The Roaring Twenties

by Isaac McDermott, Matt McCormick, and Aimee Meller

Day 6 Group B

In what ways did economic conditions and development in the arts and entertainment help create the reputation of the 1920’s

as the Roaring Twenties?

Thesis

The 1920’s became known as the Roaring Twenties through the rising consumption and

investment by the American people and significant breakthroughs in the arts and

entertainment industries.

The Age of Mass Consumption• Throughout the 1920s, Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon encouraged an

expansion of capital investment.– He also reduced taxes for the rich

• Advertising emerged as a widespread method to pitch goods to the people.

• Henry Ford pioneered mass production and the use of the automobile with the Model T.– Because of the automobile, 6 million new jobs were created.

• On Wall Street, over-speculation resulted in alarmingly high rise in the market, and an outpouring of money into the market.– This would culminate in the Crash of 1929

• Overall, money became more available throughout the 1920s, and good that were previously luxury became more accessible for the middle class.

An Artistic and Entertainment Revolution

• Many radio stations started up throughout the 1920s. As the radio became cheaper to own, Americans embraced this new technology with a passion.

• In 1928, the first “talkie”, The Jazz Singer, was released, spurring the boom of the movie industry, and providing an affordable form of entertainment for the American people.

• Jazz became a dominant form of music throughout the 1920s, with artists such as Louis Armstrong prospering during the decade.

• Art Deco art and architecture was very prominent in the 1920s.• A “cultural liberation” took place in American literature as well,

spearheaded by The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

• Overall, the 1920s marked a shift towards advancement in technology and thinking, and would influence generations to come.