Episode 10

full
Published on:

1st Aug 2025

S2E10-1920s

Follow Along & Stay Connected

This episode of Star-Spangled Studies follows The American Yawp, a free and open U.S. history textbook. You can read along or explore more at:

👉 www.americanyawp.com

Stay connected with Dr. G and the podcast community:

📘 Facebook

📸 Instagram: @star_spangled_studies

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share Star-Spangled Studies with fellow history lovers!

Transcript
Speaker:

The great war was over

the world in America.

2

:

With it had been irrevocably altered

and in its wake, a profound yearning

3

:

for calm, a return to simpler times

after war spread across the nation.

4

:

This sentiment found its voice in

the presidential campaign of:

5

:

and its champion in Warren g Harding.

6

:

He had a promise, his promise.

7

:

A return to normalcy.

8

:

America's present need is

not heroics, but healing.

9

:

Not nostros, but normalcy, not

revolution, but restoration.

10

:

Not agitation, but adjustment.

11

:

Not surgery, but serenity.

12

:

Not the dramatic but the dispassionate.

13

:

Not experiment, but

equipoise, not submergence.

14

:

In internationality.

15

:

But sustainment in triumphant nationality.

16

:

End quote, Harding's words

delivered to the home market

17

:

Club of Boston in May of 1920.

18

:

Struck a chord with the nation.

19

:

The nation was exhausted by the global

conflict, by the social reforms of

20

:

the progressive era and by a series of

domestic crises that seem to signal.

21

:

Anything but peace between 1918

and:

22

:

pandemic had claimed the lives of

nearly 700,000 Americans hitting

23

:

almost 20% of the population.

24

:

Lucian Van Vert, a Native American nurse

volunteering in Washington DC during the

25

:

pandemic wrote of Soldiers Dying by the

Dozens, that was her quote, and a city

26

:

where all public life, that means schools,

churches, theaters, had ground to a halt.

27

:

This was a trauma etch deep

in the national psyche.

28

:

Then there was the red summer of 1919,

a period of intense racial violence

29

:

that erupted in at least 25 cities,

including Chicago and Washington.

30

:

DC.

31

:

The Chicago race riot alone sparked by

the drowning of a black teenager named

32

:

Eugene Williams after he had crossed an

Ivis invisible line at a segregated beach.

33

:

It lasted 13 days, leaving 38 dead.

34

:

23 African Americans and 15 whites

while injuring over 500 more and leaving

35

:

a thousand black families homeless.

36

:

This wave of violence underscored the

raw, unresolved racial tension simmering

37

:

beneath the surface of American life.

38

:

Adding to the instability.

39

:

The immediate post-war period saw

an economic downturn with national

40

:

unemployment soaring to 20%, and farmers

facing catastrophic bankruptcy rate.

41

:

So Harding's call for normalcy was less

a reflection of the existing reality

42

:

and more of a potent political appeal

to a deep seated desire for respite.

43

:

But the very forces unleashed by the

war, the economic shifts, the experiences

44

:

of returning soldiers, the heightened

nationalisms and the widespread

45

:

disillusionment made a simple return

to the pre-war state and illusion.

46

:

I.

47

:

The war had mobilized American industry

and society on an unprecedented

48

:

scale, and these changes couldn't

be reversed, including the new roles

49

:

for women and other minorities, and

it just wasn't feasible to go back

50

:

to some kind of pre-war normal.

51

:

I.

52

:

The psychological scars of war

with the pandemic and the red scare

53

:

created a volatile social landscape.

54

:

Normalcy was the promise, but the

:

55

:

So to talk about the 1920s, this decade,

it cannot be understood in isolation.

56

:

It was profoundly shaped by the

legacy of the preceding eras.

57

:

The failures of reconstruction,

for instance, cast a long shadow.

58

:

The inability to secure, lasting

civil and economic rights for

59

:

African Americans in the South.

60

:

Leading to the entrenchment of Jim

Crow, the exploitative sharecropping

61

:

system, the pervasive racial terror

we've talked about in previous episodes.

62

:

Well, these directly fueled the great

migration as hundreds of thousands

63

:

of African-Americans move north,

seeking economic opportunity, as

64

:

well as an escape from southern

oppression, lynching violence.

65

:

They carried these unresolved national

wounds with them reshaping urban

66

:

centers, and they laid the groundwork

for a new cultural expression as well

67

:

as continued racial conflict even in the

North as the national archives itself.

68

:

Notes regarding this earlier exo

duster movement that we talked about.

69

:

The failure of reconstruction led to what

Carter g Woodson called quote slavery in

70

:

a modified form, and it compelled many

to seek refuge and opportunity elsewhere

71

:

in the nation away from the south.

72

:

This same dynamic propelled the

larger waves of this great migration.

73

:

Simultaneously, the industrial

behemoth that was forged in the Gilded

74

:

Age provided the technological and

nomic engine that powered the:

75

:

The era's newfound mass

production coming out of the war.

76

:

Its dazzling consumer goods.

77

:

Its sprawling cities.

78

:

Were all.

