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Era of Prohibition
In January of 1919, the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed prohibiting the sale of alcohol. After a long national debate, the people decided that they wanted alcohol to be illegal to sell. While, technically, the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed in 1919, Prohibition was a major theme of the 1920s in America. -
Women's Suffrage
Women began fighting for the right to vote in the 1800s, but it all came together in the 1920s leading to a decade of marginalized groups fighting for cultural, social, and economic power. -
Armistice & the Return of US Troops from WWI
Even though the Armistice was signed in November of 1918, the last of our troops did not return to the US until the beginning of 1920. The end of WWI was a celebrated event around the country. World War I was known as the Great War or the War to End all Wars. Our involvement was seen as a major accomplishment and the US was now a world power due to its contributions. It was the true beginning of the Roaring '20s. The country was optimistic. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment to the US Constitution gave women the right to vote. This was the culmination of 100 years of fighting for women's rights in America. For women, this made up a big part of why they were called the Roaring 20's. -
The First Radio Broadcast
1920 was the beginning of a decade of economic, social, and political change which led to a feeling of jubilation among the population. One of the major changes in the '20s was that people could listen to radio broadcasts. FDR used the medium well with his fireside chats & the country felt connected in a new way. -
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a movement that began in Harlem, NY. It was a major cultural shift for African Americans, which included art, music, and literature. African Americans were free to express themselves and their cultural identities. Even though it started in 1910, it really got going at the start of the 1920's and continued on through the 1930's. -
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong became a phenomenon when he started playing jazz music. He is still known for his trumpet playing and was a significant part of the Harlem Renaissance. -
Flappers
Flappers were women who wore beaded dresses that flapped around as they danced. Flappers were very independent. They were the first women to embrace their rights, even though many thought they were immoral. In 1925 they made the Charleston dance craze. This went hand in hand with the Harlem Renaissance and was an example of the happiness people expressed in the US in the Roaring '20s. -
Scopes "Monkey Trial"
The Scopes Monkey Trial began in Tennessee in 1925. A science teacher was accused of teaching evolution to his science classes based on Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The issue was taken to court, where Clarence Darrow defended Scopes. He was found guilty, but the conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court because the Tennessee law violated his 1st Amendment rights. -
The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer was the first major movie with sound. An innovation that started in 1927. This is an example of how the Harlem Renaissance, entertainment, and technology was affecting culture. Unfortunately, the lead actor worked in "Black Face" to depict an African American jazz singer. -
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse was introduced to the country in his first cartoon, Steamboat Willie, by Walt Disney in 1927. Other animated movies followed in the next year, and for almost a century since. -
Stock Market Crash!
In October 1929, the stock market crashed, bringing an abrupt end to the Roaring '20s. Known as "Black Tuesday," this was the beginning of a major financial and economic upheaval. The Great Depression soon followed. -
The Great Depression
Due to the Stock Market crash of 1929, the world was plunged into the Great Depression. It was the worst economic downturn ever. People lost their jobs, homes, money, businesses, and farms. The Great Depression lasted until 1933, and really was not fully resolved until WWII started. -
Pluto is Discovered
A cool thing that happened in the midst of the Great Depression was the discovery of Pluto in 1930. At the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, astronomer Clyde Tombaugh found the little planet that could, (and is still a planet!) *My mom loves astronomy and grew up in Tucson so she learned about this in history class, plus she still fights for Pluto to be a planet. -
Hoovervilles
As the Great Depression got underway and people lost everything, encampments started appearing in major cities across the US. Homeless Americans built shanties and lived in camps on the outskirts of town. President Hoover was blamed for the federal government not helping these citizens, and his failures led to the election of FDR. -
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, or FDR as he is popularly known, was elected President in November of 1932 as a result of three years of the Great Depression. People blamed President Hoover for the failings of the federal government and its lack of a solution to the financial collapse or assistance for people affected by the economy. FDR was optimistic and had a plan for dealing with the issues facing the country. He remained president through the rest of the 1930s and served three terms. -
Einstein Defects
Albert Einstein, a famous German scientist, defected to the US after months of living under Hitler's rule. He saw the writing on the wall and knew, based on Hitler's science teams, he was doing research into ways to create devastating weapons. -
Hitler Comes to Power
In January of 1933, Hilter is chosen as the leader of Germany. This is the beginning of WWII, but no one knows it yet. It is interesting that he and FDR become leaders of their countries at the same time. Light versus dark, good versus evil... -
The New Deal
Shortly after FDR was inaugurated as the 32nd President of the United States, he got Congress to pass the New Deal. The New Deal included the 3 R's: Relief, Reform, and Recovery. It was a set of legislation and programs designed to provide relief to those suffering the economic effects of the Depression, reform financial and banking laws, and recover from the economic downturn by putting people to work and building infrastructure. -
Social Security
One of the programs FDR and Congress managed to pass to help people recover from the Great Depression was Social Security. The idea was to have a safety net for retirement for every American by the age of 65. A set amount is taken from each person's paychecks and held by the federal government until they retire. -
The Hindenburg Disaster
The Hindenburg was a marvel of engineering at the time. It was a large airship that ended up crashing because it was made up of hydrogen gas, which is very flammable. It was meant to hold helium gas, but the US would not export to Germany. The relationship between the countries kept getting worse after WWI and the Great Depression under Hitler's regime. -
The Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a secret weapons program set up by FDR after he was told that a scientist who defected, Einstein, had information about Hitler's use of science to make weapons. Einstein warned FDR of what Hitler was doing, and the Manhattan Project started. The goal was to be the first country to make the Atom Bomb. FDR gathered the best scientists in the world to create the ultimate weapon in case peace and neutrality failed. -
Invasion of Poland
As the country was limping away from the 1930s, and tensions and economic devastation had taken their toll, Germany decided to invade Poland. The world did not have the ability to help. WWI was supposed to end all wars, but here was Germany using its might to control another country. Some leaders, like Chamberlin in Britain, thought that appeasement would stop Hitler, but it did not. -
FDR Announces Neutrality
FDR delivered one of his famous fireside chats to the American people after learning of Germany's invasion of Poland. He stated that he wanted to remain peaceful and neutral in conflicts erupting throughout Europe. He could not know that the attack on Pearl Harbor would be coming soon. -
Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941, "A day that will live in infamy," as FDR said in one of his speeches. The Japanese attacked a naval base located in Pearl Harbor. It sparked fury throughout the nation and FDR knew we had no choice but to enter WWII. After all that the US had suffered during the '30s, ironically it was a world war that pulled the US out of its slump and united many nations to fight true evil.