Category: 1920s

The 1920’s was a time where America was changing their culture rapidly and many new technological advancements were being made. The many things that happened could be described using the word ‘roaring’ and made it so the 1920’s were called the Roaring 20s. Some events that happened were, technological advancements, new culture, and mass media being introduced.

The first reason as to why the 1920’s should be called the Roaring 20’s is because of the technological advancements that were made. The assembly line was one of these advancements. Workers had their own station where they performed there certain task over and over while pieces of a product were being transported down a belt then finally creating the final product. The line made it so the time to make a product was greatly reduced causing the price of the product to be reduced and more easy to buy to the public. Another technological advancement was the radio. The radio became a product of the mass market as almost every household had one. Music lovers would actually have to attend a nightclub or a concert to hear jazz, now they could listen on the radio or even purchase their favorite recordings for at-home listening. Both technological advancements made it so people were able to do things more conveniently without it costing a fortune. The advancements were not just a one hit wonder, they were later taken and improved in future years. The 1920s should be called the Roaring 20s because of how beneficial the two creations were to America.

The second reason as to why the 1920’s should be named the Roaring 20’s is because of the amount of new culture that was introduced. Flappers were young women who strived for independence and freedom from the rules at the time and were seen as outrageous and immoral. They wore shorter dresses and listened to jazz. Flappers showed that women could be independent and a ‘revolution’ of the female race. The Harlem renaissance was a social and artistic boom that took place in Harlem, New York. African Americans flocked to Harlem and slowly the city became a destination for migrants in the US because the sought equality and a better life. The renaissance was where African American art, music, and books flourished. This stage in the 1920s brought pride in African American culture and gave them a new identity away from there previous one. The two cultural booms brought more acceptance into the 1920’s of woman and african americans. It made it so both of them were seen differently and were treated better, as the culture was slowly shifting in America. The 1920’s brang in new forms of entertainment and with the influx of cash that many households were having, it gave more time spent having fun and consumption. Movies became extremely popular. For 25 cents people were able to watch movies with there family and forget about life’s problems. People of different ages attended movies and over 90 million people in the end scrambled to a movie theater. Silent movies in the 1920s made it so movie stars started popping up such as Charlie Chaplin. In 1920 the first radio program was broadcast. For the next 30 years the radio was the major mass media tool. By 1930 there were over 30 million radios in the U.S. They were used for advertisements, entertainment, music, and sporting events. Serial programs (soaps) were very popular. The radio was the key source of information and entertainment in the 1920s.

Not everything about the 1920’s was all fine and dandy though, some things were also considered warring. The Ku Klux Klan returned and brought more violence and racism against not only black people but immigrants in general. Over 3.8 million people joined the clan in over 2 years. The clan was fueled by peoples hate and hostility toward immigration along with the fear of a communist revolution being brought to America. The KKK brought fear into America again along with racism and hatred. There was no benefit to the KKK and can clearly be labeled as a warring point in the 1920’s.

Right after World War I had finished up, the 1920s were fast approaching. Due to various factors, this decade was called The Roaring Twenties. However, it has long been debated as to whether the 20s roared in Canada. Nevertheless, the 20s roared for Canada’s economy, as they allowed it to grow and become more independent.

One factor that allowed Canada’s economy to grow during the 1920s was a large amount of migration from rural areas to urban areas. In the 1911 Canadian Census, it was found that 58% of Canadians lived in rural regions and 42% lived in urban regions. Later, in the 1921 Canadian Census, it was found that 48% of Canadians lived in rural regions and 52% lived in urban regions. This marked the first time that more Canadians lived in urban regions than in rural regions. This trend would only increase, as more people would move to urban regions and pursue jobs outside of agriculture, which was the most prevalent career in rural regions. This trend would never reverse, and it allowed for newer industries to be formed. This was another factor that allowed Canada’s economy to grow during the 1920s.

The industries that were formed and grew throughout the Roaring 20s were mining and forestry. The mining industry in Canada mainly dealt with minerals that exist in the Canadian Shield, which were nickel, copper, silver, and more. The forestry industry in Canada during the 1920s mainly dealt with pulp and paper. As these industries strengthened in Canada, it allowed for Canada to trade with more countries in the future, as it mainly only dealt with Britain and the USA previously. Though people moved to urban areas throughout the 1920s, the agriculture industry continued to grow, mainly with wheat grown and harvested in the Prairie provinces of Canada. This wheat was mainly exported to various countries, including Russia, which allowed it to become the world’s largest exporter of wheat crops.

As people moved to urban areas, they needed better modes of transportation than walking. This allowed for automobiles become the prevailing mode of transportation in Canada. In 1922, 1 in 22 Canadians owned a car, however by 1928, 1 in 2 families owned a car. As more cars were needed in Canada, more were also beginning to be produced in Canada, with GM, Ford, and Chrysler all opening factories in Canada, which lead to auto manufacturing becoming Canada’s 4th largest industry at the time.

One last factor that proves that Canada’s economy roared during the 1920s was an increase in GNP. At the start of the 1920s, Canada’s GNP dropped sharply from ~$5 billion (1920) to ~$4 billion (1921). However, it rose back to ~$5 billion by 1925 and continued to increase from there, reaching a peak of ~$6.1 billion in 1929.