79

:

Built upon the foundations we talked

about, laid in the 19th century.

80

:

Yet the Gilded Age also gave a legacy

of vast inequality, bitter labor

81

:

disputes, and severe urban problems

like overcrowding and poor sanitation

82

:

issues that continue to provoke social

critique and demands for reform in the

83

:

1920s, which was called The New Era.

84

:

I've used this quote before, but I'll

use it again here, speaking about

85

:

the British author Rudyard Kipling,

who had visited Chicago in:

86

:

the height of the Gilded Age, and he

described a city quote, captivated

87

:

by technology and blinded by greed, a

huge wilderness of terrible streets.

88

:

And terrible people.

89

:

His words capture the mixture of awe

and unease that industrial modernity

90

:

inspired an ambivalence that would only

ntensify in the decade of the:

91

:

Therefore, the 1920s often dubbed the

roaring twenties, or the new era was

92

:

far from a simple return to normalcy.

93

:

Instead, it was a dynamic and deeply

contradictory decade, a cultural

94

:

and social battleground where the

forces of modernity clashed with

95

:

traditional values, where unprecedented

prosperity and technological

96

:

advancement existed alongside profound

social anxieties and where new

97

:

voices of liberation and artistic

expression challenge the old order.

98

:

In this episode, we'll explore these

tensions from the assembly lines and the

99

:

airwaves that reshaped American life to

the resurgence of the KKK and the culture

100

:

wars that sought to define what it meant

to be American, all while reconnecting

101

:

and connecting these developments to the

enduring legacies of the 19th century

102

:

reconstruction and industrialization.

103

:

So let's go.

104

:

So let's imagine if we can capture

the dynamism of the:

105

:

it might best be done by thinking

about the gleaming hood of a.

106

:

Ford Model T rolling off the

assembly line, ready to transform

107

:

the American landscape and

the very rhythm of daily life.

108

:

This was the machine age and

its gears were driven by mass

109

:

production, birthing a new consumer

republic, and at the forefront of

110

:

this transformation was Henry Ford.

111

:

His relentless pursuit of efficiency

through the moving assembly

112

:

line didn't just build cars.

113

:

It kind of built a new form

of America, the innovation.

114

:

First successfully implemented at

his Highland Park Assembly plant

115

:

in 1913, dramatically slashed the

time it took to build a Model T from

116

:

over 12 hours to a mere 93 minutes.

117

:

By 1914, by 1925 Ford's factories were

churning out up to 10,000 cars a day.

118

:

This incredible output.

119

:

Increase over the decade made the

automobile, which was once a luxury

120

:

accessible to the average American.

121

:

The price of a Model T also plummeted

in:

122

:

1924 because of the mass production.

123

:

Ford himself famously declared, quote, we

believe in making 25,000 men prosperous

124

:

and contented rather than follow the

plan of making a few slave drivers in

125

:

our establishment Multimillionaires.

126

:

End quote.

127

:

This was part of his justification

for the revolutionary $5 Workday,

128

:

which he introduced in 1914.

129

:

While seemingly altruistic, this move

was also a pragmatic response to the

130

:

grueling, monotonous nature of the

assembly line work, which had led to

131

:

a staggering 370% labor turnover rate.

132

:

I.

133

:

At his Highland Park factory.

134

:

The higher wage, though, initially

a profit sharing bonus with strings

135

:

attached Ford's sociological department

was even inspected workers' homes

136

:

to ensure they lived according

to company approved standards.

137

:

It did attract and retain workers.

138

:

It also can lead.

139

:

Turned his own employees

into potential customers.

140

:

While it was a pragmatic response

for the turnover, it also has to be

141

:

reviewed in the response to labor issues

and wanting to avoid strikes as well.

142

:

Ford was smart in that aspect.

143

:

The impact of the affordable automobile

was seismic industries like glass,

144

:

steel, and rubber boomed to meet

the production demands of more cars.

145

:

The very landscape of

America began to change.

146

:

As our textbook notes quote,

street, street carb suburbs

147

:

gave way to automobile suburbs.

148

:

End quote.

149

:

Families could now live further from

urban cores leading to an explosive growth

150

:

of suburban communities with developers

designing new homes complete with

151

:

driveways and garages for their new cars.

152

:

Rural life too was transformed.

153

:

The car began to erode the profound

isolation that had characterized much of

154

:

farm existence, a trip to town once and.

155

:

All day affair by a horse and wagon

can now be done in a matter of hours.

156

:

As one farm woman succinctly put it when

asked why her family bought a car before

157

:

getting indoor plumbing in their home.

158

:

Quote, why you can't go

to a town in the bathtub?

159

:

End quote.

160

:

By 1920, a third of American

farmers owned a car using it not

161

:

just for transportation, but also

for hauling goods and even as a

162

:

source of farm machinery power.

163

:

This new mobility fostered a

roadside culture up, started to pop.

164

:

Gas stations, diners, motels, and the

ubiquitous billboards, which sprang

165

:

up to cater to the traveling public,

auto camping, or gypsy as it was

166

:

called, became a popular pastime even

among the wealthy with figures like

167

:

Henry Ford and even President Harding.

