The 1920s were a time of success through medical and technological advances, an increase in women's rights, and many new literary achievements. However, it was also a time of increased organized crime and a rise in the KKK. Pick one thing from the 20s that was a positive or one that was a negative and explain how these helped or hurt the U.S. Remember, anything can be considered a positive or negative if you fully support it!
Have fun!
Mrs. Demmel
In 1922, Sir Fredrick Grant Banting invented insulin. Insulin is the hormone produced by a healthy pancreas to control blood sugar levels within the body. However, those with Diabetes are not able to produce enough insulin, and often inject regular insulin today. Sir Banting's invention was one of the most positive contributions of the 1920's, in that it transformed the medical advancements as well as the lives of those with Diabetes. Without the invention of consumable insulin, diabetics would have to limit their sugars to an absolutely minimal level, or could be at risk for death earlier on if they did not have the awareness. This helped the U.S. by saving and improving lives, as well as opening doors for other pharmaceutical progress.
ReplyDeleteIn 1920, John Larson - a Berkeley police officer - was the first to successfully create a lie detection machine based on breathing and blood pressure. He called this a Polygraph, many writings. In 1923, the results of a polygraph test were admitted as evidence into a criminal proceeding. However, the court ruled the lie detector to be unfit for legal evidence, and it wasn't until several decades later that it was officially adopted into the criminal investigation system of the country. However, the lie detector was a success all around the world, and is a huge benefactor to the current American police system, as trustworthy and proof-giving device in detecting criminals.
ReplyDeleteThe stock market crash of 1929 not only negatively impacted the United States, but created a ripple effect that damaged the economies and societies of many other nations around the world. The crash, officially marked on October 29 ("Black Tuesday"), came as a result of the age of consumerism and the rise of installment plans in society. Much of the 1920s could be characterized as careless spending and a celebration of wealth in the United States, and the rise of popularity in stocks corresponded to a rise of inexperienced investors entering the market. Inevitably, the panic of Black Tuesday spread into the rest of the country and the economy took a sharp downturn that resulted in widespread poverty and unemployment. For foreign investors in Europe who depended on the strength of the American market, the Great Depression became a global depression as well and the triangle system between the US, Germany, and the former Allied nations collapsed in on itself. This would result in plunging Germany further into debt with its reparations and with even fewer options to resolve it, thus leading to a rise of radicalism and nationalism within the country that would peak with the rise of Hitler.
ReplyDeleteIn 1927, Charles Lindbergh completed the first unaccompanied transatlantic flight, flying 3,500 miles in 33 hours from New York City to Paris. Lindbergh's influence, though, didn't end with his return to the United States aboard the USS Memphis. The now-famous aviator was sponsored to go on a month-long nationwide tour through 49 states during which he gave a total of 147 speeches promoting the expansion of aviation. He also toured South America by plane, bearing sentiments of American good will to each place he visited, and his influence continued through World War II. The increase in aviation interest across America, though, resulted in technological growth and greater American interest in other countries, which suddenly seemed much closer to home. Lindbergh's flight also helped spur the creation of a World Air Code to overcome aircraft regulations that previously varied from nation to nation.
ReplyDeleteOne of the major events that affected the 20's in a negative way was the 18th amendment and the ban on production, distribution, and consumption of alcohol. This led to the development of an increase in crime and violence. Since alcohol was illegal this led to the creation of Speakeasies. These were bars and clubs that required secret passwords and operated below the law. Here are places where crime sprouted and tons of illegal activity that counted throughout the decade with ruthless criminals like Al Capone. If the 18th amendment was never ratified the decade probably would have never had so much crime and violence.
ReplyDeleteOne bad thing during the 1920's, was the ratification of the 21st amendment. About ten years after it was passed, violent crime reached its third highest period in United States history. Also, according to cato.org, alcohol usage was on the decline after the 18th amendment, but once legalized again, skyrocketed. Having alcohol legal during the great depression was also bad, many needed something to turn to, and alcohol was a somewhat cheap option.
ReplyDeleteOne of the big entertainment things in the 1920's was films and nickelodeons. Moguls were creating black box studios and producing films like no tomorrow. It opened up a new job ability and gave people a more creative outlet. Millions of dollars were later out into building studios, and theaters for people to enjoy the show. Americans all over treated theater trips as an amazing adventure. It benefited the countries financial well being and gave america a classic pass time. The invention of the first moving film itself was created in the early 1900's but it became a selling success in the 20's and so on. Movie going and film making was a definite benefit to american culture and the 1920's experience.
ReplyDeleteA bad thing that happened during the 20's was the Valentines Day Massacre. On February 14th, 1929 seven gangsters were gunned down by members of an opposing gang. The members of the opposing gang were dressed as police officers to fool the seven. The massacre was organized by Al "scarface" Capone. It showed the brutality of the Mafia and brought Capone into national attention.