Overall, due to all these factors Canada’s economy roared throughout the 1920s.

When I think of The roaring twenties I imagine parties, having fun, and rapid change. The twenties was a decade that saw rapid change in things like the economy and it also introduced new trends in lifestyle and culture. Movies, parties, jazz, and radio are some of the things the 20s introduced to us. While most people celebrate and think of the roaring 20s as a great and exciting time to be alive this wasn’t the case for everyone. There were a fair amount of issues that happened during this great time. In 1920 was the year prohibition took effect. It was the ¨legal prevention of the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States from 1920 to 1933 under the terms of the Eighteenth Amendment¨. There were a few reasons why prohibition happened such as the fact that Germans who were their enemies to the U.S. in WWI were the majority of the brewers, people started to realize that alcohol was morally wrong another was they believed it would help lower crime. Prohibition failed to do what people hoped would happen as crime increased and organized crime figures like the infamous Al Capone would become rich quickly by transporting and selling alcohol. Many of the police were bribed by these criminals and wouldn’t do much to enforce these prohibition laws. In the Roaring 20s prohibition would fail and would later in 1933 get repealed. Being the only amendment to get repealed.

Racism was still alive and well, the white supremacist group KKK would have a resurgence during the ’20s, and millions of members would join it. They would continue to do their violent activities in the south, it is reported that they did 64 lynchings in 1918 and 83 in 1919. The Jim Crows laws in the South would also be a factor that led millions of African Americans to move up to North and midwest states in the hope of better living conditions. During the 1920s, 800,000 blacks left the South, But they would be disappointed as not much of their lives would change except for jobs of better pay. African Americans would be segregated and live in ghettos. People who tried to move to better neighborhoods would most likely get their houses bombed or vandalized. As you can tell not everyone would enjoy the roaring twenties as life for African Americans would still suffer from racism and violence from white people. The red summer took place in 1919 and was a result of racial tensions in law and housing. More than three dozen riots would take place all across the country.

The most violent and well-known riot is the one that took place in Chicago From July 27th to August 3rd, 1919, for days the windy city would be a battlefield. Violence escalated daily and it would result in 38 deaths(23 black and 15 white) and over 500 injuries. As mentioned as people left the South to move to the Midwest, they would move for a better life and pay conditions. Since black people were getting paid better and many whites and blacks were competing for the same job it led to whites being scared and angry of the freedom and better pay they now had. Companies discriminated against them and didn’t hire or even fire them because of their skin color. Another would be that Black veterans who risked their lives fighting for their country still were treated poorly and not given any respect. All the violence towards black people, injustice, and racism they are facing led to them being fed up and deciding to stand up for themselves. Immigrants would also face similar challenges, AFter world war, the anti-immigration sentiment would During the 20s families and people from southern and eastern Europe since many were coming in large numbers. Many Americans were afraid of the different cultures and were afraid that the Europeans were going to be threats to them. So in response, they decided to restrict them bypassing the Emergency Immigration Act of 1921. which limited the number of European immigrants allowed. This was to limit undesirable ethnic and to keep the country as American as possible.

Over the years the number of immigrants would decrease. The National Origins Act of 1924 would limit more immigrants from arriving. One source Office of the Historian says the act gave ¨visas to two percent of the total number of people of each nationality in the United States as of the 1890 national census. It also included Asians who wouldn’t be allowed to come to America. In the time of The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, people would join worker’s unions and it made people think that a revolution would occur and that anarchists would send threats to powerful political figures. These were factors that made Americans believe that communism and anarchism were affecting their country. In response, the government would arrest thousands of suspects nationwide and raid the headquarters of radical organizations. As I said before there were a lot of issues that often aren’t brought up when people talk about the Roaring 20s. Since more Americans would have extra money during this time they would spend it on entertainment such as movies.

The movie business grew and thrived. 800 movies were released in a year and there would be more movie theaters with thousands of seats in big cities showing the increasing popularity of it. Southern California would be the center of the movie industry during this time. By the end of the decade, there would be 20 Hollywood studios that would forever be the heart of the American film industry. By the middle of the decade, 50 million people a week went to the movies. As more Americans had free time they would turn to sports more specifically Baseball would become more popular and be a good business. More people played this sport and thousands of spectators would go to the games. Stars like New York Yankees Legend Babe Ruth would be celebrities and help popularize baseball because of his ability to slam home runs. In general, more sports like boxing, golf, and tennis became popular and are still played today. Radio would be another achievement as it would be a household item and hundreds of different radio stations would be introduced throughout the decade, the radio was a way for people to listen to what was happening in the world, people now had the chance to listen to whatever was on like play by play description of sporting events or broadcast news and even political speeches. A revolutionary invention that brought entertainment and relevant information to a wider audience. The roaring twenties was more of a dramatic time and it had many issues at that time. I still consider it a roaring time as it was a time of so much change from its technology to its lifestyles. It was truly an interesting time to be alive,

In Canada, the 1920s was a decade full of social, technological, and economical advancements. Due to these revolutionary transformations, the decade earned the title of the “Roaring Twenties.” One of the significant changes during the 1920s concerned women’s rights and their roles. Women are associated with society through politics, education, and more. Was the revision of women beneficial for them and everyone else? Furthermore, through transitions of technology to newer production and adjustments on existing inventions, and lifestyles have drastically changed. How did they change? How did women’s rights and roles and technological transformation affect the 1920s? Did it lead to progress or regress?

