7.4 The Roaring Twenties

New Mass Culture and Consumerism

The 1920s saw rising incomes and mass production (Fordism, assembly lines) fuel a consumer culture built on cars, radios, and appliances bought on credit. Mass media — radio, movies, and advertising — spread shared national culture. Flappers symbolized changing gender norms, while jazz music, epitomized by the Harlem Renaissance, celebrated African American artistic expression.

Cultural Clashes and Backlash

Modern urban values clashed with traditional rural ones. The Scopes Trial (1925) pitted evolution against religious fundamentalism. Nativism surged, producing the Immigration Act of 1924 (national origins quotas) and a revived Ku Klux Klan. Prohibition (18th Amendment) aimed to enforce moral order but fueled organized crime and speakeasies.

Political and Economic Conservatism

Republican presidents (Harding, Coolidge, Hoover) promoted pro-business policies: low taxes, high tariffs (Fordney-McCumber), and limited regulation — a return to laissez-faire economics. Labor unions declined amid a Red Scare-fueled distrust of radicalism. Despite prosperity, uneven wealth distribution and rising consumer debt set the stage for future economic instability.

Key terms

Flapper

A young woman in the 1920s who defied traditional norms with bold fashion, behavior, and independence.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural movement celebrating African American music, literature, and art, centered in Harlem, NYC.

Scopes Trial (1925)

A landmark trial testing Tennessee's ban on teaching evolution, symbolizing modernism vs. fundamentalism.

Immigration Act of 1924

Established national origin quotas that sharply limited immigration, especially from southern/eastern Europe and Asia.

Prohibition

The 18th Amendment's ban on alcohol (1920–1933), which spurred bootlegging, speakeasies, and organized crime.

Try an AP-style question

The 1920s saw growth in consumer culture through…

1. rationing and war bonds
2. farming and bartering
3. decreased advertising
4. cars, radios, and buying on credit