Cultural Changes (College Board AP® US History)

Summary

The impact of World War I and immigration added to the growth of urban centers in the United States in the 1920s. This growth would provide economic opportunities for both native-born citizens and immigrants seeking better jobs and living conditions. This urbanization was not just a shift in geography, but also a shift in culture as cities became hubs of innovation and entertainment. The expansion of cities provided new opportunities for women who began to challenge traditional gender roles. 

This new rise in growth was met with resistance. The influx of immigrants, particularly from Southern and Eastern Europe, changed the demographic makeup of cities and contributed to a cultural clash. 

Urban Centers, Entertainment, & New Advancements for Women

Urban Centers in the 1920s

• The Great Migration of the 1910s and immigration from Europe contributed to the rapid growth of urban centers in the United States

• Immigrants, African Americans from the South, and women moved to cities in search of economic opportunities

  • Particularly in industry and service jobs

• Major urban centers included:

  • New York City, 5.6 million people

  • Chicago, 3 million people

  • Philadelphia, 2 million people

• Urban vs rural tensions

  • Urban residents in cities embraced modernity, change, and new opportunities

  • Many rural citizens were more resistant to the social transformations occurring in cities

  • This caused cultural divisions that contributed to political and social tensions during the decade

Entertainment in the 1920s

• The 1920s saw the rise of mass entertainment

• New forms of entertainment provided a way for people to escape the stresses of daily life and engage in new social experiences

• Jazz music

  • Jazz became one of the most influential music genres of the decade

    • It symbolized the energy and cultural shifts of the Roaring Twenties

    • The Harlem Renaissance, an artistic movement centered in New York

    • It helped popularize jazz and bring African American culture to a wider audience

    • Jazz clubs and dance halls became popular places for socializing

• The film industry grew quickly with the introduction of talkies (movies with sound), which made cinema more accessible and popular

  • By the end of the 1920s, millions of Americans were regularly attending the movies

• Radio was used in many households, allowing families to hear live music, news, and entertainment programs

  • Radio broadcasts helped create a shared national culture as people across the country tuned in to the same shows

• Spectator sports such as baseball and horseracing attracted large crowds and media attention

New Advancements for Women

• Flappers were young women of the 1920s who rejected traditional societal expectations by embracing new behaviors and appearances

  • The result of freedom in the workforce during World War I led to other avenues of societal changes for women

  • Flappers frequented nightclubs and dance halls

  • They smoked and drank in public

  • Flappers wore shorter skirts, shorter hairstyles, heavy makeup

    • A big contrast to the styles of previous generations

  • Flappers showed a shift towards liberation and freedom for women

• More women began to work outside the home, especially in urban areas 

• Job roles included:

  • clerks

  • salespeople

  • nurses

  • teaching 

• By the end of the decade, over 8 million women worked outside the home, making up about 20% of the total US workforce

• Women’s suffrage

  • The 19th Amendment in 1920 granted women the right to vote

  • Women now had a greater involvement in politics

  • A growing number of women began to speak out for women’s rights

  • Many became involved in political and social activism

New Immigration Laws & Harlem Renaissance

New Immigration Laws

• During the 1920s, the United States introduced stricter immigration laws, due to:

  • growing nativism

  • fears of economic competition

• Many Americans were concerned that the increase in immigrants, particularly from Southern and Eastern Europe, would threaten their jobs

  • Immigrants were often willing to work for lower pay

Emergency Quota Act (1921)

• This law restricted the number of immigrants by setting quotas based on the national origin of immigrants

  • The quota was set at 3% of each nationality’s population in the United States, based on the 1910 census

• The goal was to limit the number of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe

National Origins Act (1924)

• This law further restricted immigration, especially from Southern and Eastern Europe

  • The quota was lowered to 2% of each nationality based on the 1890 Census

• The goal was to favor immigration from Northern and Western Europe (particularly Great Britain and Germany) and to reduce the overall number of immigrants, especially from 