During the 1920s, there was a remarkable increase in the number of rights for women. Throughout this decade, women were considered to be persons and were qualified to become senate. The Person case is a very prominent case which had a long-lasting effect to this day, in relation to women’s rights. The Person case eventuated from five significant women, known as the Famous Five. The Famous Five included Emily Murphy, Henrietta Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, and Irene Parlby. During this time period, many of them were politically active beforehand with suffrage, political positions, and more. The British North America Act (BNA Act), “used the word “persons” to refer to more than one person and “he” to refer to one individual” (Freeman-Shaw et al., 2014, p.30). Because of this, women were disregarded and were not qualified to become a senate. This discrimination lead the Famous Five to insist on the definition of “person” to include women and for them to be allowed to run for senate. However, the Supreme Court of Canada disapproved of this because of the Candian Constitution. However, the Famous Five had obtained approval from the Supreme Court’s decision to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England. The Decision of the Lords of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (October 18, 1929) states that “…women are eligible to be summoned to and become members of the Senate of Canada” (in Freeman-Shaw et al., 2014, p.33). In short, women being considered as persons, and being allowed to run for senate made a drastic change in women’s prominence against inequity. Going against this unfairness is integral because it enhanced the society to be more equal in contrast to sexism.

Women’s roles in society had drastically changed. Many women started to attend educational institutions, get jobs, and impact the government and society. To specify, “25% of young women attended high school” and “made up to 20% of the labor force” (Freeman-Shaw et al., 2014, p.34). Going to school provided women with a choice to get a job. Evidently, this change affected women positively as it gave them more chances and opportunities. Therefore, “women became more involved in society than they had been before”(Candian history project). In regards to women’s social roles, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union’s actions have impacted substantially. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is a women’s organization that has campaigned for many issues, such as labor laws, prison reform, alcohol, and suffrage. During the 1920s women believed that alcohol was evil and would lead to many crimes; therefore, the WCTU “convinced government to” (Falk and Plante et al, 2005, p. 74) implement prohibition. The WCTU’s achievements were effective towards women’s roles because they were a very influential and effective women’s group. To elaborate, the fact that women made such a big impact is compelling because, at the time, women were not treated equally compared to men and were discriminated against and neglected. Moreover, the WCTU faced those discriminations and had made such accomplishments and influences leading to improvement in women’s position. Overall, women became more involved in society, and equality was displayed more, resulting in enormous advancements for women.

In the decade of the 1920s, Canada was introduced to several more efficient modern productions and the development of existing inventions, specifically, automobiles and communications. Between all the changes in technology, the development of automobiles was very critical. Henry Ford had created a production line that was very prevalent because it caused cars to become cheaper and more efficient, leading to more prosperity. Through the gain of demand for the production line, the Model T Ford was the most popular automobile. Because of the improvement of the efficiency of automobiles, “50 percent of Canadian homes [owned one]” (Cranny et al., 2010 p.67). Consequently, due to the increase of automobiles, many roads, highways, and other traffic systems were built so that more people could use automobiles. Also, people started to live in locations further away from their workplace because they could easily transport using automobiles. Thus, the mass production of cars had changed people’s lifestyles because of all the adjustments made for improved convenience and comfort for automobile users. Moreover, the radio and telephone saw constructive improvements. Radio was a new source for entertainment, which presented news, music, culture, and various programs. Radio purchasers had expanded all over Canada as Edward Ted Samuel Rogers created a radio which powered through household electric currents without using batteries in 1924 (Freeman-Shaw et al., 2014). Likewise, the telephone was a new source for communication that could allow users to communicate in a more accessible way. In the beginning, telephones were expensive and not many households owned them. However, more people started to purchase telephones as they became cheaper due to innovations of the dial phone in 1924, and the one-piece headset in 1927 (Hoogeveen et al., 2014). Therefore, the improvement of the radio and the telephone lead to a more social community as people were more exposed to communications devices. The radio connected communities, as “people in the remotest areas of Canada were no longer isolated and were brought into contact with other cities of the nation”(History class). The telephone communicated with individuals as it was an “aid to social interaction” (Hoogeveen et al., 2014,p.217). To elaborate, the radio and telephone brought beneficial social changes since people became more connected and social through improved communications. As a result of the transformation of technology, Canadian lifestyles became less burdensome and more social.

To sum up, women’s rights and roles were changed for the better as women and men were starting to be looked at by society with equivalent values. Similarly, convenience and entertainment from technological transformations lead to more content and satisfied citizens. Regardless of other affairs, it is clear that these outcomes portray that the 1920s were progressive due to the number of those who were positively affected. As a result, all of these events were a big step towards our current society.

