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Overview
The 1920s constituted a decade of change and contrast that saw the emergence of modern America from the shadow of World War I. The nation-wide prohibition of alcohol at the onset of the decade sparked immediate protest in the form of bootleggers and flappers. Political scandals, espionage, and the debate over evolution fueled courtroom dramas throughout the decade. The population of the country was in flux-immigration spiked, and, in what is known as the Great Migration, large populations of African Americans moved from the rural South to such northern cities as Chicago. An era of artistic experimentation, the twenties was embodied in the Harlem Renaissance, the emerging popularity of jazz music, and the writings of members of the Lost Generation. The suffragist movement finally succeeded in gaining women the right to vote, with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. As the decade drew to a close, the Black Tuesday stock market crash of October 29, 1929, marked the end of a period of profound transformation.The Roaring Twenties, Revised Edition, a volume in Facts On Files acclaimed Eyewitness History series, provides hundreds of firsthand accounts of the period-diary entries, letters, speeches, and newspaper accounts-that illustrate how historical events appeared to those who lived through them. In addition to firsthand accounts, each chapter provides an introductory essay and a chronology of events. The book also includes such critical documents as President Woodrow Wilsons Fourteen Points, the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Amendments, the National Prohibition Act, the Immigration Act of 1924, and the American Civil Liberties Union creed, as well as capsule biographies of 110 keyfigures, 10 maps, nine graphs, 14 tables, more than 90 black-and-white photographs, notes, a bibliography, and an index.
Synopsis
The 1920s constituted a decade of change and contrast that saw the emergence of modern America from the shadow of World War I. The nation-wide prohibition of alcohol at the onset of the decade sparked immediate protest in the form of bootleggers and flappers. Political scandals, espionage, and the debate over evolution fueled courtroom dramas throughout the decade. The population of the country was in flux-immigration spiked, and, in what is known as the Great Migration, large populations of African Americans moved from the rural South to such northern cities as Chicago. An era of artistic experimentation, the twenties was embodied in the Harlem Renaissance, the emerging popularity of jazz music, and the writings of members of the Lost Generation. The suffragist movement finally succeeded in gaining women the right to vote, with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. As the decade drew to a close, the Black Tuesday stock market crash of October 29, 1929, marked the end of a period of profound transformation.
The Roaring Twenties, Revised Edition, a volume in Facts On Files acclaimed Eyewitness History series, provides hundreds of firsthand accounts of the period-diary entries, letters, speeches, and newspaper accounts-that illustrate how historical events appeared to those who lived through them. In addition to firsthand accounts, each chapter provides an introductory essay and a chronology of events. The book also includes such critical documents as President Woodrow Wilsons Fourteen Points, the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Amendments, the National Prohibition Act, the Immigration Act of 1924, and the American Civil Liberties Union creed, as well as capsule biographies of 110 keyfigures, 10 maps, nine graphs, 14 tables, more than 90 black-and-white photographs, notes, a bibliography, and an index.
VOYA
This handsome volume is an in-depth treatment of American history from 1918-1929, featuring both primary and secondary sources. Subject matter includes political history (the Teapot Dome scandal of the Harding administration), social movements (temperance, black migration to northern cities), the economy (the Crash on Wall Street), entertainment (the advent of radio and motion pictures), legal milestones (the Scopes trial, Sacco and Vanzetti), and celebrities of the era (Charles Lindbergh, Louis Armstrong, F. Scott Fitzgerald), as well as a summary of activities in Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. Each chapter begins with a lengthy essay on a particular topic usually covering a year's time. This narrative is followed by a chronicle of events for that period. Following the chronology are several pages of "Eyewitness Testimony" or primary sources—everything from W. E. B. DuBois's denunciation of Marcus Garvey to Richard Byrd's recollection of his flight to the North Pole. An appendix contains twenty-six documents in their entirety, including Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, the Immigration Act of 1924, and the 18th and 19th Amendments. Another appendix has short biographies of major personalities with many writers, artists, and musicians featured. Although the book contains many excellent photographs, its text is often dense and encyclopedic in style and format. Nevertheless it is also fascinating and readable. Because of the broad scope and objective tone, this volume should be considered for a reference collection. Its interesting content is sure to attract both casual readers and report writers. Index. Illus. Photos. Maps. Charts. Biblio. Chronology. Appendix. 2001, Facts onFile, 436p, $75. Ages 13 to Adult. Reviewer: Florence H. Munat SOURCE: VOYA, February 2002 (Vol. 24, No.6)