168

:

Himself partaking in the activity.

169

:

So while the automobile started to

conquer physical distance, another

170

:

invention was conquering the ether.

171

:

The radio in the 1920s radio

transitioned from a tinkers

172

:

curiosity to a household necessity.

173

:

Sales skyrocketed from about $60

million in:

174

:

By 1929, that's a sevenfold increase,

and by that year, over 10 million

175

:

American households had a radio.

176

:

It was more than just

an entertainment device.

177

:

The radio became a powerful unifying

force as our textbook highlights

178

:

it, quote drew the nation together,

blunted regional differences and

179

:

imposed similar tastes in lifestyles.

180

:

End quote.

181

:

For the first time, Americans from

coast to coast could share the

182

:

same experiences simultaneously.

183

:

They could listen to the same news, the

same music, and hear the same stories.

184

:

The reach of the radio cannot be

understated because it was unprecedented.

185

:

It penetrated even the homes where

literacy was a barrier, something

186

:

that newspapers could not do.

187

:

The writer EB White would later

recall radio's impact on rural

188

:

communities, describing it as

almost a God-like presence.

189

:

The airwaves crackled with

a variety of programming.

190

:

Musical shows were immensely popular,

bringing jazz from Harlem's Cotton

191

:

Club performed by iconic artists

like Duke Ellington and Benny

192

:

Goodman to a national audience.

193

:

Comedy shows like Amos and Andy, despite.

194

:

Perpetuating very harmful racial

stereotypes became a national phenomenon.

195

:

News, political speeches,

and play-by-play.

196

:

Sports broadcasting also

filled the airwaves.

197

:

Transforming how Americans engage

with current events in leisure.

198

:

Sitting down and listening

to a ball game by the radio.

199

:

Still one of my favorite things to do.

200

:

The first live broadcast of presidential

election results occurred in:

201

:

on the station KDKA in Pittsburgh,

and by the:

202

:

four years later, radio had become

a significant campaign tool.

203

:

So this explosion of mass produced

goods and mass media created the fertile

204

:

ground for another booming industry.

205

:

Advertising our favorite

thing, we all love ads.

206

:

The 1920s saw advertising transform

from a largely informal service

207

:

to a powerful pervasive force.

208

:

The total advertising volume in the United

States grew from about 200 million in

209

:

1880 to nearly $3 billion in 1920, and

by:

210

:

in the advertising industry itself.

211

:

Advertisers began to employ sophisticated

psychological techniques and emotional

212

:

appeals to create a desire for products

moving beyond simply responding to demand.

213

:

To actively creating that demand.

214

:

The Listerine campaign, for

example, didn't just sell mouthwash.

215

:

It sold relief from a newly minted

social anxiety of halitosis.

216

:

Coca-Cola invited customers

to pause that refreshes.

217

:

As one contemporary observer noted

quote, advertisers were no longer

218

:

simply responding to demand.

219

:

They were creating the demand end quote.

220

:

This new culture of consumption was

further enabled by the widespread adoption

221

:

of also something new consumer credit.

222

:

The mantra, buy Now, pay later took hold.

223

:

Department stores offer generous

lines of credit and installments.

224

:

Plans made big ticket items like

the automobile and new household

225

:

appliances attainable for many middle

class families who couldn't afford to

226

:

buy them wholesale with a lump sum.

227

:

By the end of the decade, an astonishing

75% of cars were purchased on credit.

228

:

The economic engine of the

:

229

:

machine of interdependent parts.

230

:

Mass production, fueled by

industrial advancement, churned out

231

:

an unprecedented volume of goods.

232

:

Mass media, particularly the radio and

national magazines, created a unified

233

:

audience for advertisers who in turn

cultivated new desires and aspirations.

234

:

The consumer credit provided the

mechanism for these desires to be

235

:

translated into purchases to be consumed.

236

:

This cycle propelled a prosperity of the

roaring twenties, but it also embedded

237

:

a reliance on continuous consumption and

debt that would have profound consequences

238

:

when the economic wind shifted.

239

:

While these technologies fostered a

national culture by breaking down regional

240

:

barriers and exposing diverse populations

to shared products and media and news,

241

:

they also paradoxically contributed

to a new form of social segmentation.

242

:

I.

243

:

The automobile, for instance, facilitated

the growth of the suburbs, which often

244

:

became segregated by class radio programs

while creating the shared experiences,

245

:

sometimes did so by reinforcing harmful

stereotypes, particularly of African

246

:

Americans in shows like Amos and Andy.

247

:

Access to these new consumer goods

and technologies was not universal

248

:

and it often reflected and reinforced

existing class and racial divides.

249

:

Thus, the very tools for forging a

national culture were simultaneously.

250

:

Inscribing new lines of division.

251

:

Amidst the roar of the engines and

the crackle of radio waves, new voices

252

:

were rising, challenging the old

norms and forging fresh identities.

253

:

The 1920s was a period of

profound cultural ferment.

254

:

Nowhere more vibrantly expressed

than that in the Harlem Renaissance,

255

:

in the emergence of the new woman.

