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CHAPTER 23
A Clash of Cultures, 1920–1929
This chapter examines the character of the nation after the Great War. It was an era full of contradiction,
and consumption and growth seemed to have no bounds. A new American awareness became more
apparent, and many issues have followed Americans into the twenty-first century. For example, the
chapter discusses the work of Margaret Sanger in spreading information about birth control; the National
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. The Nation in 1920
A. A Growing Consumer Culture
B. A Growing Consumer Culture
C. The Rise of Mass Culture
i. Movie-Made America
ii. Radio
II. The “Jazz Age”
A. The Birth of Jazz
B. A Sexual Revolution?
i. The Impact of Sigmund Freud
ii. Margaret Sanger and Birth Control
iii. The “New Women”
C. African American Life
i. The NAACP
ii. The Harlem Renaissance
iii. Garveyism
III. The Modernist Revolt
A. Albert Einstein
B. Modernist Art and Literature
LECTURE IDEAS
1. An overview of the 1920s focusing on America domestically will set up the changes that will come in
the 1930s. Lecture on all aspects of America in the 1920s (except presidential politics and the
2. Albert Einstein’s life and contributions toward creating a new, modern society make a good lecture
topic. Other influential scientists and their theories also contributed to these trends and helped
3. Prepare a lecture describing the “new Negro” as a way of highlighting new trends in the African
American community of the 1920s. The term was first used by Alain Locke to announce the “spiritual
4. After a good lecture on the overview of the twenties, you could give a more in-depth lecture on the
changes in American social values. How did the issues of the twenties challenge traditional values?
5. In a lecture on the culture of modernism, be sure to include the issues of science, literature, and art.
Start with a good definition of modernism, and then continue with the impact on art and the works of
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. Divide the class into groups and have each group determine what was meant by the terms “Jazz Age”
and the “Roaring Twenties.” Where did the term Jazz Age originally come from, what did it mean, and
is the label a good title for the era? Have a second group research the origins of the term “Roaring
Twenties” and its usage. What are the connotations of each phrase? Ask each group to present their
2. Class groups should discuss the new social trends of the 1920s and determine how they challenged
traditional attitudes. Ask the class to make a list, including everything, from movie-going, the new
3. Ask students to research the Great Migration. You might ask them to read “One-Way Ticket” by
Langston Hughes or excerpts from Nora Thurston’s autobiography Dust Tracks on a Road (1942). For
4. Harlem of the 1920s has a rich and vibrant history. Ask students to search online for images, videos,
and news articles about the Harlem Renaissance. There is a plethora of sources, including the
following:
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What factors accounted for the modernist revolt of the 1920s?
2. Discuss the complex issue surrounding the ex-patriots who led literary modernism from outside the
United States.
3. Analyze the impact of mass culture in America during the 1920s. What were the pros and cons?
5. What was the Harlem Renaissance, and what were some of its key characteristics?
6. Trace the concepts of science as it relates to social thought during the 1920s.
PRACTICING CITIZENSHIP
Gain an understanding of the concepts of science as it relates to social thought during the 1920s. Be sure
to focus in on all the social aspects during this era. Make an appointment with the activities director at a
