BOOM & BUST, THE 1920’S & 1930’S

Boom & Bust in U. S. History 2

The two decades between World War I and World War II were a tumultous time of great growth, and then great poverty. The boom times of the 1920’s and the wide- spread adoption of the automobile, electrification, and other labor saving devices signifcantly changed how Americans lived. The pace of that economic expansion was not sustainable however, and with the stock market crash of 1929, the country plunged into the Great Depression, causing widespread misery and an expansion of government programs to turn the nation around.

Resources:

Several of Georgia O'Keefe's paintings were on exhibit in Charlottesville in the Fralin Museum at UVA CLICK HERE for more info! CLICK HERE for the Daily Progress article about the O'Keefe exhibition and O'Keefe's time at UVA CLICK HERE for a UVA Today article about the exhibition and O'Keefe's time at UVA CLICK HERE to visit the O'Keefe Museum History Channel biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald CLICK HERE to visit the National Steinbeck Center CLICK HERE for the Aaron Copland collection at the Library of Congress CLICK HERE for the Aaron Copland page at NPR Music Aaron Copland obituary in the New York Times Biography of George Gershwin CLICK HERE for the George Gershwin page at NPR Music Jacob Lawrence at the National Gallery of Art Langston Hughes biography CLICK HERE for Duke Ellington's website! CLICK HERE to visit Louis Armstrong's house! CLICK HERE to visit the Louis Armstrong page at Red Hot Jazz! Includes music! Bessie Smith article at NPR Music CLICK HERE to visit the Bessie Smith page at Red Hot Jazz! Includes music Finally, try some popular food from the 1920’s! CLICK HERE!

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SOL Information:

The 1920s and 1930s were important decades for American art, literature, and music. The leaders of the Harlem Renaissance drew upon the heritage of African American culture to establish themselves as powerful forces for cultural change. Cultural climate of the 1920s and 1930s • Art: Georgia O’Keeffe, an artist known for urban scenes and, later, paintings of the Southwest • Literature: F. Scott Fitzgerald, a novelist who wrote about the Jazz Age of the 1920s; John Steinbeck, a novelist who portrayed the strength of poor migrant workers during the 1930s • Music: Aaron Copland and George Gershwin, composers who wrote uniquely American music Harlem Renaissance African American artists, writers, and musicians based in Harlem revealed the freshness and variety of African American culture: • Art: Jacob Lawrence, a painter who chronicled the experiences of the Great Migration through art • Literature: Langston Hughes, a poet who combined the experiences of African and American cultural roots • Music: Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, jazz musicians; Bessie Smith, a blues singer The popularity of these artists spread beyond Harlem to the rest of society. The optimism of the 1920s concealed problems in the American economic system and attitudes about the role of government in controlling the economy. The Great Depression and the New Deal dramatically changed the lives of most Americans and began to change both their understanding of the economic system and the role of government in American life. Causes of the Great Depression • People overspeculated on stocks, using borrowed money that they could not repay when stock prices crashed. • The Federal Reserve’s poor monetary policies contributed to the collapse of the banking system. • High tariffs discouraged international trade. • Many Americans had too much debt from buying consumer goods on installment plans. Impact on Americans • A large number of banks closed, and other businesses failed. • One-fourth of workers were without jobs. • Large numbers of people were hungry and homeless. • Farmers’ incomes fell to low levels. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal used government programs to help the nation recover from the Depression. Major features of the New Deal • Social Security • Federal work programs • Environmental improvement programs • Farm assistance programs • Increased rights for labor

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