256

:

These movements didn't just reflect

the times they actively shaped them,

257

:

offering powerful critiques and

alternative visions of American life.

258

:

So let's start with

the Harlem Renaissance.

259

:

The great migration, that vast movement

of African Americans from the rural

260

:

south to the industrial north was

more than just a demographic shift.

261

:

It was a catalyst for

a cultural revolution.

262

:

Harlem in New York City became the

epicenter of this transformation.

263

:

Its black population exploded, growing

% between:

264

:

it grew to over 327,000 people.

265

:

As one contemporary account noted,

Harlem became a destination for

266

:

African Americans of all backgrounds.

267

:

They shared common experiences of slavery,

emancipation, and racial oppression,

268

:

as well as a determination to forge a

new identity as free people end quote.

269

:

This concentration of talent,

experience and aspiration created

270

:

the fertile ground for what became

known as the Harlem Renaissance.

271

:

Now a key intellectual architect

of the Harlem Renaissance in

272

:

this movement was Allain Locke.

273

:

In his seminal 1925 essay, entered

the new Negro Locke, proclaimed

274

:

that the arrival of a black populace

imbued with a new psychology and

275

:

undergoing a spiritual emancipation.

276

:

The old Negro as Locke argued, quote,

was a creature of moral debate and

277

:

historical controversy, more of a

formula than a human being End quote.

278

:

This new Negro by contrast was

shaking off, quote, the psychology

279

:

of imitation and implied inferiority.

280

:

This was a declaration of intellectual

and cultural independence.

281

:

This new spirit found powerful

expression in literature.

282

:

Men like Langston Hughes.

283

:

Perhaps he was the most iconic

poet of the Renaissance itself, and

284

:

he championed the beauty and the

resilience of everyday black life,

285

:

infusing his work with the rhythms of

jazz and blues in his:

286

:

Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain.

287

:

Hughes challenged black artists to

embrace their heritage and resist the

288

:

urge towards whiteness, the desire to

conform to white artistic standards.

289

:

He declared, quote, we younger Negro

artists who create now intend to

290

:

express our individual dark skinned

selves without fear or shame.

291

:

We build our temples for tomorrow strong

as we know how, and we stand on top

292

:

of the mountain free within ourselves.

293

:

End quote.

294

:

His poem entitled I too, captures the

spirit of this assertive belonging quote.

295

:

I too sing America.

296

:

I am the darker brother.

297

:

They send me to eat in the kitchen

when company comes, but I laugh

298

:

and I eat well and grow strong.

299

:

Tomorrow I'll be at the

table when the company comes.

300

:

End quote.

301

:

Zora Neil Hurston, another towering

figure celebrated southern black

302

:

folk culture and explored the

multifaceted identities of black women.

303

:

Her 1928 essay how it feels to be

Colored Me offers a defiant and

304

:

individualistic perspective on race.

305

:

She famously wrote, quote,

I am not tragically colored.

306

:

There is no great sorrow damned up in

my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes.

307

:

I do not mind at all, end quote,

and with her characteristic wit,

308

:

quote, sometimes I feel discriminated

against, but it does not make me angry.

309

:

It merely astonishes me.

310

:

How can any deny themselves

the pleasure of my company?

311

:

It's beyond me.

312

:

End quote.

313

:

Claude McKay, a Jamaican immigrant,

brought a militant fire to his

314

:

poetry, his sonnet, if we must die.

315

:

Penned in response to the

red summer of:

316

:

anthem of resistance quote.

317

:

If we must die, let it not be like hogs

hunted and penned in an inglorious spot.

318

:

Like men will face the murderous

cowardly pack, pressed to the wall,

319

:

dying, but fighting back end quote.

320

:

His poem.

321

:

America in 1921 expressed a more

ambivalent yet powerful engagement

322

:

with his adopted homeland.

323

:

Although she feeds me bread of

bitterness and sinks into my

324

:

throat, her tiger's tooth, I.

325

:

Stealing my breath of life.

326

:

I will confess.

327

:

I love this cultured

hell that tests my youth.

328

:

End quote, visual artists also flourished.

329

:

Aaron Douglas often called the father

of African-American modernism, created

330

:

murals like aspects of Negro life in 1934

that depicted the historical journey and

331

:

cultural heritage of African Americans.

332

:

Blending African motifs

with modern aesthetics.

333

:

His work visually narrated the black

experience, making history and identity

334

:

accessible and instilling pride.

335

:

And then of course there was the music.

336

:

The 1920s was undeniably the jazz

age, and Harlem was, its beating heart

337

:

innovators like Duke Ellington and

Louis Armstrong revolutionized American

338

:

music and I can't stress that enough.

339

:

Ellington himself captured the allure of

the place, saying Harlem in our minds had

340

:

the world's most glamorous atmosphere.

341

:

We had to go there.

342

:

End quote, venues like the Cotton

Club became legendary, though they

343

:

often embodied a central paradox

of the era showcasing incredible

344

:

black talent in the music on stage.

345

:

To exclusively white audiences.

