4. 12. Whether those transformations were a boon or bane to society provoked as compelling a debate then as do the changes wrought by social media and the Internet today. Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Chicago Historical Society. In fact, it is widely believed that he masterminded one of the bloodiest and most dramatic events of the 1920s: the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. The most popular setting for illegal drinking in the 1920s was the speakeasy, an unofficial drinking establishment that could be either glamorous or seedy, depending on its location and customers. A blatant signboard erected in the living room to bring us news of miraculous oil burners, fuel-saving motor cars, cigar lighters that always light. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrants had been welcomed into the United States, as the country was growing and industrializing rapidly and laborers were needed. What predictions does Harbord offer in paragraph six? By the 1920s, radio broadcasting was a viable and effective tool to reach voters beyond campaign tours and rallies. Although the decade was known as the era of the Charleston dance craze, jazz, and flapper fashions, in many respects it was also quite conservative. Allen, Frederick Lewis. Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Starting in the early 1920's, radio stations began transmitting to a relatively small, but growing number of listeners. Neither illiteracy nor even a busy schedule impeded radio's successone could now perform an activity and listen to the radio at the same time. Herbert Hoover is a better speaker than Demosthenes. Their lawyers managed to delay their execution for several years, and during this period a number of activists worked to have the sentence overturned. The old Klan had targeted the newly freed African Americans of the South, as well as a few people who supported them. New York: W.W. Norton, 1976. On January 2, 1920, federal agents raided homes and businesses in thirty-three cities, arresting more than 4,000 suspects. The 1920s was the beginning of the formation of our modern . As time went on, the temperance groups turned increasingly to political action and government intervention. This helped create a firmer sense of American culture since now everyone in the country could listen to the same programming regardless of where they were. But I have searched the ether [airwaves] hopelessly trying to find something with some sense in it being broadcast somewhere. Click here for standards and skills for this lesson. Newspapers had the potential to reach a wide audience, but radio had the potential to reach almost everyone. Organized crime leader Simmons himself testified, distancing himself from the violence and claiming that the Klan was actually a public service organization. [The listener is]free from the contagion of the crowd Yet the 1920s were also marked by some troubling trends and events, and not everybody enjoyed the era. Commercial radio broadcasting, a technological innovation in the 1920s, transformed American culture and politics. Radio brought a whole new kind of entertainment into people's daily lives. The three key trading dates of the crash were Black Thursday, Black Monday, and Black Tuesday. The latter two days were among the four worst days the Dow has ever seen, by percentage decline. The Bootleggers and Their Era. Stations multiplied into the thousands and radio sales into the millions. The 1920s (pronounced "nineteen-twenties" often shortened to the "' 20s" or the "Twenties") was a decade that began on January 1, 1920, and ended on December 31, 1929. He would dismiss them. Society had undergone an important and, for some people, unsettling shift. At first, the broadcasting on radio centered around music, especially the classics and opera. In paragraph two, how does the adjective disintegrating add to Woodfords criticism of radio? What is his point? Famous Trials in American History. If we have to sum up the political effect of the radio, we may say that it is the greatest debunking influence that has come into American public life since the Declaration of Independence. Consequently, radio has played many roles in society to meet the changing needs of the public. Women played a particularly important role in this movement, both as leaders (because they were seen as the moral guardians of society) and as inspiration (because they were thought to suffer most from men's drinking habits). It would not be so bad if the listeners were taking in something even slightly informing. The unintended economic consequences of Prohibition didn't stop there. This is the view proposed in the second excerpt by James Harbord, a retired army general who applied his wartime radio experience to his role as president of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) from 1922 to 1930. More and more voices were raised in their defense, and demonstrations of support were held at locations around the world. Every word, every accent and intonation comes to them directly without the possibility of error or misconstruction. After the first commercial broadcast in November 19201 when Pittsburghs KDKA reported election returns commercial radio took off. 13. -In the 1920s, radio had an impact on pop culture because people could now listen to music, sports, and other programs anytime they wanted. Textual evidence: (b. Brighton, Sussex, United Kingdom, 27 September 1918; d. