TIME The Dry and Lawless Twenties
Staff: Nolan Fuhrmeister, Hannah Gaul, Yarelle Jaimes, Sky Tinnes, Alec Shifflett
Table of Contents
Letter from the Editor
Page 2
Letter to the Editor
Pages 5-6
Briefing
Page 7
World Article
Page 9
Society Article
Page 11
Economy Article
Page 12
Crime and Prohibition
Page 13-14
Entertainment Article
Page 15
Sports Article
Page 16
10 Questions
Pages 17-18
Bibliography
Page 19
Letter from the Editors
The 1920s, more commonly known as the roaring twenties, is a time of fun and new inventions. But, it is also a time of rising crime, and gangsters. This month’s featured article is on crime and Prohibition. Prohibition was the 18th Amendment, banning anything to do with alcohol. Prohibition was meant for crime to go down. Crime only seems to go up because of prohibition.
The reason why we chose crime and prohibition is because prohibition is really big thing currently in the 1920s. Before prohibition was a law people were getting in trouble because they were under the influence of alcohol. Also we thought crime and prohibition affects a lot of people back in 1920s. That’s why we chose it because it played a big part in our era known as the roaring twenties.
Gangs formed because of Prohibition. The gangs were formed to sell and transport alcohol when it was illegal. Many gangs made lots of money. One of the biggest Gangsters today was Al Capone. He makes millions each year, and has many politicians plus city officials working for him.
Sincerely, Nolan Fuhrmeister and Alec Shifflett
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor,
Dear Editor,
I disagree about the article about the how rural living is better than urban living. In the cities, we have better chances of getting jobs and you will make more money. You are open to new people everyday, because most cities have at least 100,000 people, if not more! You are also closer to bars, barber shops, and local grocery shops, which can come in handing. Around 50% of Americans live in cities and the population in cities keep skyrocketing, mostly because of job opportunities. We work 6 day, 60 hour weeks, and make very good money, but people living in the country-side, work everyday, taking care of their land, food, and animals. It is a lot harder to be a farmer than to make something in a factory and I enjoy my job. It is simple and I make money to support my family, and I strongly believe that living in the city is better.
Thank you for writing that great article on today’s youth. I couldn’t help but to agree more with you. Today’s youth are lazy, spoiled, and are shaming us adults. With all the new inventions that make housework done in such a short time. Like how the new vacuum is sweeping up all the dirt, and gas stoves making anything heat up in the shortest amount of time possible! Not to mention the dish washer. That’s not how it was in my day. Your segment on flappers really opened my eyes to young women. To see these girls my daughters age chopping off their long hair, wearing short skirts, and are now partaking in drinking and smoking! You can count on me still chaperoning my daughter on her dates, that’s for sure. I’m also starting to worry for my daughter’s education. With all these young kids going to school now, they’ve started to create these social clubs. These clubs are going to distract my daughter from her education, I just know it. Thank you again for your wonderful eye opening article on today’s youth.
