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Period: to
1920s
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Prohibition Begins
In the nineteenth century, many blamed alcohol for society's problems and thus organizations that advocated against alcohol were formed. On Jan. 17, 1920, the 18th Amendment came into effect, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. Prohibition led to widespread smuggling and bootlegging, creating a huge consumer market in the illegal alcohol industry. It was ultimately repealed in 1933. -
Passage of the 19th Amendment
The continued woman's suffrage movement led to the the ratification of the 19th Amendment, and women were finally given the right to vote. This was significant as the it was a step towards equality between men and women. -
Yankee Stadium Opening
The Yankee Stadium, also known as "The House That Ruth Built," was a stadium located in the Bronx and was the home ballpork of the New York Yankees. Its nickname is derived from baseball legend Babe Ruth's prime years coinciding with the stadium's opening and the beginning of the Yankee's winning history. With the Yankee's success, spectator sports such as baseball became increasingly popular and attracted vast audiences. -
Leopold and Loeb Commit Near-Perfect Crime
On May 21, 1924, 19-year-old Leopold and 18-year-old Loeb, two wealthy students, kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks; the two were motivated by their desire to commit the perfect crime. The subsequent trial and the defense provided by their attorney led to the introduction of the psychiatric defense into the legal system. -
F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" is Released
"The Great Gatsby," widely considered to be one of the great American novels, was released in 1925. The book was representative of the American Dream and the Jazz Age, both notable symbols of the 1920s. -
Ku Klux Klan March in Washington
50,000 to 60,000 members of yhe Ku Klux Klan, an extremist/terrorist organization that advocates white supremacy, staged a march down Pennsylvania Avenue in order to show resistance as defenders of Prohibition, traditional morality, and true Americanism. At the time, they also held significant political influence, as they had members in almost every part of the nation (e.g. contributing to the 1924 Democratic National Convention). -
Production of the Ford Model T Ends
The Ford Model T was significant as it was the first car that was truly for the people, as it was affordable. Previously, cars existed but were expensive and its usage was not common among most people. However, after the launch of the Ford Model T, other car companies had to produce similarily cheap cars in order to compete with Ford. By 1928, approx. 20% of the American population had cars. -
Babe Ruth Makes Home Run Record
Babe Ruth, known as the Home Run King, was caught in a competition with Lou Gehrig (who played for the New York Yankees along with Babe Ruth) for who was going to finish the 1927 season with the most home runs. The competition ended in September, when Gehrig slowed down. On Sept. 30, Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run in a single season, accomplishing the impossible! Subsequently, he became known as oen of the greatest baseball players of all time. -
Herbert Hoover Becomes 31st President of the United States
Herbet Hoover served as US Secretary of Commerce under the Harding and Coolidge administrations, promoting partnerships between government and business as part of "economic modernization." He was President during the Great Depression and while his efforts to combat the Depression didn't revive the economy during his term, they served as the groundwork for policies incorporated in Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal." -
Black Thursday
The post-war enthusiasm led to people investing their savings into the stock market throughout the 1920s; people were convinced that the high stock prices would continue to remain high. However, on Black Thursday, disaster stuck as prices plummetted. It continued as the stock market crashed on October 29 because scared investors all tried to sell their stocks and nearly no one was buying. Altogether, it devestated the American econonmy and was key to beginning the Great Depression.