ReplyDeleteA good movement in the US during the 1920s was Women's Rights and the birth of the flappers. Flappers were usually independent women who went against all social norms at the time. The publicly smoked, drank, and also used birth control which was unheard of at the time. Flappers influenced the US in a good way because they broke the dated "rules" and "normalcies" that women were supposed to abide by. This helped the push for more women's suffrage and equality.
ReplyDeleteOne good discovery that was made in the 1920s was the discovery of Penicillin by Alexander Fleming. In 1928 while conducting an experiment (Fleming was a bacteriologist), Fleming discovered that a mold had contaminated his experiment. The mold turned out to be a good thing however, as he realized that it was an antibacterial agent and killed many harmful bacteria. Today, it is used to fight many serious diseases.
ReplyDeleteIn 1923, Margaret Sanger opened the Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau in New York City. The first legal birth control clinic in the United States, the clinic at first only provided contraception to avoid life-threatening pregnancies. Staffed by medical professionals, the clinic pioneered scientific research on birth control. It attracted doctors from throughout the United States interested in contraception who often started their own clinics in their hometowns. By 1938, there were over 300 birth control clinics in the United States.
ReplyDeleteThe opening of the first birth control clinic in the United States was a positive aspect of the 1920s. Contraception allowed women to have fewer children, making it possible for them to work outside the home. As more women worked jobs, it became harder for men to argue that they were not equal. Birth control also provided women with more sexual freedom and helped disrupt gender stereotypes. The spread of birth control to the United States advanced feminism and was a positive aspect of the 1920s.
Sources:
Delete"Margaret Sanger Clinic." Nps.gov. National Parks Service, 30 Feb. 1998. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
"Timeline: The Pill." American Experience. PBS, 2002. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
The three presidents in office in the 1920s (not counting Woodrow Wilson) had no outstanding positive effect on the US. With so many problems already rising up, like prohibition, the KKK, and most importantly the economic crash in the late ‘20s, none of the presidents seemed to be willing to take any action to mend the issues. Harding in the early ‘20s was not fit to be president at all, and was involved in several cases of corruption such as the Teapot Dome Scandal. Calvin Coolidge made no noticeable contributions either. Herbert Hoover, while he had had great success in the Food Administration, he stood by useless as the stock market crashed and plunged the economy into ruins. While these presidents may not have been arguably detrimental to the US during the ‘20s, they could have all worked to mend growing issues in the US.
ReplyDeleteAn important event of the 1920s was the first winter olympics in Chamonix, France. This was a positive event for the world and especially for the US. This created competition for the world, which in ways created diplomatic help between countries for others. As the years have gone on the winter olympics have created some of the most famous scenes in sports history and some memorable ones as well. One of the most watched events every four years, and benefiting US competition the first winter olympics and the ones after have been a real positive to the world.
ReplyDeleteOn March 16, 1926 American Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket at Auburn, Massachusetts. Made out of ten foot tall pipes and injected with liquid oxygen and gasoline, it flew to an altitude of 41 feet in 2.5 seconds at 60 mph. This was a landmark event in the history of space exploration, as Goddard was the first to design and test a feasible method for entering space. This development was also extremely beneficial to the United States of America, as rockets of this kind helped the U.S. to win the Space Race, a huge political and scientific victory, develop long range missiles and bombers for use in the Cold War, and build satellites that would change the way information was transmitted forever. Liquid-injected rockets would be used in virtually all of humanity’s space missions, from the Apollo missions in the 1960’s to the Curiosity Mars Rover in 2011. This day marked the beginning of man’s quest to space.
ReplyDeleteOne negative effect of the 1920's was the rise of organized crime. One of the biggest crime lords during this time was Al Capone. Capone was the greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in America during the 1920's and helped Chicago earn its name as the lawless city. Capone was violent and had a willingness to kill. His first arrest was for the murder of two men. A few years later he was arrested again for hospitalizing a member of a rival gang. Capone owned many speakeasies, brothels, saloons and other semi-legal businesses that brought him an income of over $100,000,000 a year. Capone was an income tax evader and ordered the assassination of many people, as well as killed with his own hands, and lead to an era of organized crime and lawlessness throught the United States.