Sincerely, Hannah
Sincerely, Nolan Fuhrmeister
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, I thank you for writing about the adult culture changing history. Adults are what inspired everything to be fun, the youth just followed and made it flunky. We, the adults, started the Show Girls, even though most were just waiting on marriage proposals. The men were the ones that played all the good music, such as jazz, blues, broadway, and dance bands. Art and confidence from the “elders” is what boosted this change to happen. At first, mothers that didn't know about the change went along with their daughters lead. Wearing shorter hair, shorter skirts, and lighter fabrics. They even started smoking, did you know President Coolidge’s wife was the first First Lady to smoke. That is how I knew things were changing. As we kept on following our daughters lead, we noticed that bad side to this. Flaps were wearing way more make-up, they seemed like flour lovers. They were becoming more rebellious, there was a rise in organized crime, more inner-city poverty, and a higher rate of underage, illegal, drinking. We thought this was getting out of hand so we thought of some solutions. The mothers, grandmothers, women tried to legislate a dress code in some states to set a standard of how short a skirt should be. I remember hearing “Girls are far more aggressive today. They would call boys up to try and make dates with them, as they never would have when I was a girl” With that we created standards for “Moral Gown” that went down to or passed your ankles, they had a high neckline, and sleeves that went just above the elbow. We can't let the youth break traditions! Sincerely, Yarelle Jaimes
Dear Editor, I agree congress when they put this law into effect on the date January 17, 1920. President hoover called the amendment ‘’ a great social and economic experiment, noble in motive.’’ I agree with this statement because in some cases some families didn’t divorce because the adult who was drinking a lot was more responsible when they drank alcohol. Even though a lot of americans still continued to drink in some ways the law did help out the country like there were less fights on the streets because Americans chose to drink responsibly. Also people weren’t spending a lot of money on alcohol they would save more when they didn’t drink a lot. Comparing the 20’s to today I agree with the laws today because people are more safe when they drink. I also agree with the law if you get caught drinking and driving you will be fined or pulled over. Sincerely, Alec Shifflett
Briefing Population is on the rise right now. Starting in 1920 at 105.7 million to 122.8 million by 1930 Percentage of American homes with electricity in 1920: 35% ... in 1929: 68%
Gatsby was talking about how falling in love is a bad decision because the women he fell in love with was rich.
Migration to the U.S. “Prohibition has made nothing but trouble.” -Al Capone
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
talks about being yourself
In 1920, the Internal Revenue Service reports, the average income was $3,269.40 per year. Ford talking about car inventions
The Foreign Policy The internationalist policies of president Woodrow Wilson were rejected in favor of the conservation. protectionist, nonintervention policies adopted by a succession of Republican presidents. In 1923 the United States instigated the Dawes plan, which restricted German reparations payments, aided by loans amounting to $3.4 billion brom Anerican Finacial Intitsous. We didn't let anyone from the Asia and middle East come to America because we did not trust them. We restricted people from northern and western Europe. But the reason why we still let some come in because some of them are related to them and they look like us and Asians looked different. There was no restrictions on Canadians and Mexicans. Also Europe and Germany owed us money so that's one reason why we didn't let any of their kind into America. And we didn't want to to get into their wars, and be involved with them in any way. Which also led us to just leave them alone and not have any of us do anything with eachother ever again. We tried to take back their land in a way saying we are friends. They didn't like that so they said they didn't like it so america said we will stop the trade and they were going to ge their separate ways but we didn't, so they called over some other buddies and then America got scared.
Want to buy the latest car? Go buy a Ford for only $1,589!
The 1920s are a very energetic time period, but also a very dark time period. Everything has changed, women, culture, music, the fact that more people coming from out of the country, but as more immigrants came, racism was rising faster and faster. In the early years of the decade, we’ve had a bad side. This is directing more to a group that intolerance and hostility to any group of people that aren’t white, the Klu Klux Klan. They kill anyone that is not their skin color because of “religious reasons” that is not right. To prevent such things the U.S. has made a law made to limit people coming from Russia, South Europe, and Asia, called the National Origins Act of 1924. Thirty-two other state governments passes their own legislation limiting the rights of alien residents. The Alien Land Act of 1920 restricts the rights of Asians in owning land, or corporations that own and lease land to forbid Asian immigrants of purchasing land through corporations. California didn't like that they held more than 50% of the stocks or are in the names of their American born child. The rumors that have been spreading about the spies in Russia and the International Intrigue during the war of Russia, it has been scaring Americans.so much that we have made names like bolshevik, anarchist, communist, and reds for people we think are a threat to the American culture. People have heard about the russian revolution and we don't want that to happen here so when we see or hear a threat we need to eliminate it. There has been talk about bombings. In 1919 there was a bomb being mailed to places like justice officials, newspaper editors and businessmen, lucky they were caught and safely deactivated.There has also been some good things about this decade. Music and dancing have made a turn. Jazz is groovy and motion pictures with sound have
Society
Economy Recently, the economy is starting to evolutionize. The population is growing dramatically. Big cities are seeing millions coming to the cities, for work usually, which is a huge change from the late 1800s. There are new industries, which are pulling many people to bigger cities. For example, new products such as: telephones, radios, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and others are being made on a large scale, but at a cheaper price. Very good advertising was also created for many products, and can be seen very often. The largest new industry now is the motorcar industry, which had been made entirely different by Henry Ford. Hoover is becoming a household name and the biggest growth is in radios. Consumerism can be thought of as the culture surrounding the buying and selling of products. Consumerism is a result of mass production, new products on the market, and improved advertising techniques. With more spare time available and money to spend, us Americans are eager to own the latest items. Advertisers used this to their advantage, often stressing luxury and convenience.
