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The Harlem Renaissance
During the Great Migration, New York City's black population grew by 257% in twenty years, with more than 327 thousand blacks in the city by 1930. Harlem stretched from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue and 130th Street to 155th Street. It became known as the greatest Negro City in the world. The Harlem Renaissance was manifested in theater, art, and music. -
Bryan vs. Darrow
John T. Scopes was put on trial for teaching evolution and violating the Butler Act. William Jennings Bryan, the "Great Commoner," defended the Bible. The trial became a public sensation and people from all across America listened in on their radios. Darrow was found guilty and fined $100. The Bryan vs. Darrow trial is a perfect reflection of the culture wars because it resulted in a guilty verdict and its subsequent overturning left both sides feeling vindicated. -
The Jazz Singer
Warner Bros.' spent half a million dollars to equip two theaters with sound to display their first movie with synchronized words and pictures, The Jazz Singer. This increased Warner Bros. assets by $225,000,000 in only five years. -
Black Tuesday
On Thursday, October 24, 1929, stock market prices suddenly plummeted. Ten billion dollars suddenly disappeared, causing panicked investors to sell their stocks. The leaders of the New York Stock Exchange temporarily stabilized the market by buying stocks at inflated prices; however, on Tuesday, October 29, the stock market began its long fall. Stock values evaporated, and billion dollar companies lost massive amounts of money. -
Hooverville
In the summer of 1932, Congress signed a bill declaring the immediate payment of cash bonuses to the veterans of World War 1 due to the current economic state of the country. Over fifteen-thousand unemployed veterans and their families met in Washington D.C. and constructed a tent city across the Potomac River in Anacostia Flats. This "city" was called Hooverville. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security Act provided for old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, and economic aid, based on means, to assist both the elderly and dependent children. President Roosevelt made sure that social security be financed from payroll, rather than the federal government. This helped separate social security from undeserved welfare entitlement. -
1938 Fair Labor Standards Act
In an effort to encourage higher wages and better working conditions, the National Recovery Administration (NRA) sought to suppress child labor and, for the first time, provided protection for unionized workers. These efforts were eventually solidified in the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, which set a national minimum wage of $0.25/hour, later rising to $0.40/hour. -
Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
Because the Japanese believed the oil embargo to be America's declaration of war, they attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in an attempt to neutralize the United States and other European powers. They made this surprise attack on December 7, 1941, hoping to destroy enough American battleships and aircraft carriers to immobilize America's naval power for years. During this attack, 2400 Americans were killed, causing America to declare war on the entire Axis.