World War One was a depressing and horrific event that took place during the years 1914-1918. Many lives were taken over the span of the war and countless changes took place during and after the war to adapt to the situation at hand. Canada gained recognition globally after plenty of courageous acts during the war, giving them a chance to be taken seriously, and solidify themselves as an independent country. Many people had huge roles that contributed significantly to Canada during this challenging time in history. One important group that sacrificed their lives for the safety back home, and for soldiers, were women. This was a difficult time for them because they had little power and no voice towards voting, and having a job. In the aftermath of the war, women still had to face the same problems with rights, but eventually, this changed. Many women took a stand towards society’s rules at that time and strived for change within the political, economic, and social aspects improving throughout the decade. For these reasons, the lives of women in Canadian society improved in the 1920s politically, economically, and socially.

The lives of women in Canada improved significantly during the 1920s politically. In August 1920, women became eligible to vote in federal elections when they were 21 and above. This was the first big step that Canada took but this did not satisfy women as they continued to strive for equal rights. In the year 1921 where women first voted in an election, four women candidates ran for political office positions. Nellie Mcclung, Irene Parlby, Agnes MacPhail, and Mary Ellen Smith all won in their elections being the first woman to do so (Canadian History of Women’s Rights). The last big political decision that Canada made that improved women’s lives in the 1920s was all thanks to the “Famous Five”. In 1927, a group of five women by the names of Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Henrietta Edwards, Louise Mckinney, and Emily Murphy got together and considered going to the Supreme Court to clarify that women were allowed to be appointed by the Senate. They went this far because the Canadian Constitution stated that all “persons were allowed to run for political office”, so women looked to enter politics but men insisted that the word “persons” referred to men and not women preventing them from running. In 1928 the Supreme Court rejected them insisting that “persons” refer to men only so they moved on to the Privy Council in Britain. In 1929 The Privy Council ruled in favor of women allowing them to run in office. “The Persons Case was a significant moment in the history of women’s rights, even though the struggle for equality continues almost 100 years later” (Persons Case). Therefore, the lives of women in Canada improved during the 1920s politically.

The lives of women in Canada enhanced undoubtedly during the 1920s economically. During WW1, women were introduced into the labor force due to men leaving their jobs to join the armed forces. Most women found jobs such as secretaries, clerks, typists, and factory workers. In spite of their wages increasing during the war years, women’s wages were still 50-80% of men’s meaning they were still being underpaid for the same job as men (Status of Women). Sadly, after the war women were sent back to domestic service, making it the most typical female occupation. The unemployment rate of women increased right after the war, but by the 1920s women had reconstructed their wartime levels of labor-force participation. Some new ‘female’ professions were popularized, such as library work, social work, and physiotherapy, but the most rapidly growing occupations were clerical. Domestic service remained the most common paid occupation of women, but for the first time in the century, the percentage of women working as domestics fell below 20% (Status of Women). “Women were applying to universities in large numbers and by 1930, 23% of all undergraduates and 35% of all graduate students were female” (Status of Women). Unfortunately when the Great Depression hit in the 30s men took over most of the women’s jobs but after this tragedy, things went back to the way it was and eventually got better.. For these reasons, women’s lives in Canada got better throughout the 1920s economically.

Women’s social lives evolved unquestionably during the 1920s. Many boundaries were broken by females this decade, proving that women are capable of doing the same things that men can do. Before the 1920s, women were expected to wear clothes that showed little to no skin, and have long hair. When the 20s hit, women were fed up with clothing that gave them little to no freedom and came up with a new fashion look, called “Flappers”. They were described as “Young women who were proving they’re different and a ‘new breed’ of women. They mostly wore short skirts, boots that were left undone, cut their hair short, listened to Jazz and generally partied constantly.” (Watson). “Flappers” broke society’s image of what a woman should look like and gave them control over themselves without having to be told what to do. Another boundary that was broken was the first female broadcaster. Anna Dexter, known as “Queen of the airways” was the first female Canadian broadcaster and achieved a respected audience with her morning programs where she would talk about the local news and events (Jane Carli). Without Anna Dexter, it would have taken many more years before people would see a Canadian female broadcaster. This act proved that any women are as intelligent and entertaining as men. A big change happened in 1925 when the federal divorce law was changed allowing women to attain a divorce on the same grounds as men. Previous to this, women had to prove “bestiality” on the part of their husbands (Canadian Women’s History). The last big social event that impacted the uprise of Canadian women’s lives was the 1928 Olympics. For the first time, women were able to represent Canada in the 1928 Olympics, held in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Six females competed in track and field, while one competed in swimming. Altogether, they won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze medal. This was huge for females because to this day, “On the Canadian team, women are dominant-in both numbers and medals” (Catherine Porter). This was a big deal because these women set a great example that females have the same athletic abilities as men do. Because of these reasons, women’s lives in Canada got better throughout the 1920s socially.

In conclusion, women’s lives got better in Canada during the 1920s politically, economically, and socially. Politically, women won the right to vote in federal elections and gained the right to be appointed by the Senate. Economically, women started to specialize in new jobs other than domestic, they started to apply and get into university, and wages slowly started to increase. Socially, women didn’t listen to others and took control of their own bodies, they broke barriers by having the first Canadian broadcaster, they were finally able to file a divorce without having to prove “bestiality” and displayed their athletic talent by competing in the Olympics for the first time. This topic is significant to the part of the unit that we are studying because women during this time were finally able to find a job that has good pay so they can support their family instead of depending on her husband who spends half his check at the bar. Also, women now had the power to file a divorce if their husband was getting abusive towards them and their children.