"BUY NOW, PAY LATER" became the words of many of us middle class Americans of the roaring twenties. For the single-income family, all these new conveniences were impossible to afford, but retailers wanted the consumer to have it all. Department stores opened up generous lines of credit for us who could not pay up front but could pay in the future. Similar “plans” were offered to buyers who could not afford the produces, but could afford "twelve easy payments." Over half of the nation's cars are being sold on credit. America's consumers can have it all, if they are okay with debt. “Business Fever” to round out the happy picture, is when all the prices of things are stable, savings and life insurance doubled, and business are given added drive by the growth of chain stores and installment buying. At no time in the 1920s are more than 1.5 million Americans are involved in the market.
One of the first motorcars, 1920s
Crime and Prohibition The 1920s were a big change after WW1. People came out with new and better inventions and a lot changed. There was a need for prohibition because people in the U.S. were getting injured or even dying from fights or riots due to alcohol. So there was a need for prohibition.
During Prohibition, a woman adds alcohol to her drink, poured from a hollow walking stick
Prohibition started in 1920. Prohibition was the 18th Amendment. Prohibition is the sale, consumption, transportation, and manufacture of alcohol is illegal. Prohibition was formed because people believed that all the crime was caused by alcohol. The group that supported prohibition are the Drys. They believed that alcohol was the cause of bad relationships and crime. They thought no drinking would result in a healthier and happier society. Following the 18th Amendment was the Volstead Act. The Volstead Act was supposed to enforce Prohibition, but the federal government never gave the agencies proper funding. There was a widespread abuse of alcohol that created serious social problem, so, Prohibition was made to make alcohol illegal to be produced and sell in about 26 states around the midwest and south. Meaning, in those states crime and corruption has reduced, as well as the reduce of tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, it also has improved the people's health and hygiene. The arrest for drunkenness has declined, there are not as much hospitalization for alcoholism, and if you aren't drinking then you won't have liverrelated medical problems. By not consuming alcohol you are helping with reserving grain
Crime in the big cities are starting to become really bad. Prohibition is encouraging people to see the law as whimsical and unimportant, instead of something good and protecting. It did nothing to encourage the respect and obedience the law deserves. Prohibition is creating organized crime. It is taking significant crimes, which does not differentiate between petty crimes like transporting liquor and real crimes like violence, murder, and theft. Prohibition bans all alcohol from being made, sold and transported. The wets don't like the ban, but us drys do. We support the ban of nationwide ban sales, productions, and transportation of alcoholic beverages, but places like speakeasies got in the way and totally disobeyed the law against the ban. The speakeasies or blind tigers, are establishments that illegally sell alcohol. They got the alcohol form bootleggers who illegally make, import, and sell alcohol.
