition caused lots of problems in this time period when it came to crime and binge drinking. First It is important to understand the social, political and economic effects of prohibition. In 1917 the Eighteenth Amendment was passed and stated that you couldn’t make, sell or transport any alcohol. The prohibitionist movement had a wide variety of supporters, including: Women, Church’s, employers and politicians. In the 1928 Presidential campaign Herbert Hoover won by calling prohibition “a great social and economic experiment, noble in motive and farreaching in purpose; " this is interesting because it shows to the public that he is in favor of prohibition, but by calling it an experiment it shows that he may have some concerns about it .It definitely was an experiment...
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...This has been demonstrated by a connection to the 21st century, how the time period of the Roaring Twenties effected the characters actions, and further illustrated by a comparison to characters with different archetypes in other novels. As a result Jay Gatsby Page Break Works Cited Amadeo, Kimberly. "5 Ways Our Founding Fathers Protect The American Dream." The Balance. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. "Donald Trump Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. Edwards, Halle. "Best Character Analysis: Jay Gatsby - The Great Gatsby." Best Character Analysis: Jay Gatsby - The Great Gatsby. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. "How Donald Trump Is Like Jay Gatsby." ArtsJournal. N.p., 07 Oct. 2016. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. "The Great Gatsby." The Great Gatsby: Jay Gatsby | Character Analysis | CliffsNotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar...
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...The Roaring Twenties It was the Bee’s Knees to feel the Heebie-Jeebies while living young and free as a sensual Dumb Dora through the radical Roaring Twenties, an era that was absolutely unforgettable in American history! Organized doctrines advocating political, social, and all other rights of women equivalent to those of men, made the ideas of feminism possible. This was a new term that came about during the Progressive Era, a term that caused women to express their self-worth by capturing the world by it’s tail and launching a revolutionary era that lasted three decades; as Frances Willard said, “a wider freedom is coming to the women of America” (Textbook)… Within the first few years of the 1920s, the new culture that the generation had created was already set into motion. The youth no longer had the desire to act or dress like the older generation, they wanted something different. Through the fashion, entertainment and beauty industries women worked up the courage to reject the stuffy ways of the Victorianism lifestyle, and simply transition to a more advanced wild life of the conspicuous Flappers. In the late eighteenth century, the Victorian era was a widely known style that was commonly related to morals and structures based off of Christianity. Family and economic life for women was outrageously boring; a typical day for a woman would look like cleaning, gardening, plus taking care and cooking for her household. Women weren’t allowed to have real jobs...
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...One of the most debated topics in The Great Gatsby is “What is the most essential symbol in the novel?” The most essential symbol in The Great Gatsby is the Valley of Ashes. Three examples of this are the Valley of Ashes represents the social decay of life during the Roaring Twenties, The Valley of Ashes represents the poor, and the Valley of Ashes represents drastic contrast from the rich and glamorous lifestyle in the Eggs. One example of the Valley of Ashes being the most essential symbol in The Great Gatsby is that the Valley of Ashes represents the social decay of life during the Roaring Twenties. Proof of this is that this is where Tom and Myrtle meet up for their affair. This is proven on page 28 when Nick and Tom are traveling to...
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...The 1974 film had a large orchestra playing jazz music, and couples enthusiastically dancing all night. The jazz music is a better representation of the “Roaring Twenties” than the modern music of the 2013 film. The dances of the guests were popular dances of the “Roaring Twenties”, showing authenticity. Some of these dances included the foxtrot and the American tango, two very popular dances of the “Roaring Twenties”. The 1974 film’s parties were less crowded than the 2013 film’s parties, but there were still many people there, and most of them were random. The attire was similar to that of the 2013 film, but guests were dressed a little bit more formally. A lot of alcohol was served and consumed, despite it being illegal due to Prohibition. After a lot of partying, people jumped into the fountain at Gatsby’s house. Guests were cutting loose, and seeming to genuinely have a good time. The decorations of Gatsby’s house were not as elaborate as the 2013 film. They included yellow and white striped tents covering the lawn, a...
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...Emerging out of World War One was a very difficult time for the citizens of America, especially for the youth. After losing almost everything, including their lives, to the war, the frivolous ways of the “Flaming Youth” as they were often called, gave a welcome relief to devastation. Nothing seemed too irrational (Pendergast). A social revolution resulted, causing a massive shift in American culture. The culture of the “Victorian Era” is a sharp contrast to that of the “Roaring Twenties”; instead of the conservative ways of the Victorian Era, women wore loose hanging dresses and people led a life of smoking, drinking, and dancing until dawn. This all, however, masked the underlying sadness of the 1920s. As stated by the theme of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, “the wealthy of the 1920s...
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