KEY TERMS Key Terms and People to Know for the Regents Exam
Roaring Twenties
The 1920s were called the “Roaring Twenties” because of the widespread cultural and economic changes that occurred during the decade. Businesses boomed and cultural clashes occurred (Scopes trial, prohibition, flappers, immigration).
Flappers
During the 1920s, young women (“flappers”) challenged traditional gender and social norms by adopting new haircuts and new styles of dress, dancing at jazz clubs, smoking and drinking at speakeasies, and treating sex in a more casual manner.
Harlem Renaissance
During the 1920’s Jazz Age, African American culture (art, literature, music) flourished. This “renaissance” was centered in Harlem. Langston Hughes (poetry), Duke Ellington (Jazz), and Bessie Smith (singer), were leading artists of the period.
Scopes Trial
A high school teacher was put on trial for teaching about evolution in a science class, which was outlawed because of the town’s traditional religious views. This case highlighted the tension/conflict between science and traditional religion.
1920s Consumerism
Assembly line production, widespread advertising, and increased purchases on credit fueled an increase in consumerism (buying stuff) in the 1920s. The sale of new products (radios, washing machines) helped the economy boom (quickly grow).
Disillusionment Writers
Some writers were disillusioned (dissatisfied) with the consumer culture of the 1920s. Authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby), Sinclair Lewis, and Ernest Hemingway expressed this dissatisfaction through their writing.