Art in the 1920s was very different from the art we see nowadays. “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary,” once said Pablo Picasso. In other words, art is a way of expressing your feelings toward something or someone. Art can be expressed through painting, drawing, or even sculpting. Back in the 1920s, art would be used on buildings, clothes, and even furniture. This art style was known as art deco.

That brings me into my first paragraph, Art Deco was an important style or design mostly used for architecture in the roaring 20s. It originated in Europe and made its way throughout Western Europe spreading across North America in the mid-1920s and, remained crowd-pleasing all through the 1930s and early 40s. Art Deco is brief for, “Arts Décoratifs” which came from the International Exposition of Modern Decorative Industrial Arts Industry located in Paris that was founded in 1925. The architect, Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, who is also known as Le Corbusier, wrote a series of articles on modern art deco. His most famous article is called the “1925 Expo: Arts Déco” and you can find it in one of his journals called “L’Esprit Nouveau”

When world war 1 ended, the 1920s was a big change for the world. Modern and contemporary art productions have much to do with the art of the 1920s. Many unique styles got replaced or changed causing a new artistic style to form called art deco. Art deco was one of the most popular artistic movements of the 1920s it wasn’t applied to art but also architecture, furniture design, fashion, music, crafts, advertising, and many other things. This style is also mostly used for representing geometric shapes like triangles, quadralatriels, and spheres. Prime examples of Art deco are the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building in New York.

In the 1920s, there were many famous artists like George Luks. George Luks became popular for his wonderful paintings. This caused a spark of modernist art to flourish all over America. Painter Georgia O’Keeffe, who is still a famous artist today for her paintings of abstract nature scenes, first became recognizable in the 1920s. In New York City, the Museum of Modern Art was founded around 1929. A small social circle known as the daring ladies had created this museum. It was three girls, Lilly P. Bliss, Mary Quinn Sullivan, and Abby Aldrich Rockafeller. Their main purpose in creating the museum was to teach individuals more about modern art. Photography was also becoming a new, modern form of art. Many photographers such as Alfred Stieglitz and Paul Strand were leading the way into making photography popular.

All in all, the art we see nowadays was very different from the art we saw in the 1920s. Art can affect someone because the smallest things can be considered art. It also can influence different groups of people by changing their opinions, changing their characteristics, or even helping us understand other people’s thoughts and opinions.

After I read F. L. Allen’s Only Yesterday

Frederick Lewis Allen’s Only Yesterday is the first book that I have read about history. I really learned a lot of historical events from the author during the decade of the 1920s. Frederick Lewis Allen was an editor of Harper’s Magazine, and he was also an American historian of the first half of the twentieth century. In particular, he wrote about recent and popular history. Allen’s most famous book is the popular Only Yesterday, which recorded historical events that occurred in the United States in the 1920s. According to an author of a collection of art criticism Brian A. Oard in his review, “Originally published in 1931, Only Yesterday has aged remarkably well. This cultural portrait of manic Twenties America as seen from the depressive early Thirties remains an essential text for anyone who wants to understand the texture of life among (mostly white, mostly middle-class) Americans in the 1920s.” This book is indeed essential for people who are interested in the 1920s. In my opinion, there are two important issues in Allen’s Only Yesterday Americans’ Life and the Big Crash.

There were so many things that happened in the 1920s that people at that time had a rise and fall with society. After the First World War, society was undergoing change and the economy was beginning to grow; the city had developed and people’s consumption levels had gradually improved. According to the editors of History.com, “The nation’s total wealth more than doubled between 1920 and 1929, and this economic growth swept many Americans into an affluent but unfamiliar ‘consumer society.’” Economic development changed people’s lives, people began to enjoy a luxurious life, and even some of them lost themselves in it. The rapid economic growth also made the stock market develop rapidly. At the end of the 1920s, when the economic system was not perfect, the Big Crash occurred.

The 1920s, shortly after the First World War, was called the first modern era in many ways in American history. The most obvious of these ways was the change in Americans’ life. Before this period, Americans did not have money to spend on other things, and most people’s lives were surrounded by their jobs and housework. However, after World War One, the American society of the 1920s is completely different from the past. More people were moving from rural to urban areas to live, and the country’s main economic development had shifted from agriculture to mechanized industries. Radio and cars were becoming more and more popular in people’s lives, and the film industry was developing rapidly. First of all, the popularity of radio promoted the development of broadcasters and brought huge economic benefits. In the 1920s, about five hundred radio stations in the United States increased. Secondly, the popularity of cars and movies had enriched people’s lives. Better life made people start to enjoy life; however, people were lost in this life. As F. L. Allen said in his book Only Yesterday, “But no, this must be an exaggerated account of the misconduct of some especially depraved group.” (79) I agree with Allen’s statement. I think people were beginning to enjoy life because they were looking for happiness after their hard life before. However, some of them lost themselves in it, and their behavior was exaggerated. The better life depended on the rapid growth of the United States economy at that time, and Americans’ expectations for the future economy were reflected in the stock.

