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U.S. History 1877-Present Videos 173 videos
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U.S. History 1877-Present 7: The Roaring Twenties 451 Views
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Description:
Today we'll learn about a renaissance that had nothing to do with medieval times, roaring industry growth, and a "sexy" dance called the Charleston. Buckle up. We're going back to the 1920's.
Transcript
- 00:03
No doubt the Roaring Twenties really did roar not because
- 00:07
America was overrun by lions but because America experienced a cultural and [Lion lying on the ground]
- 00:11
economic explosion that stuff we all read in the Great Gatsby really went
- 00:15
down American cities were packed with jazz flappers and people doing sexy new
- 00:21
dances like you know the Charleston hey it was sexy back then even though modern [Women dancing the Charleston]
Full Transcript
- 00:25
club dancing would probably look like an orgy to a person from the 1920 it's also
- 00:29
true that 20 was a time of huge wealth and excess industry was booming thanks [Cash falling]
- 00:34
to new assembly line production and some very very pro-business policy makers new
- 00:38
affordable goods made luxuries available to the middle class and radio and cinema [Woman holding loaf of bread]
- 00:42
were making a whole new entertainment culture America became obsessed with
- 00:47
buying stuff and worshiping celebrity sound familiar right of course not
- 00:51
everything was as hunky-dory as it seemed during the twenties for one most [Dory swimming]
- 00:55
of the new wealth was based on predictions of future growth rather than
- 00:58
well actual growth people were going deep into debt to gamble on the stock [Men gambling]
- 01:03
market also American farmers were facing a panic inducing crisis as newly
- 01:08
peaceful European countries flooded the global market with cheap crops so while [Man covered by corn]
- 01:14
the flappers were flapping in the city's farmers were steadily getting poorer at
- 01:17
the same time the pro-business policies of the Conservative government were
- 01:21
making American exports really expensive which irritated are struggling European [Man holding box of twinkies]
- 01:26
trade partners and led to a big economic backlash against American good so even
- 01:31
though the 24 roaring underneath all the economic prosperity you could already
- 01:35
hear the growl of the Great Depression which would hit the stock market crash
- 01:38
of 1929 well the 20s also had a darker side like [Darth Vader appears]
- 01:42
always racism was rampant everywhere in America which made it prime time for the
- 01:46
Klu Klux Klan to make comeback even going so far as to proudly parade
- 01:50
unmasked down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington [Men walking down avenue in Klu Klux Klan costumes]
- 01:53
DC proving that not all parades are fun so ultimately the 20s was a time full of
- 01:58
contradictions while racism was gone full steam lights were also jamming to [Man dancing to music]
- 02:03
the music and poetry of the black artistic movement known as a Harlem
- 02:06
Renaissance while alcohol drugs and contraception were becoming criminalized
- 02:11
seriously and exciting new poppy culture based on sexual freedom drinking [Woman stretching by the ocean]
- 02:16
and drug use was make an old lady st. from Seattle to Bangor
- 02:20
yeah the stock market was booming but the agricultural and industrial basis of
- 02:23
the economy were shrinking up was down dogs were getting along with cats and [dogs playing with cats]
- 02:27
everyone wondered where it was all going to end up probably in a bootleg bourbon
- 02:31
induced days or rest while in jail with Al Capone oh boy [Man in jail with Al Capone]
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