African American Influence On The Economy Of The 1920s

The Roarin’ 20s brought a new state of prosperity to America during the years of 1920-1929. World War 1,”the Great War”, had recently come to an end and Calvin Coolidge served as president for most of the decade, 1923-1929. The 1920s were influenced by the newly developed arts and entertainment industry as well as the economic conditions. From the surge of African American pride to the secret speakeasies, the United States saw many different changes within its citizens. The arts and entertainment industry saw a more modest development during the 1920s. The independence movement for women grew stronger after the 19th amendment passed in 1920s. Women began to rebel against society by wearing shorter dresses, noticeable rogue on their lips and

The radio itself contributed to the culture and education of America, because now sports were stimulated and politicians had a new audience to speak to as larger crows finally heard their promises and pleas. A large significance to the culture of America during the 20’s came from African Americans. The new music genre of Jazz, which rooted from African Americans in New Orleans during the migrating of blacks, became popular among flappers and the rebelling society. Handy, “Jelly Roll” Morton and Joseph “Joe” King Oliver are commonly associated with the birth of jazz. The surge of Jazz came from the new racial pride within African Africans, blossoming from black communities in the North. The most common association with the racial is Harlem in New York City, with 100,000 black residents during the 1920’s. Harlem became the epicenter of new African African literature and arts, which would commonly be called the Harlem Renaissance. The most common author associated with the Harlem Renaissance is Langston Hughes, who first began writing The Weary Blues in 1926. Harlem was also home to Marcus Garvey who founded the United Negro Improvement Association

Prohibition became one of the focal points for America’s economy because of the surge in bootlegging. Handmade alcohol was made due to the banning of alcohol, which would then be sold in “speakeasies”, secret clubs and bars where alcohol was sold. “Home brew” and “bathtub gin” were popular name among these types of alcohol. The alcohol was selling at such a rapid pace due to the supply in demand and the cheap prices. Along with prohibition came organized crime, with leaders such as Al ‘Scarface’ Capone. Capone and other gangsters received millions due to organized crime and bribery of the police. However, Capone was finally sent to prison on the terms of income-tax evasion. Not only did gangsters have an impact on the economy, but so did politicians. Andrew Mellon, Secretary of Treasury, listed the Harding Administration. He felt it was best to invest in tax-exempt securities rather than in factories that provided prosperous payrolls. He firmly believed in “trickle-down economics”, which would give tax cuts to the wealthy. Another politician that was infamous was Albert Fall,Secretary of Interior, who was involved with the TeaPot Dome Scandal, took bribes to "lease" federal oil reserves being held for future use by the navy to major oil companies. Another impact for the economy was the new surge of available jobs due to the flourishing auto industry. Henry Ford began using the assembly line