In the 1920s, whether it was a businessman or a civilian, wealth had grown; but the great crash happened at the end of the 1920s. The increase in the economy brought the stock market to an unprecedented level of prosperity. The stock market was steadily rising, with few fluctuations. Therefore, with the stock prices increased, stocks attracted more and more people to invest in them. Many people used all their money to invest in stocks and even invested in it with loans. A large number of new people got into the stock market, and this was a typical symbol of the bubble economy. Stocks began to show great fluctuations. In the end, the bubble economy was overwhelmed, causing people’s asset value to fall. The great crash had started, and stocks began to fall sharply without warning. The sudden decrease in stock prices caused panic among many investors who failed in the stock market. As F. L. Allen said in his book Only Yesterday, “Even this sudden decline in values might not have been utterly terrifying if people could have known precisely what was happening at any moment. It is the unknown which causes real panic.” (284) The US economy suffered a severe blow when the financial system was not perfect and stocks were not perfect as well. I think that the great crash which people have experienced is a good experience, because financial investment has always been a risk, and it can inspire and help people today.

Nowadays, stocks are still popular, but the people who invest are not crazy like the 1920s. In 2008, people around the world experienced another financial crisis. The economic crisis of the 1920s is the most serious crisis experienced by Americans, so people had enough plans and experience to handle the 2008 financial crisis. Although the economy was going down at that time, many governments implemented their plans, and people passed this economic crisis. The reason why people study history is that people need to know more about what happened in the past and learn the methods and experiences of seniors to solve things that we meet today.

In Only Yesterday, author F. L. Allen wrote a lot of things that happened in the 1920s, including the Americans’ life, and the Big Crash. I highly recommend this book to people who are interested in history because the author put many interesting details between 1920 to 1930. The reader can understand many things that happened in the 1920s. I really wanted to go to that era when I finished reading this book because people not only experienced hardships but also experienced happiness. In my opinion, the ups and downs of life are meaningful. After all, the rainbow only appeared after the storm.

Works Cited

1. Allen, Frederick. Only Yesterday. First Perennial Classics edition, HarperCollins, 2000. Accessed 6 October 2019.
2. Oard, Brian. “NLY YESTERDAY: AN INFORMAL HISTORY OF THE 1920’S by Frederick Lewis Allen” MINDFUL PLEASURES, Brian Oard, 26 January 2011, http://mindfulpleasures.blogspot.com/2011/01/only-yesterday-informal-history-of.html.
3. “The Roaring Twenties History.” History, 14 April 2010, https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/roaring-twenties-history.

The Harlem Renaissance provided African American artists with an unprecedented moment. Discuss

The Harlem Renaissance began as a movement for young African American creatives to reclaim their lineage and history, taking away from the white paternalistic views that romanticized yet also criticised their culture. They were able to change the exploitative use of primitivism and fetishization of ancient African artworks (that were being displayed in places like Stieglitz’s gallery 291 alongside modern works)[footnoteRef:1] into something that equated for them their own way of education and liberation through the inclusion of the works in their own art. Through the Harlem Renaissance, African Americans were able to promote their own political, social, economic, and cultural agendas through the arts, whilst acknowledging and owning their past. [1: S. F. Patton, African American Art (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), pp. 108-109. ]

A key artist who arguably initiated these ideas of owning their cultural past was sculptor Meta Vaux Warwick Fuller. She had studied in Paris and worked with Rodin who encouraged her to pursue sculpture. In turn, her 1914 piece Ethiopia Awakening (fig. 1), anticipated the Harlem Renaissance and ‘introduced America to the power of Black American and African subjects’[footnoteRef:2] as stated by David Driskell. The sculpture is influenced by Egyptian civilization and mythology and gave a sense of nobility for African Americans, who associated (alongside the rest of the world) Egypt as a ‘great civilization’[footnoteRef:3]. Through this sculpture, which represented beauty and the dramatic change of ‘awakening from the sleep of slavery’[footnoteRef:4], Warwick Fuller gave African Americans the strength and encouragement to adopt a sense of nationalism for their home country and rebellion against the colonization and racism that was widely entrenched in America. It also included an underlying religious theme, as Psalm 68:31 states ‘Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.’ Warwick Fuller was supporting the idea that Ethiopia represents Black Africa as a whole, as the Psalm addresses the enslavement of Africans in America and tells that complete liberation is coming, giving hope to a struggling nation. [2: D. Driskell, Hidden Heritage: The Roots of Black American Painting, Channel 4, 1991] [3: Patton, African American Art, p. 107.] [4: Patton, African American Art, p. 107.]

Through this work, Warwick Fuller offered African Americans the ability to reclaim their history through the ideologies of Pan-Africanism, be it through the links to the experience of the continent of Africa as part of the African American identity or the use of ancient African artworks as an influence. For African Americans, African art was not primitive (as it had been viewed by modern artists in Europe and the US) but a basis for their classical understanding of art – they used it as inspiration and never called it as such – they were diminishing the ideas that had been put in place by Western artists about non-Western art, like artists such as Picasso. As well as this, she introduced a religious theme that was picked up by other artists during the Harlem Renaissance, alongside these ideas of reclamation of primitivism and encouragement of understanding and using Black African culture and lineage in their works throughout this art movement.