ReplyDeleteOne positive thing about the 1920’s was the publishing of the Winnie-the-Pooh in 1926. British Author and play right A.A. Miline wrote the books for his son Christopher Robin Milne. The book characters were based off his son’s stuffed animals and nearby animals. Chrisopher’s bear Winnie was named after a bear at the London zoo. The bears name was Winnie and she was once a mascot for the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigad who went to Britain during WW1. The book was followed by Now We are Six and The House at Pooh Corner which came out in 1927 and 1928. The books were illustrated by E.H. Shepard. One estimate states that those three works as well as When We Were Very Young sold around 20 million copies at the end of 1996, not including sales in Canada, the United States, and the 25 different languages it was published in.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.just-pooh.com/history.html
A significant aspect of the 1920's was in the development of technology. Cars began to show themselves as normal parts of families; they shaped the people's social lives and ability to travel. Radios provided broadcasts that informed the people with convenient and instantaneous news. Movies created a new era of entertainment. Phonographs recorded music and aided in the spread of music and pop culture. These new advancements were a positive influence in the 1920's.
ReplyDeleteThe first color television was invented by John Logie Baird in 1928. This invention had and still has a very positive impact on American life. The color television completely revolutionized the entertainment industry, inspiring awe and wonder through many people. When the colored television finally became available to the general public in 1954 (there had been no commercial broadcasting for colored television before), sales boomed and millions of people rushed to get their own colored television. Today, colored television sets are present in 97% of American households.
ReplyDeleteA rise in the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920's was caused by a revival of the new Klan inspired by D.W. Griffith's film, The Birth of a Nation. Not only were they antiblack, but they also attacked birth control and Darwinism, as well as the Roman Catholic Church. Klansmen boycotted businesses, threatened families, and sometimes resorted to violence with public whippings, arson, and lynching against their chosen targets. The rise of the KKK is considered a negative development for the 1920's and hurt the U.S. because of their attacks on African Americans, Catholics, and Jews, even if many members were more attracted by the Klan's social events and efforts to reinvigorate community life rather than by its attacks.
ReplyDeleteOne negative aspect of the 1920's was the continuing prohibition of abortions. Since the late 1860's physicians pushed to make abortions illegal in order to assert themselves as an authority of medicine, over the traditional midwife. But by the 1920's the issue had morphed more into one of protecting racial status then protecting societal status. After the first World War, many women were pressured into producing as many babies as possible to make up for the lives lost in WWI. Many white Americans were afraid that because of birth control and the continued practice of illegal abortions, they would lose the majority. As African American birth rates remained high and white American birth rates low in comparison a full on panic spread. Soon raids were taking place on abortion houses. The women found there were humiliated and often denied medical care until they publicly admitted to their "crime". By the late 1920's an average of 15000 deaths a year were attributed to illegal abortions. This may be considered one of the more negative aspects of the 1920's as women were continued to be denied control over their own bodies; a control which was more rigidly tightened.
ReplyDeleteThe Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
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"Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand." 1. Illegal but Possible: 1840 to 1950s – Abortion –. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.
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While the rise in technology continued to economically benefit the US, the development of the assembly line throughout the 1920s was also a positive and defining aspect of this new wealth. Made popular by Henry Ford and his auto industry, the assembly line first took roots in 1914 at Ford's new Highland Park Assembly Plant outside of Detroit. Within that year, his system could finish one car every fifteen minutes. It wasn't until the 20s in which Ford revolutionized the matter of mass production by supplying his factories with new, custom-built machinery. By 1925, cars were being produced at the rate of one every ten seconds. America made 85 percent of the world's passenger cars during this era, and in 1927, Ford and his mass-production system produced nearly 15 million model Ts. While the car was making large strides in the matter of technology, it would not have been able to easily been accessible or enjoyed by many had it not been for Ford and his assembly line.
ReplyDeleteThe Scopes Monkey Trial, which took place in 1925, was a positive event that occured in the 1920s. In Dayton, Tennessee, a teacher by the name of John Scopes was a accused of violating the Butler Law which prohibits the teaching of evolution in school. The case, formally known as The State of Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes, concluded by finding Scopes guilty and fining him $100. Though the outcome might not be too significant, the case itself was very important. The battle between evolutionism and creationism took center stage and was thrust into the American spotlight for essentially the first time. Though very sensitive of a topic, the discussion between the two of what should be taught in school allowed for a change in American society. Creationism became more and more skeptical in the eyes of the American people and today evolutionism is taught almost nationwide. The scientific evidence surrounding evolutionism is very strong, and it is extremely important that it is brought to society's knowledge. The Scopes Trial provided the opening of a door to an important issue in American history.
ReplyDeleteOne positive thing that happened in the twenties was the increased prevalence of individualism as an ideal for women in society. This was brought about by a variety of factors; including the prohibition, the civil rights movement, and the after affects of WW1, but in general, women were more socially acceptable in a larger variety of situations outside of the home. Obviously these influential flappers flapped their way right into the history books as women who did not fit the social norm and chose instead to do what they wanted as opposed to what men wanted them to do.
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