346

:

It was a stark reminder of

the pervasive segregation.

347

:

Even within this cultural blossoming

and even in the north, black culture

348

:

was being celebrated and consumed,

yet often on the terms dictated bias.

349

:

Segregated society, highlighting

the complex interplay of artistic

350

:

freedom, economic necessity.

351

:

Racial Inequality Magazines like The

Crisis published by the NAACP under the

352

:

editorial leadership of WEB Du Bois and

literary editor Jesse Redmond Faucet.

353

:

An opportunity published by the

National Urban League with Charles S.

354

:

Johnson at the helm played a crucial

role in nurturing and promoting this

355

:

new wave of black writers and artists.

356

:

Often through literary contests and

providing a platform for their work to

357

:

be published, these publications were

vital in shaping and disseminating

358

:

the ideas of the Harlem Renaissance.

359

:

Parallel to the emergence of the new

Negro, the:

360

:

the new woman, the iconic image of the

flapper with her bobbed hair, short

361

:

skirts, makeup, and a penchant for

smoking cigarettes, drinking cocktails,

362

:

and dancing to jazz symbolized a

broader challenge to the Victorian

363

:

norms of femininity and domesticity.

364

:

The new woman was more than

just a fashion statement.

365

:

She represented a deeper shift in women's

roles and aspirations, significantly

366

:

fueled by the achievement of national

th Amendment in:

367

:

Feminist and socialist Crystal

Eastman in her:

368

:

Now we can begin articulated a

forward-looking agenda with the vote.

369

:

One she argued the real fight for women's

freedom could commence for Eastman.

370

:

This meant quote, how to arrange the

world so that women can be human beings

371

:

instead of being destined by the accident

of their sex to one field of activity.

372

:

Housework.

373

:

Child raising.

374

:

She called for economic independence,

a revolution in the early training and

375

:

education of both boys and girls to

dismantle traditional gender roles in

376

:

domestic labor and voluntary motherhood

through access to birth control.

377

:

She quip men will not

give up their privilege of

378

:

helplessness without a struggle.

379

:

End quote.

380

:

Women's activism in the 1920s

extended into various spheres.

381

:

They were prominent in peace movements

with organizations like the Women's

382

:

Peace Party, which became the US

section of the Women's International

383

:

League for Peace and Freedom, and

they advocated for international

384

:

cooperation and military disarmament.

385

:

They lobbied for labor

regulations and child welfare.

386

:

A significant legislative victory was

the Shepherd Toner Act of:

387

:

provided federal funds for maternal and

child health clinics, a landmark piece

388

:

of social welfare legislation heavily

influenced by women's advocacy groups like

389

:

the Women's Joint Congressional Committee.

390

:

This act demonstrated the newfound

political leverage of enfranchised

391

:

women and their commitment to

social reform providing a model for

392

:

future federal state partnerships.

393

:

I.

394

:

In addition to these was Margaret Sanger,

who was a leading figure in the birth

395

:

control movement and in founding of

the American Birth Control League in

396

:

1921, tirelessly campaigning for women's

reproductive rights, despite facing

397

:

legal challenges and social opposition.

398

:

Her work, however, was complicated by her

association with the eugenics movement.

399

:

In 1920, Sanger stated that birth

control is nothing more or less

400

:

than the facilitation of the

process of weeding out the unfit and

401

:

preventing the birth of defectives.

402

:

This alignment though Sanger

reportedly opposed eugenics along

403

:

purely racial lines, tarnished her

legacy and highlighted the complex

404

:

and sometimes troubling intersection

of 20th century reform movements.

405

:

The era's exuberance and excesses

also drew sharp criticism from some of

406

:

America's leading literary figures who saw

hollowness beneath the glittering surface.

407

:

Sinclair Lewis in novels like Main Street

and Babbitt Satirize, the conformity,

408

:

materialism, and anti-intellectualism of

small town and middle class American life.

409

:

His character George f Babbitt, A

prosperous real estate broker in

410

:

the fictional city of Zenith, became

an archetype of the unthinking

411

:

self-satisfied American businessman.

412

:

Lewis, through babbitt's voice

in a speech captured this mindset

413

:

quote, here's the specification of

the standardized American citizen.

414

:

We're not doing any boasting, but

we like ourselves first rate, and

415

:

if you don't like us, look out.

416

:

Better get undercover before

the cyclone hits town.

417

:

End quote.

418

:

Maybe the best well known as f Scott

Fitzgerald's, the Great Gatsby in

419

:

1925, which offered a poignant critique

of the American dream exposing its

420

:

corruption by wealth and class, and

the moral decay of the jazz age.

421

:

Jay Gatsby's, tragic

pursuit of Daisy Buchanan.

422

:

A symbol of old money in an idealized

past, ends in disillusionment and death.

423

:

The novel's famous closing lines

resonate with a sense of striving

424

:

against an elusive dream quote.

425

:

So we beat on boats against the current

born back ceaselessly into the past End

426

:

quote, Nick Caraway, the narrator observes

Daisy's failure to live up to Gatsby's,

427

:

quote, colossal vitality of his illusion.