Similar to Warwick Fuller in ideologies and artistic themes was Aaron Douglas. Upon arriving in New York in 1924 he met art collector Albert Barnes and saw first-hand the ‘primitive’ African art he owned, as well as the primitivism that was included in works by Picasso, seeing how it had influenced these artists whilst being an influence for him too. For example, there is a clear influence from ancient Egyptian art in his work, he even described his characters as ‘“Egyptian form” figures’[footnoteRef:5] as they resembled what was depicted in Egyptian frescoes and tomb reliefs. It is also clear that from experiencing the art in Barnes’ collection, most notably Picasso, he had developed an understanding and interest in cubism, as well as ideas around soviet art, that also introduced to him the politics of the USSR and ideas of anti-fascism, as racism was identified as a key component of fascism. Although influenced by the modern artists of Europe, he rejected any white paternalistic ideas and stressed the need for African American artists to create art for themselves. [5: Patton, African American Art, p. 119.]

His four-panelled mural from 1934 called Aspects of Negro Life was an inherently political work that supported the notions of creating African American art for African American people. It tells the story of Africans and African Americans fighting for freedom, whilst incorporating the ideas of socialism through the inclusion of a figure presumably modelled after Lenin in the piece From Slavery to Reconstruction (fig. 2). As well as this, the depictions of workers struggling against ‘the icons of American secular society modernism – industrialization and urbanism’[footnoteRef:6] in Song of the Towers (fig. 3) – as they are trying to reach the Statue of Liberty (the beacon of hope), just as the main figure playing the saxophone seemingly has. He was introducing the idea of the ‘New Negro’[footnoteRef:7] through the representation of the main figure, who is the epitome of ‘black creativity and self-expression’[footnoteRef:8] – these ideas gave African Americans a chance to celebrate, that hope was inevitable and that liberation and change had already begun (his piece from 1936, Aspiration (fig. 4), showed that they could achieve upward mobility and integration), as well as allowing artists in all cultural fields of the Harlem Renaissance to have an unprecedented moment, as this New Negro held cultural and political power. [6: Patton, African American Art, p. 141.] [7: R. J. Powell and D. A. Bailey, Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance (London: Hayward Gallery, 1997), pp. 23-24.] [8: Powell and Bailey, Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance, p. 24.]

The panelled mural also showed the influences of cubism and African art in its stylistic choices (along with the rest of Douglas’ work). His work was fascinated with primitivism and used these Euro-centric ideas around it to tell the story of slavery and the struggles of African Americans through the links to their African identity with the influences of ancient African art.

Another artist that similarly used the ideas of primitivism was Palmer Hayden. He would incorporate African art in his work as a sign of ancestral legacy and having also experienced cubism whilst studying in Paris, his work Fetiche et Fleurs (fig. 5) from 1926 is a modern interpretation of a still life in the home of an African American. The inclusion of the Fang reliquary and Kuba cloth had been popular representations of African art for artists in the US and Europe and so Hayden was representing the ideas of Alain Locke (the African American writer) and what he believed was the New Negro artist, as well as addressing the fact that white artists seemingly fetishized African art[footnoteRef:9], as they would see it as an aesthetic rather than part of African American lineage and culture. His later work, Nous Quatre a Paris (fig. 6) from 1935 is influenced by the work of Cezanne (his piece The Card Players (fig. 7) from the late 19th Century)[footnoteRef:10] but is painted to resemble the works of cubists, as well as referencing the Fang reliquary in how the male card players are depicted – he is representing African Americans as if they were ancient African sculptures. [9: Patton, African American Art, p. 121.] [10: Patton, African American Art, pp. 136-138. ]

His work began to be heavily criticized by many different critics for this provocative way of depicting characters, as they somewhat resembled racist imagery, as argued by David Driskell ‘Hayden’s deliberately self-effacing interpretation of his efforts as an artist, his insistence on portraying Blacks with the masks of minstrels … and his ingratiating reference to the benevolence of his liberators, are probably honest … portrayals of Hayden’s very real feelings about his efforts at making art.’[footnoteRef:11] He seemingly played into the white paternalistic trope, accepting the racist ideas of white America but instead argued that his work was a ‘symbolic reference to comedy, tragedy, and pleasures of a Black lifestyle.’[footnoteRef:12] He was therefore not allowing the white paternalistic trope to win, he was playing into the ironies of depicting African American subjects in the same way that white artists would, whilst also citing his influences in Black folklore. [11: D. Driskell, Hidden Heritage: The Roots of Black American Painting, Channel 4, 1991] [12: Edited by C. Miers, Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, 1994), p. 133. ]

Similarly, female African American artist, Lois Mailou Jones’ 1938 piece Les Fetiches (fig. 8) engages with a comparable Fang reliquary in a cubist style, as she had also experienced this first-hand when working in Paris. Through this piece, she addressed the fetishization and exoticism that was associated with African culture, which had been seen by white people as a commodity and fashion, adding a new and different aesthetic to the artworks of white Americans and Europeans, who did not understand or acknowledge what appropriating and depicting primitive objects would entail. Jones and Hayden, as well as many other artists in the Harlem Renaissance, including Douglas and Warwick Fuller, reclaimed this use of primitive art. Creating for them and many other African Americans a key link to their cultural past, acknowledging and using the works as a basis for their classical understanding of art and art history, just as Warwick Fuller was doing in the early 20th Century.