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, 14 October 1984), ra, broadcasting, transmission of sound or images to a large number of receivers by radio or television. That meant that a judge, not a jury, would decide their fate, which Darrow believed was the young men's only chance to avoid execution. . Clash of Cultures in the 1910s and 1920s. Though he be one of thirty millions, each individual in the audience becomes a solitary listener in the privacy of his own home. Andryszewski, Tricia. We are healthier, happier people due to the mass-produced and advertised goods. The federal government provided only fifteen hundred agents to implement Prohibition across the entire United States. During World War I (191418), Prohibition even became a patriotic issue: a number of the leading breweries were owned by people who had immigrated from Germany, the country against whom the United States and its allies fought. To sum up the political effect of the radio, we may say that it is the greatest debunking influence that has come into American public life since the Declaration of Independence. In contrast to Woodfords style, Harbord proceeds with earnest and resolute prose, breaking into a final effusive tribute to radios promise of global harmony. By mid-decade, a decent radio could be purchased for about $35, with higher quality models being sold for up to $350. What tone does Woodford establish in his opening paragraph? The 1920s was the precursor to the modern day and was foreshadowing of what was to come in the post-World War 2 era. The Jazz Age. He is, in effect, saying that if you embrace radio, you are one of these sad, tacky, brain-dead people who sit silently listening to the radio while sipping watery gin. . The radio and the movies were two of the major factors that helped to make the 1920s a time when people had a lot more choices for how to entertain themselves. What specific words or phrases establish that tone? This timeline is provided to help show how the dominant form of communication changes as rapidly as innovators develop new technologies. . Immigrants from countries in which alcoholic drinks had a cherished cultural role, such as Ireland and Germany, caused further concern and contributed to the nativism sentiments of the period. (What Was the Impact of Radio and the Movies in the 1920s ?, 2010) Through the Radio's widespread use, culture became more untied as people were listening to the same news and entertainment. This story possibly lead to the use of the term "the real McCoy" to refer to something authentic. ." 2. A medium for advertisers Resources for Understanding Text Complexity, Resources for Writing High-Quality Text Dependent Questions, Advisor: Advisor: Henry Binford, Associate Professor of History, Northwestern University, National Humanities Center Fellow. It is reported that at the beginning of the last presidential campaign someone suggested to one of the National Committees [Democratic & Republican] that they make use of radio in their campaigning. How does the phrase the rattle and bang of function in the sentence? Copyright 20102022 National Humanities Center. The next year, Hiram Evans (18811940) took over leadership of the Klan. Available online at http://history.osu.edu/Projects/Clash/default.htm. Do you think he would have agreed with Woodfords criticism of nonpolitical radio broadcasting? New York: Hill and Wang, 1995. It is typical of radios in the twenties in that it is battery operated and has three dials and five identical tubes. 6. The Democratic candidate in that election was New York governor Al Smith (18731944), who happened to represent everything that Prohibition's supporters distrusted. Kaempffert applauded radio as a powerful instrument of mass appeal that offered enormous benefits to mankind. 1. Barry, James P. The Noble Experiment: 191933. Compare and contrast the image of radio listening Harbord provides in paragraph two with the image Woodford provides in paragraph three of his article.List the revolutionary effects of radio on democracy that Harbord welcomes. Between 1923 and 1930, 60% of American households purchased radios, enthralled by . First commercial broadcast by a licensed station. In addition, a few states had taken very aggressive measures to curb Klan violence. "The Dark Side of the 1920s From the late 1800s, new electronic devices had been expanding the realm of shared human experience people conversed on telephones, sent news through telegrams, played records on phonographs, and enjoyed films in local theaters. NEGATIVE ASPECTS: 1. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Sweet and eleven others who had been in the house were arrested and charged with murder. As personal radios became available to the public, the technology continued to gradually improve. One change that has been brought about by radio is the elimination of mob feeling from political audiences. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). a funeral procession for the old-fashioned spellbinder Repeal of the Fairness Doctrine While talk radio first began during the 1920s, the emergence of the format as a contemporary cultural and political force . A 1929 Debate, The Marshall Plan Speech: Rhetoric and Diplomacy. There is now very little danger that Americans will resort to the vice of thinking. 5. As the twentieth century dawned, industry was growing, with factories being built across the nation, but especially in the Northeast. The heavy traffic in illegal liquor brought about an increase in criminal activity, with organized crime figures (groups of criminals who worked together and often fought each other for control of particular areas or cities). Those who had worked hard to make the United States an alcohol-free society, however, rejoiced. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. . Lucas, Eileen. The positive influences of movies outweighed the negative impacts in society. In January 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment became law, banning the manufacture, transportation, importation, and sale of intoxicating liq, After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof, Capone, Al Meanwhile, despite the law, people continued to drink. "American Cultural History, Decade 19201929." Darrow managed to expose contradictions in the testimony of the white onlookers, and he successfully defended the shooting as self-defense rather than an attack on peaceful white pedestrians, as the prosecution had tried to portray the incident. Reforms and standards were developed to limit the FBI's power and ability to carry out certain tasks, but the debate about the FBI's role in U.S. government continues into the twenty-first century. They faced poverty, mistreatment, and prejudice and struggled daily with the challenges of learning a new language and fitting into an unfamiliar society. In either case, most countries were slow to define their radio policy . A century ago, the age of radio began in Germany. 