428

:

A powerful commentary on the

nature of aspiration and reality.

429

:

And then there was HL Menkin, the

sage of Baltimore, whose biting satire

430

:

filled the pages of the American

Mercury Menkin relentlessly attacked

431

:

American conformity Puritanism, and

what he derisively termed the Bois Z.

432

:

He famously quip.

433

:

Democracy is the theory that the

common people know what they want

434

:

and deserve to get it good and hard.

435

:

End quote.

436

:

Speaking of American Puritanism, he

wrote, quote assumes that every human

437

:

act must be either right or wrong,

and that 90% of them are wrong.

438

:

End.

439

:

Quote, these writers, each in

their own way, held up the mirror

440

:

to the 1920s America reflecting

not just its achievements.

441

:

But also its anxieties and hypocrisies.

442

:

So let's move on to the

backlash in the division.

443

:

The culture wars of these 1920s,

the roaring twenties were.

444

:

Just about jazz and flappers beneath

the surface of prosperity and

445

:

cultural innovation, deep-seated

anxieties about the rapid pace of

446

:

change fueled a powerful backlash.

447

:

This was a decade of profound cultural

conflict pitting urban modernism

448

:

against the rural traditionalism,

science against fundamentalist religion,

449

:

and a diversifying America against

a resurgent exclusionary nativism.

450

:

Politically speaking, the 1920s were

dominated by a trio of conservative

451

:

Republican presidents, Warren g Harding,

Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover.

452

:

They shared a largely pro-business

ideology emphasizing limited government

453

:

regulation and fiscal conservatism.

454

:

Harding, as we had heard, were promised

that return to normalcy, Calvin Coolidge

455

:

famously tack turn encapsulated the

era's economic philosophy with the

456

:

often quoted though contextually nuanced

phrase, quote, the chief business of the

457

:

American people is business End quote.

458

:

He delivered this to the American Society

of Newspaper Editors in:

459

:

statement underscored the centrality

of commerce in the National Identity.

460

:

Coolidge's administration with Andrew

Mellon as Secretary of the Treasury

461

:

championed significant tax cuts,

particularly for the wealthy, under

462

:

the belief that this would trickle

down and stimulate the economy.

463

:

While Coolidge favored a light hand in

business regulation, his administration

464

:

did sign the radio act establishing a

federal oversight of the radio, this

465

:

new, uh, medium, and he blocked farm

relief bills like the McNary Hogan.

466

:

Believing that market forces rather

than government intervention would

467

:

be the best help for farmers.

468

:

Herbert Hoover, who had served as

Secretary of Commerce under Harding

469

:

and Coolidge before his own presidency,

promoted what he called associational

470

:

a system of voluntary cooperation

between government and business.

471

:

In his 1928 speech on the principles in

ideals of the United States government,

472

:

Hoover championed the American system of

quote, ordered liberty, freedom, and equal

473

:

opportunity to the individual end quote.

474

:

Arguing this individual initiative

was the engine of American progress.

475

:

He warned against government overreach

stating bureaucracy is ever desirous of

476

:

spreading its influence and its power

free speech does not live many hours

477

:

after free industry and free commerce die.

478

:

This economic philosophy prioritizing

business and individual enterprise defined

479

:

the Republican leadership of the decade.

480

:

However, this era of Republican

dominance was also marred by scandal,

481

:

most notably the Teapot dome scandal.

482

:

During Harden's administration,

secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall

483

:

was convicted of accepting bribes for

secretly leasing federal oil reserves

484

:

at Teapot Dome, Wyoming, and Elk kills

California to private oil companies.

485

:

Fall became the first US cabinet

member to be imprisoned for

486

:

crimes committed in office.

487

:

Though Harding himself was not

personally implicated and he.

488

:

Passed away before any

damage could be done to him.

489

:

His awareness of corruption within

his own Ohio gang and his failure to

490

:

act severely damage his reputation

and public trust in the government.

491

:

Had he not passed away prematurely,

he might have had more problems.

492

:

He.

493

:

Another backlash of this era was the

anxieties that the new era itself

494

:

manifested, and it manifested in a

virulent wave of nativism and violence

495

:

with the disturbing reemergence.

496

:

The Ku Klux Klan, the second clan,

was born in:

497

:

membership in the early 1920s, and it

claimed millions of members, not just

498

:

in the South, but across the nation,

and particularly in the Midwest.

499

:

This new clan broadened its targets beyond

African Americans to include Catholics,

500

:

Jews, recent immigrants, and especially

those from Southern and Eastern Europe.

501

:

Hiram Evans, a dentist who became the

Imperial Wizard of the Klan, articulated

502

:

his ideology in his 1926 article.

503

:

The Klan fights for Americanism.

504

:

He proclaimed the Klan spoke

for quote, the great Mass of

505

:

Americans of the old pioneer stock.

506

:

Whom he defined as belonging

to the Nordic race.

507

:

Evans argued that these quote old stock

Americans had felt their traditional moral

508

:

standards, the sanctity of the Sabbath,

the home and chastity had been eroded by

509

:

what he called strange ideas and aliens.

