Ch. 13.1 in Pathways Text

1. Society and Culture of the 1920s

2. Key Questions
 1) How did women’s role change during the
1920s?
 2) Why were people migrating to major cities
during the 1920s?
 3) Why did individual people become larger than
life heroes for many during the Roaring 20s?

3. Women’s Suffrage
 Nineteenth Amendment
passed on August 20,
1920.
 Early years of suffrage
only about 35% of
female voters went to
the polls.
 Many stated they lacked
interest in politics.
 Jeannette Rankin: First
female congresswoman
(1916)

4. The Empowered Woman
 Flappers
 “the American
woman… has lifted
her skirts far beyond
any modest
limitation.” (NY Times,
1920)
 Between 1913 and
1928, average
amount of fabric used
went from 19.5 yards
to 7 yards.
 Questioned morals
and norms of society
in the post-WWI era.

5. Women In The Workforce
 Rising number of
women entering the
workforce in the early
1920s; primarily single
women.
 Remained almost
impossible for women
to become doctors,
lawyers, or other high
paying professional
positions.

6. Citizens On The Move
 Major demographic
changes in the U.S.
 Rural/Urban divide
 Farmers in financial
trouble
 Industrial/Commercial
industries were thriving
economically
 Masses move to the
cities
 Public high school
attendance:
 2.2 million (1920)
 4.4 million (1930)

7. Minority Migration
 The Great Migration
 Movement of African-
Americans from the
southern U.S. to the
north.
 1860: 93% lived in the
south.
 1930: 80% lived in the
south.
 Still racism in the north
 Other minorities
 Hispanics moved to
barrios (Spanish
speaking
neighborhoods).
 New York City
attracted a massive
Puerto Rican
population.

8. Take Flight
 Charles Lindbergh
 Born in Minnesota
 Spirit of Saint Louis
 Attempted and
succeeded in flying
non-stop from New
York to Paris.
 “Lucky Lindy”; Icy and
stormy weather
conditions during flight.
 Refused star status;
turned down millions of
dollars in
advertisements.
 Amelia Earhart
 1928: First woman to
fly across the Atlantic
(as a passenger)
 1932: First woman to
fly solo across the
Atlantic.
 1937: Attempted to fly
around the entire
world.
 Completed two-thirds of
the trip and
mysteriously vanished
crossing the Pacific.

9. Lindbergh & Earhart

10. “Heroes Get Remembered, but
Legends Never Die…”
 Sports became big business during the 1920s
 Boxing
 Jack Dempsey was the premier heavyweight champion.
 A hero for the entire American public enduring struggle.
 Jim Thorpe
 Native American (Sac and Fox Nation)
 Won Olympic gold medals in decathlon and pentathlon.
 Played professional football and baseball as well.
 First president of the National Football League
 Baseball
 George Herman “Babe” Ruth
 “The Sultan of Swat”, “The King of Crash”, “The Great
Bambino”…
 714 Home Runs All-Time
o Home Run King until Hank Aaron broke the record in
April, 1974.