  • Italy

  • Poland

  • other Eastern European nations

Harlem Renaissance

• The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that began in the 1920s and became a symbol of African American pride

  • It occurred largely in the Harlem district of New York City

  • Harlem became a major center for African American artists, musicians, and writers

• The Harlem Renaissance was fueled by the Great Migration 

  • Between 1916 and 1970, approximately six million African Americans left the South for destinations in the North, Midwest, and West 

  • Around 200,000 African Americans moved to New York City

    • Many settled in the Harlem district of the city, which became a cultural hub

• The Harlem Renaissance allowed African Americans to express their cultural identity through music, the arts, and literature

  • Helped redefine African American culture in the public eye

• Jazz music 

  • Jazz became the soundtrack of the Harlem Renaissance, with roots in African American traditions and rhythms

  • Jazz expressed the African American way of life and experiences, often with a religious theme

  • Great jazz players

    • Louis Armstrong: trumpeter and singer

    • Duke Ellington: pianist, composer, and bandleader

    • Ella Fitzgerald: “First Lady of Song”, singer and composer

• Writers and poets

  • African American writers began to gain prominence, with their works exploring:

    • racial identity

    • social justice

    • African American life

  • Key writers

    • Langston Hughes: poet and social activist, known for his portrayal of everyday life in Harlem

    • Claude McKay: one of the first noted African American poets, whose work challenged racial injustice and white authority

    • Zora Neale Hurston: novelist who explored the life of Black women living in the South

• Visual arts:

  • The Harlem Renaissance saw the rise of African American artists who used their art to celebrate their heritage and challenge stereotypes

  • Key artists

    • Aaron Douglas: known as the “Father of African American Art”, used bold colors and African heritage in his works

    • Lesesne Wells: graphic designer

    • Hale Woodruff: painter of murals

Modernism v Fundamentalism

• The 1920s saw a cultural clash between two groups within the Protestant Church:

  • modernism

  • fundamentalism

• This conflict highlighted broader societal tensions between:

  • urban and rural values

  • science and religion

  • changing cultural norms

Modernism in the Protestant Church

• Urban-based

  • Modernism was more widespread in urban areas where people were exposed to new ideas and cultural changes

• Valued science

  • Modernists were open to bringing scientific findings into their religious beliefs

  • Including Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

• Progressive views

  • Modernists were more open to cultural changes, such as gender roles

  • They believed in adapting religious practices to align with modern society

Fundamentalism in the Protestant Church

• Rural-based

  • Fundamentalism was more widespread in rural areas where traditional religious values were more deeply ingrained

• Traditional values

  • They valued traditions and believed in adhering to the literal truth of the Bible

• Moral virtues

  • Fundamentalists upheld strict moral standards and rejected cultural shifts that conflicted with their biblical teachings

• Literal interpretation of the Bible

  • Fundamentalists viewed the Bible as accurate and unwavering in its teachings

  • They followed the Bible as a guide to life

Scopes Monkey Trial (1925)

• The Scopes Trial was a key event that highlighted the conflict between modernism and fundamentalism

  • Particularly over the issue of teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution in public schools

• In 1925, John Scopes, a high school teacher in Tennessee, was arrested for teaching evolution

  • This violated a state law that prohibited teaching theories that contradicted the biblical account of creation

• Key figures in the trial

  • William Jennings Bryan (prosecutor) was a leading figure in fundamentalism

    • He argued that the Bible’s teaching should not be challenged by modern science

  • Clarence Darrow (defense attorney) represented Scopes and modernism

    • Defending the right to teach scientific theories in school

• Although Scopes was found guilty and fined, the trial was a public spectacle that drew attention to the tensions between modern scientific ideas and traditional religious beliefs

• The trial was still seen as a victory for modernism as it brought national attention to the weakness in fundamental viewpoints

  • Helped solidify the separation between church and state in public education