510

:

The Klan's definition of Americanism was

explicitly exclusionary based on quote.

511

:

Loyalty to the white race, to

the traditions of America and

512

:

to the spirit of Protestantism.

513

:

Their slogan, Evan stated, was

Native white Protestant supremacy.

514

:

End quote.

515

:

The Klan's method included

intimidation, but also violence such

516

:

as lynching, arson, beating, and

significant political maneuvering.

517

:

They wield a considerable political

power in states like Indiana,

518

:

where Grand Dragon David C.

519

:

Stevenson, boasted quote,

I am the law in Indiana.

520

:

As well as in Oregon where

the Klan was instrumental in

521

:

efforts to ban Catholic schools.

522

:

This resurgence could be understand

as a direct backlash against

523

:

the very diversification and

odernization that defined the:

524

:

The Klan's targets, Catholics, Jews,

immigrants, the new Negro were the

525

:

embodiment of a changing America that

threatened the perceived cultural and

526

:

social dominance of white Protestants.

527

:

Now the anxieties of the 1920s also

ignited a fierce battle between religious

528

:

fundamentalism and scientific modernism.

529

:

Most famously, this was dramatized

in the Scopes trial of:

530

:

It's often been called the Monkey Trial.

531

:

And this courtroom showdown in

Dayton, Tennessee pitted the

532

:

renowned lawyer, Clarence Darrow.

533

:

Defending high school teacher John

Scopes for teaching evolution, and

534

:

he went up against the three-time

presidential candidate and

535

:

fundamentalist champion William Jennings.

536

:

Bryan, who assisted the prosecution.

537

:

The trial became a national

media spectacle, the first to be

538

:

broadcast live on radio by WGN.

539

:

Journalists, including the acerbic HL

Mankin of the Baltimore Sun descended

540

:

upon Dayton with Mankin, famously

dubbing it monkey Town, and he ridiculed

541

:

Brian and the fundamentalist cause.

542

:

Darrow declared quote, scopes isn't

on trial, civilization is on trial,

543

:

and he framed it as a fight for

intellectual freedom against bigotry.

544

:

Brian during Darrow's relentless

cross-examination about biblical

545

:

literalism proclaimed, I'm simply

trying to protect the word of God

546

:

against the greatest atheist or

agnostic in the United States.

547

:

While scopes was ultimately

found guilty, a verdict later

548

:

overturned on a technicality.

549

:

The trial exposed deep divisions

in American society over science,

550

:

religion, and education, and many

saw darrow's grilling of Brian as a

551

:

SI symbolic victory for modernism.

552

:

The scopes trial was a flashpoint for the

broader rise of Christian fundamentalism.

553

:

This movement gaining traction in the

early 20th century emphasized biblical in

554

:

errancy and vehemently opposed Darwin's

theory of evolution and other aspects

555

:

of modern, uh, thought that they saw as

undermining traditional Christian values.

556

:

Leaders like William Bell Riley,

founder of the World, Christian

557

:

Fundamentalist Association in 1919, and.

558

:

Fiery evangelists like Billy Sunday

who proclaimed quote, Christianity

559

:

and patriotism are synonymous terms

and hell and traitors are synonymous.

560

:

End quote.

561

:

They mobilized conservative Christians

against what they perceived as societal

562

:

decay from this roaring twenties.

563

:

They aim to quote, hold the line

against change in American culture.

564

:

How can we talk about the 1920s

without talking about prohibition?

565

:

The noble experiment.

566

:

This was another major cultural

battleground of the:

567

:

The 18th Amendment ratified in

:

568

:

which banned the manufacturer sale

and transportation of intoxicating

569

:

liquors, defines stringently as

anything containing over 0.5%

570

:

alcohol.

571

:

Motivations were mixed.

572

:

Progressive era desires to curb

social ills associated with alcohol,

573

:

as well as anti-immigrant sentiment.

574

:

Targeting the drinking cultures of

ethnic groups and the moral fervor

575

:

of rural Protestant Americans.

576

:

Clashing with urban lifestyles

led to the banning of alcohol.

577

:

Enforcement of the Volted Act

proved immensely challenging.

578

:

The result was widespread.

579

:

Flouting of the law bootlegging.

580

:

The illegal production and sale of alcohol

became a massive underground industry,

581

:

speakeasies the secret bars and nightclub.

582

:

Proliferated in cities becoming

iconic symbol of the era's defiance.

583

:

This illicit trade fueled the rise

of organized crime with figures like

584

:

Chicago's Al Capone earning fortunes

an estimated $60 million annually from

585

:

bootlegging and speakeasies for Capone.

586

:

The era saw a corresponding rise

in gang violence notoriously

587

:

exemplified by the St.

588

:

Valentine's Massacre in Chicago of 1929.

589

:

Prohibition also led to increased

corruption within law enforcement and

590

:

a general disrespect for the law and

the ultimate weakening of public trust.

591

:

So while America grappled with

its internal culture wars,

592

:

the new ominous ideology was

taking root in Europe fascism.

