1920s: Cultural and Political Controversies

The Roaring Twenties: AP U.S. History Study Guide

Hey there, history enthusiasts! Strap on your flapper dresses and slick back that hair, because we’re about to dive into the fabulous, contentious, and at times downright bizarre decade that was the 1920s. This was a period of transformation with a capital T, where cultural clashes and political debates were all the rage. Ready? Let’s boogie!

Post-WWI America was about as chill as a caffeinated squirrel when it came to communism. The First Red Scare kicked off in June 1919 when some friendly anarchist decided to play Santa with bombs (spoiler: it wasn’t a hit). Particularly spooked was Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. He and the newly minted FBI, led by the ever-enthusiastic J. Edgar Hoover, launched the infamous Palmer Raids to seek out and deport anyone with even a whiff of radicalism. Think of it as a terrifying, less fun Easter egg hunt featuring communists, socialists, and anarchists.

Anti-immigrant sentiment was hotter than a July in Miami. The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 decided it was time to enforce some exclusive party rules. For the first time, the U.S. put an RSVP on immigration, capping entries to 3% of the number of existing residents from that country living stateside in 1910—effectively slamming the door on many newcomers, especially those from Southern and Eastern Europe. And just when you thought it couldn’t get stricter, along came the National Origins Act of 1924, which moved the clock back to 1890 and said, "Sorry, only 2% now!"

So if you weren't from the Western Hemisphere or an Anglo-Saxon Protestant, it was hard cheese. Oh, and if you’re Asian? The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882), the Gentlemen’s Agreement with Japan (1907), and the Immigration Act of 1917 with its Asiatic Barred Zone had you covered. Congratulations, you were pretty much permanently benched.

The 1920s wasn’t all doom and gloom – it was also the Golden Age of cinema! From the comedic genius of Charlie Chaplin to the pioneering efforts of African American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, Hollywood was a melting pot of creativity. Jewish Americans, Latinos like Carmen Miranda, Asians like Anna May Wong, and many others left their mark on cinema, making it as diverse as a bag of jelly beans.

Speaking of diversity, the Harlem Renaissance was the era's cool kid on the block. A cultural explosion, it celebrated African American art, music, and literature. Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong took the country by storm with jazz, while writers like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston shaped the literary scene. Think of Harlem as a buzzing, creative petri dish of awesomeness.

The 1920s was also the decade when women decided they had enough of being told what to do. Thanks to movements that led to the 19th Amendment, women could now vote, and they didn't stop there. The flapper emerged – all about short skirts, bobbed hair, and breaking societal norms. They were the pioneers of YOLO, living in a way that would make their grandmothers faint.

In the ring, we have Rational Science with Clarence Darrow versus Religious Traditionalism with William Jennings Bryan, debating the legality of teaching evolution in public schools. The Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee was the legal equivalent of a cage match and highlighted the country's split between the modern and the traditional.

Post-WWI disillusionment gave rise to the "Lost Generation" writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. They weren't fans of the jazz age optimism and decided Paris needed their brooding pessimism more than the U.S. did. Disillusioned by war, they penned works critiquing the shallowness of society.

The 18th Amendment brought on Prohibition, making alcohol illegal. Of course, Americans socialized with the finesse of a highly motivated loophole-finder. Bootleggers, speakeasies, and organized crime flourished, with gangsters like Al Capone becoming household names. After 13 years of tipsy mayhem, the 21st Amendment gave Prohibition the boot in 1933. Cheers to that!

Unfortunately, the KKK had its own roaring comeback in the 1920s, targeting not just African Americans, but also Jews, immigrants, and Catholics. This resurgence was ironically spurred by the racist propaganda flick, "Birth of a Nation." Marcus Garvey’s "Back to Africa" movement gained traction as a response, promoting Black pride and an escape from oppression.

Warren Harding promised a "Return to Normalcy," essentially meaning he signed whatever the Republican Congress put in front of him. His administration, however, was plagued with scandals, including the Teapot Dome Scandal. Harding's sudden death passed the presidential baton to "Silent Cal" Coolidge, who believed that the best governance was small governance. His presidency was mostly about keeping the government's hands off the economy.

• Flapper: A symbol of the bold, liberated women of the 1920s who challenged societal norms.
• Harlem Renaissance: A cultural and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, emphasizing African American creativity.
• National Origins Act: A 1924 law that severely limited immigration from certain regions, designed to maintain U.S. racial "purity."
• Scopes Monkey Trial: A 1925 court case that debated the legality of teaching evolution, highlighting the tension between modern science and traditional beliefs.
• Prohibition: The period from 1920 to 1933 when the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages were banned in the U.S.
• Lost Generation: Writers disillusioned by post-WWI society, critiquing its consumerism and empty optimism.
• Nativism: A policy favoring native inhabitants over immigrants, causing restrictive immigration laws.

The 1920s was more than just jazz, flappers, and speakeasies – it was a time of seismic cultural and political shifts. As America waltzed (or drunkenly stumbled) its way through this transformative decade, the nation wrestled with its identity, clashing values, and the meaning of modernity. Remember these controversies and vibrant changes as you prep for your APUSH exam, and get ready to ace it with the flair of a 1920s jazz player!

Now, go forth and make the Roaring Twenties your best history decade yet! 🥳📚