1920 KDKA, the first official radio station. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Prohibition. And now we know what we have got in radiojust another disintegrating toy. Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone. This lesson analyzes the debate about radio as it was presented in 1929 in the Forum (1886-1930), a monthly magazine of social and political commentary that regularly invited pro and con essays on controversial topics from prominent spokesmen. A particularly sensational element of this case was the wide circulation of a photograph taken at the moment of Snyder's death, in defiance of prison rules, by a reporter with a camera strapped to his leg. Now citizens could listen to politicians speeches in the calm of their living rooms and make personal dispassionate judgments. Many people were surprised to learn that the Volstead Act defined "intoxicating" beverages as containing as little as 0.5 percent alcohol, which meant that drinks like beer and wine were included. . New York: Random House, 2002. Cite evidence from his essay to support your answer. ", According to its constitution, as quoted in Erica Hanson's The 1920s, the Klan's objectives were to, "unite white male persons, native-born Gentile [Christian] citizens of the United States of America, to shield the sanctity of the home and the chastity [purity] of womanhood; to maintain forever white supremacy, and maintain the distinctive institutions, rights, privileges, principles, traditions and ideals of a pure Americanism.". Harbords, on the other hand, are engaged citizens, voters, comfortable, alert, and attentive. Jack Woodford, The Radio Racket, The Forum, July 1929. The stock market crash of 1929 was one of the worst in U.S. history. America in the Twenties. As quoted in Nathan Miller's New World Coming: The 1920s and the Making of Modern America, the famous, conservative, and very pro-Prohibition politician William Jennings Bryan (18601925) declared that the "nation would be saloonless forever.". . Drinking was described as a sinful activity that led to disease, crime, and damage to family relationships. Anti-radio, the first excerpt was penned by Jack Woodford (a pseudonym of Josiah Pitts Woolfolk), a writer of pulp fiction and caustic commentary on the times. Drawing by Julian de Mickey, in Jack Woodford, Radio A Blessing or a Curse? Forum, March 1929. I have heard only the rattle and bang of incredibly frightful jazz music, played so similarly that it is impossible to tell one piece from another. Modern Americans are smarter than the ancient Greeks. Holding forth against radio was Jack Woodford (a pseudonym of Josiah Pitts Woolfolk), a writer of pulp fiction and caustic commentary on the times. Perret, Geoffrey. After word of that original broadcast spread, people overwhelmed radio manufacturers standing line for hours to fill . . The public's attention seemed riveted to murder, rape, and other violent crimes. The students version, an interactive worksheet that can be emailed, contains all of the above except the responses to the close reading questions and the follow-up assignment. Accessed on June 17, 2005. In his 1931 book Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s, Frederick Lewis Allen noted that the Klan allowed those who lived in "drab places" an escape from boredom and from their feelings of insignificance, "a chance to dress up the village bigot [someone who is prejudiced against and intolerant of others] and let him be a Knight of the Invisible Empire. . But by the mid-1920s, so many people were doing it, the industry "needed a traffic cop," Ducey says. In many ways this was a decade dominated by optimism, as people enjoyed the conveniences that technology brought into their lives, advances in medicine, and an economy that was generally prosperous. The guests sit around the radio and sip watered gin and listen to so-called music interspersed with long lists of the bargains to be had at Whosits Department Store by those who get down early in the morning. It is the only means of instantaneous general communication yet devised by man. 1. As the various gangs competed with one another, the rate of violence increased. How does the image of radio-centered entertaining in paragraph three advance Woodfords argument? Available online at http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/us16.cfm. Speeches and lectures were also broadcast. In addition to being a Wet, he was Catholic and the child of Irish immigrants. The new Klan broadened its scope to focus on anyone who was not white or Protestant, especially Catholics and Jews, and on every region of the nation, not just the southeastern states. Accessed on June 17, 2005. Unlike the Protestant majority, these people were often Catholics or Jews, and their cultural habits and beliefs were different. It was more effective than print media at sharing thoughts, culture, language, style, and more. 7. Involved with a notorious New York gang, he moved to Chicago in 1919, both to join the thriving crime scene there and to avoid a murder charge. After WWI people wanted to enjoy life. Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for almost fifty years, J. Edgar Hoover rose to prominence in the 1920s. ." Prohibition was finally over-turned with the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933. 5. Each is solitary, hearing the speech in the privacy of his own home.. Printing remained the key format for mass messages for . . Even today it links the nations together and works in the interest of enduring peace.
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