593

:

In October, 1922, Benito Mussolini and

his black shirt staged their march on

594

:

Rome leading to Mussolini's appointment

as prime minister and the subsequent

595

:

consolidation of fascist power in Italy.

596

:

Americans reactions to Mussolini's

Rise were varied and they were complex.

597

:

Some segments of the American press

and public expressed admiration for

598

:

Mussolini, particularly for fascism,

staunch anti-communism, and its perceived

599

:

restoration of order in discipline.

600

:

The Kansas City Star in August of

:

601

:

Mus Lee's fascism with quote.

602

:

100% Americanism.

603

:

End quote.

604

:

Mussolini himself in an interview with the

Dallas Morning News emphasized discipline

605

:

and work as his guiding principles.

606

:

Others, however, viewed the rise of

fascism with measured unease, fearing

607

:

its militaristic rhetoric, and the

potential for another European war, as was

608

:

noted by the Forth worth star Telegram.

609

:

These early American responses often

interpreted fascism through a domestic

610

:

American lens, sometimes praising

its perceived strength in combating

611

:

radicalism or promoting national

unity, while often underestimating its

612

:

inherent dangers and its fundamental

departure from democratic principles.

613

:

This foreshadowed the complex and

often hesitant response by Americans

614

:

to the growing threat of fascism.

615

:

In the 1920s, in the 1930s,

even leading up to World War ii.

616

:

So the 1920s, then this decade that began

with a plea for normalcy and ended on

617

:

the precipice of the Great Depression.

618

:

It was, as we've seen anything but normal.

619

:

It was an era of dazzling

technological innovation.

620

:

The automobile and the radio forever

altered the fabric of American life.

621

:

It created a mass consumer culture

fueled by new advertising techniques

622

:

and the seductive promise of credit.

623

:

It was an era of profound cultural

renaissance as the new Negro of Harlem

624

:

proclaimed a new racial consciousness

and artistic vibrancy, and the new

625

:

woman challenged traditional gender

roles demanding new freedoms in their

626

:

social, economic and personal lives.

627

:

I.

628

:

Yet this new era was an

age of deep contradictions.

629

:

The prosperity was unevenly

distributed, and the decades innovations

630

:

were met with fierce resistance.

631

:

Conservative politics sought to reign in

the perceived excesses of modern life.

632

:

The Ku Klux Klan experienced a terrifying

resurgence preaching a doctrine of quote,

633

:

native, white, Protestant supremacy.

634

:

End quote, against the backdrop

of increasing immigration

635

:

and black migration.

636

:

The scopes trial became

a national referendum on

637

:

science versus fundamentalist

Christianity and prohibition.

638

:

The noble experiment bred organized

crime and widespread disrespect for

639

:

the law even as America looked inward.

640

:

The rise of fascism in Europe

cast a long and ominous shadow.

641

:

The 1920s then was a

critical turning point.

642

:

The battles fought over cultural

values, racial equality, the role of

643

:

women, the definition of Americanism,

and the relationship between tradition

644

:

and modernity were not resolved.

645

:

Instead, they laid the groundwork

for the economic catastrophe.

646

:

Of the Great Depression, our next

episode, as well as the global conflict

647

:

of World War ii, the episode after

that, and many of the social and

648

:

cultural debates that continue to

resonate in American society today.

649

:

The echoes of the jazz age with its

vibrant creativity and its stark

650

:

divisions can still be heard as HL Menkin.

651

:

One of the era's sharpest critics

observed, quote, the whole aim of

652

:

practical politics is to keep the

populace alarmed and hence glamorous,

653

:

to be led to safety by menacing it

with an endless series of hob, goblins,

654

:

all of them imaginary end quote.

655

:

Perhaps the Hobb goblins of the 1920s

were not entirely imaginary, but

656

:

reflection of a nation grappling with

its own rapidly changing identity.

657

:

Thanks for coming out to

Star Spangled Studies.

658

:

I'm Dr.

659

:

G.

660

:

I'll see y'all in the past.

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Support Star-Spangled Studies

A huge thank you to our supporters, it means a lot that you support our podcast.

If you like the podcast and want to support it, too, you can leave us a tip using the button below. We really appreciate it and it only takes a moment!
Support Star-Spangled Studies
A
We haven’t had any Tips yet :( Maybe you could be the first!

Listen for free

Show artwork for Star-Spangled Studies

About the Podcast

Star-Spangled Studies
Star-Spangled Studies is a college-level U.S. history podcast created by professional historian Dr. G—built for students, teachers, and curious listeners alike. Season 1 covers the era from 1865 to the present, using The American Yawp, a free and open educational resource (OER) textbook, as its guide. Each episode unpacks key events, movements, and ideas that shaped the modern United States—through rich narrative, scholarly insight, and accessible storytelling.

Whether you're enrolled in a course or exploring history on your own, you’ll get clear, engaging episodes that follow the chapters of The American Yawp. Bring your curiosity, download the textbook, and join Dr. G for a star-spangled journey through American history.

Free. Accessible. Thought-provoking.
This is your front-row seat to the story of the United States.
Support This Show