Al Capone
Each big city has there own crimes and criminals. There's a fella named Al Capone is a great criminal. Every year he earned $6 million. Al Capone usually supplies most of Chicago with alcohol, he basically owns Chicago. Most police officers work for him so he isn’t really afraid of much and he always has a free hand. One of the other gangsters is Bugsy he is Capone's rival. One time Bugsy had some of his men dropped of over by a drop of section where alcohol was being delivered. Based on what has happened so far when prohibition was introduced, I think prohibition might fail, because people still sell, drink, and transport alcohol. So that's why I think prohibition will be ratified later in the years.
Entertainment By Nolan Fuhrmeister Our current decade of 1920 is certainly one of change. At the beginning, radios seemed obsolete. But now, it’s a way of staying connected. We tune in every day now to hear about the latest news, sports scores, and here the popular music. They’re just so easy and convenient to use. Don’t forget about the famous radio musical shows like Chase and Sandborn, and Amos ‘n’ Andy the radio comedy. By now 12 million people (one third of the population) are listening at home. Baseball became an instant home run again with our new heroes. George Herman Ruth, also known as “Babe Ruth”, made an uproar after the Black Sox scandal. He plays for the New York Yankees, and in his first season hit 54 home runs. A record that hasn’t been beat yet! Jazz sweeped the nation off its just a few years back. Jazz is a mix of ragtime music and other traditions, originated in New Orleans by southern black folks, and spread to the northern cities when the blacks replaced the jobs of our brothers that went off to war. Clubs where folks from all around go to listen to jazz have popped up all over the cities. Some big hits are Joe Oliver, Louie Armstrong, and Duke Ellington, who revolutionized the genre.
Along with the radio, films are a popular rising wave. By now, we have all fallen in love with our favorite comedians, and actors. Just recently the film industry has been able to incorporate sound into the films. It used to just be someone playing music in the theater to accompany the film, but no more. Actors are now starting to gain reputation for saying their lines in their films. A growing theme in magazines have been sex. As some would say we are animals of a different kind, so it’s okay. Just a while ago magazines have been throwing in sex stories to arouse their readers without getting censored. Recently the film industry has been showing sexual themes in their films.
Sports By Alec Shifflett
In football in the 1920s, most of the excitement was in the college ranks, and the most famous college football player was Harold G. Range of the university of Illinois. He was named the galloping ghost because he was so fast and hard to hang onto.
The 1920s sports and professionalism In: America in the 1920s professional sports became big business. Writing in 1928, economist Stuart Chase estimated that ‘’ not far from a quarter of the entire income of america is expended for play and recreation. A considerable portion of that expenditure was on spectator sports. Also the radio helped, intensify public enthusiasm by covering not only games but also surrounding gossip.
Riots and fines: In the 1922 season new york yankee stars Bob Meusel and Babe Ruth were suspended for 39 days for taking part in a barnstorming exhibition tour which they had been paid. The baseball authorities were always suspicious of players with external sources of income because they feared that the money might come from a corrupt source, and that it might lead to accusations of game fixing. When Babe and Bob got into a riot with the Detroit Tigers Bob was fined $100 and Babe was fined $50.
Boxing enjoyed enormous popularity in the 1920s and much of the decade. Jack Dempsey was the king of the ring. Jack was born in Colorado his family was poor, so he began to box to earn money. He won the heavyweight championship and held on to the belt for a few years.
10 Questions With Josephine Baker The Roaring Twenties were all about becoming "someone". Changing yourself from the old and modernizing it. In this interview Josephine Baker tells us how she became someone. 1.)
When and where were you born?
4.)
I was born in St. Louis in 1906, I was only 15 when the "roaring Twenties" began. It was stereotypical that every black artist wanted to work in Harlem in the 1920s, but, I was no exception. 2.)
Why did you become a dancer?
By the time I was 19 I had crossed the Atlantic Ocean and landed in France i thought of myself as a new woman which lead to my interest. I became a dancer because I was born in a cold city, because I felt cold throughout my childhood, because I always wanted to dance on stage, that was my warmth. 3.)
How was your “big break”?
