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Period: to
Roaring 20's
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Prohibition
After the 18th amendment was passed, the manufacture, sale, import, and export of alcohol was prohibited in an effort to alleviate various social problems associated with alcohol. America’s continued desire for alcohol led to the rise to organized crime such as Chicago’s Al Capone who was involved in smuggling alcohol from Canada. -
The Jazz Age
Referred to as the, “devil’s music”, Jazz became increasingly popular as a result of prohibition. It was first played played in speakeasies, by young musicians like Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington composed and played dance songs, novelty songs, and even show tunes that promoted the new decadent values of the Roaring 20’s, establishing the time period as the Jazz age. -
Women's Suffrage
Tennessee became the last of 36 states needed to ratify the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. This equality at the polls marked a pivotal moment in the women’s rights movement, as women can now influence laws that are being passed and what politicians should be in office. -
Introduction of the Radio
The first radio broadcast took place on August 31, 1920 in Detroit Michigan. By 1922, 600 radio stations existed across the United States. The radio was the first introduction of electronic mass media, and allowed millions of people to experience events as they happened. Finally the radio influenced how people talked and what they bought by creating instant fads and overnight celebrities. -
Silent Films
On this day in New York, Charlie Chaplin released his first full length movie. In addition to Chaplin, other film stars included Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo and Rudolph Valentino. Silent films frequnety consisted of piano or organ music and 1923 for the first time a synchornized sound track accompanied by a picture was released to the public. However this concept did not fully catch on until 1927 when the era of silent films ended. -
Coco Chanel!
Coco Chanel was the epitome and reflected the feeling of women during the 20s. Chanel promoted the idea of comfort, style, & sophistication by featuring comfortable, modern & revolutionary styles. Chanel focused on neutral colours such as beiges, creams, navy & black & is regarded as the inventor of the little black dress! A fun fact would be that the signature scent of Chanel No. 5 was released in Christmas 1921. Today every 30 seconds a bottle of No. 5 is sold with annual sales of $100 million -
The Automobile
In 1908 Henry Ford introduced the Model T., and followed this by an updated version in 1923. Many Americans soon became eager to purchase the first ever family car. The introduction of this model gave people a new feeling of freedom to travel whenever and wherever they wanted to.
During the 1920s transportation became a large focus for many with the introduction of affordable cars. The introduction of such affordable cars also increased the demand for greater infrastructure in the country. -
Baseball
Total attendance at games was over 80000, and the 1920s was considered baseball's golden age. Radio, which were now mass produced and newspapers, which had sections especially dedicated to the sport brought the sport to millions of people across the nation. In 1923, the Yankees moved to their new Yankee Stadium, which was quickly nicknamed "The House That Ruth Built" - he hit the stadium's first home run, and led the team to their first World Series title. -
Flappers
“The New Woman” was a common theme during the 1920s with the introduction of flappers. Flappers were often seen sporting bright colours, makeup, strapped shoes, silk stockings and a cloche hat. Additionally many women began wearing shorter skirts, sleeveless tops and bobs in an effort to represent a sense of freedom. During this time women were found to smoke in public, and dance and drink at nightclubs and various cocktail parties. -
Stock Market Crash
Known as the Great Crash, it was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States and effectively brought about the end of the Roaring 20’s. The decade up until then was a time of wealth and excess, however people began to wonder when it would end and began to sell large amounts of stocks. This caused the market to crash, and in a period of 2 days starting on Black Monday, the market lost over $30 billion dollars.