When I traveled to Harlem I was called "too ugly, too thin, too dark" by Sissle and Blake when I auditioned for their stage show, "Shuffle Along", but because of my persistence and my talent, by 1921, I was the featured performer in that same show, with my "outlandish" dance performances.
How do you describe your personality?
I feel like I have a goofy personality, I got the nickname "ragamuffin". But with this description people said that it ignores my elegance, litheness and the beautiful way I moved around the stage. 5.)
How do you like being a dancer?
I love it! I like earning $125 a week and being the highest paid chorus girl in the world, but I didn’t like living in a segregated America with it's racist attitudes. I had been treated as a ragamuffin, an animal, and a wild spectacle in America. 6.)
What do you describe your dancing style to be?
I think of it to be very original, crazy, and fun. You know I’m known for my Charleston Dance, in a good and bad way. see, Americans didn't think highly of me. One time a reporter came to see me and he said my dances were “the perfect portrayal of animal and devil without any true humanity.”.
7.)
Why did you leave the U.S.?
I left to become a real star. I disliked the attitudes of America. the height of the "roaring Twenties" was segregated and bigoted. France was a different story. I could be myself for the first time in my life. I could go anywhere I wanted, whenever I wanted without fear of derision and hatred. 8.)
How did france change you? if in anyway.
Well for one I was making $1,500 a week, but I started to blossom with a friendlier and more accepting nature of the European people. I explored my sensual side and, what can I say, I became one of the world's first "sex symbols". 9.)
What did this mean to you?
It means I became a symbol of beauty and sexuality. I started posing and performing on stage shows nude. At first I did have some discomfort but then I willingly accepted this new role, performing exotic and erotic dances. 10.)
Do you plan on having any kids?
Not in the moment I plan to just performing until I'm old enough that I can’t anymore.
Bibliography Hanson, Erica. "A Cultural History of the United States through the Decades." BetterWorldBooks.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. "Josephine Baker in the 1920s." Josephine Baker in the 1920s. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. Rex. During Prohibition, a Woman Adds Alcohol to Her Drink, Poured from a Hollow Walking Stick. Digital image. N.p., 25 Aug. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. Sandbrook, Dominic. "How Prohibition Backfired and Gave America an Era of Gangsters and Speakeasies." N.p., 25 Aug. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. Yancey, Diane. "Life during the Roaring Twenties." Alibris. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. Yapp, Nick. "1920s: The Hutton Getty Picture Collection." 0760722234. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. Corrigan, Jim. The 1920s Decade in Photos: The Roaring Twenties. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2010. Print. Farrington, Jan. America Awakes; a New Appraisal of the Twenties. Richmond, VA: Westover Pub., 1971. Print. Hanson, Erica. "A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades - The 1920s (A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades Series)." A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades - The 1920s (A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades Series). N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. Wukovits, John F. The 1920s. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2000. Print. Crossy Car. Digital image. Crossley Motors. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. Dongsi Pailou. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Digital image. Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. Henry Ford Quote. Digital image. Harness Natural Power. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. Jay Gatsby. Digital image. Pintrest. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. "Life during the Roaring Twenties." Alibris. Diane Yancey, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. Migration to the Us. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. "The Roaring Twenties (World History)." PaperBackSwap.com. David Pietrusza, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. "Robot Check." Robot Check. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. Shmoop Editorial Team. "The 1920s Statistics." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. "This Fabulous Century." (Book, 1969) [WorldCat.org]. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. Events That Shaped the Century. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life, 1998. Print. "Found in Mom's Basement." 'Found in Mom's Basement' N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. Himsl, Sharon M. 1920-1940: The Twentieth Century. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2004. Print. Lüsted, Marcia Amidon, and Jennifer K. Keller. The Roaring Twenties: Discover the Era of Prohibition, Flappers, and Jazz. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Pietrusza, David. The Roaring Twenties. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1998. Print. Wukovits, John F. The 1920s. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2000. Print.