Jones also looked at Ethiopia just as Warwick Fuller had, in her 1932 painting The Ascent of Ethiopia (fig. 9). It uses similar tropes as Warwick Fuller’s sculpture Ethiopia Awakening (fig. 1) as it is accepting Ethiopia as the ascent of the African American legacy, as the imagery of the pyramids and ancient Egyptian figures move up towards the skyscrapers – the symbol used by many artists of modernity and presumably the city of New York, where Harlem was located. She is giving African Americans their moment, showing them where they are moving from and what they are moving towards – a modern life, free from the shackles of slavery and a link to their ancestral past, just as Warwick Fuller was representing.

The Harlem Renaissance did provide African American artists with an unprecedented moment. It provided them the ability to reclaim the use of primitivism and redefine how it was used within their artworks, enabling them with the opportunity to get rid of the white gaze and the ideas put on them and their art by white viewers. It also introduced the ideas of the New Negro – the modern African American who was no longer associated with slavery but was free to explore their history and in turn helped the outpouring of new art, of untapped creativity that reappropriated their culture, ideas, lineage – creating art for themselves. It was truly a renaissance, a rebirth of a nation in the new modern society of the northern states of America.

Bibliography

1. Sarah A. Anderson, ‘“The Place to Go”: The 135th Street Branch Library and the Harlem Renaissance’, The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, Vol. 73, No. 4, (Oct., 2003), pp. 383-421.
2. Amy Dempsey, Modern Art (London: Thames & Hudson, 2018), pp. 72-73.
3. David Driskell, Hidden Heritage: The Roots of Black American Painting, Channel 4, 1991.
4. · ‘Lois Mailou Jones (1905-1998)’, American Art, Vol. 12, No. 3, (Autumn, 1998), pp. 86-88.
5. Robert Goldwater, Primitivism in Modern Art (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1986).
6. Patricia Hills, ‘Cultural Legacies and the Transformation of the Cubist Collage Aesthetic by Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and other African-American Artists’, Studies in the History of Art, Vol. 71, (2011), pp. 221-247.
7. Milton Morris James, ‘A Note on American Negro Art’, Negro History Bulletin, Vol. 19, No. 8, (May 1956), pp. 179-180.
8. Edited by Charles Miers, Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, 1994).
9. John Ott, ‘Labored Stereotypes’, American Art, Vol. 22, No. 1, (Spring, 2008), pp. 102-115.
10. Sharon F. Patton, African American Art (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998).
11. Richard J. Powell and David A. Bailey, Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance (London: Hayward Gallery, 1997).
12. George C. Wright, ‘Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America’, The Journal of American History, Vol. 77, No. 1, (Jun. 1990), pp. 253-261.

List of Illustrations

1. Meta Vaux Warwick Fuller Ethiopia Awakening 1914 Bronze, 170.18 x 40.64 x 25.4 cm
2. Aaron Douglas Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery to Reconstruction 1934 Goache, with touches of graphite, on illustration board, 152.4 x 353 cm
3. Aaron Douglas Aspects of Negro Life: Song of the Towers 1934 Goache, with touches of graphite, on illustration board, 274.3 x 274.3 cm
4. Aaron Douglas Aspiration 1936 Oil on canvas, 152.4 x 152.4 cm San Francisco, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
5. Palmer Hayden Fetiche et Fleurs 1926 Oil on canvas
6. Palmer Hayden Nous Quatre a Paris (We Four in Paris) 1935 Watercolour and graphite on paper, 55.2 x 46 cm
7. Paul Cezanne The Card Players 1890-92 Oil on canvas, 65.4 x 81.9 cm New York, The Metropolitan Museum
8. Lois Mailou Jones Les Fetiches 1938 Oil on linen, 64.7 x 54.0 cm Washington, D.C., Smithsonian American Art Museum
9. Lois Mailou Jones The Ascent of Ethiopia 1932 Oil on canvas, 59.69 x 43.82 cm Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Milwaukee Art Museum

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Illustrations

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• Fig 1. Meta Vaux Warwick Fuller, Ethiopia Awakening, 1914.

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• Fig 2. Aaron Douglas, Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery to Reconstruction, 1934.
• Fig 3. Aaron Douglas, Aspects of Negro Life: Song of the Towers, 1934.

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• Fig 4. Aaron Douglas, Aspiration, 1936.

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• Fig 5. Palmer Hayden, Fetiches et Fleurs, 1926.
• Fig 6. Palmer Hayden, Nous Quatre a Paris, 1935.

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• Fig 7. Paul Cezanne, The Card Players, 1890-92.

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• Fig 8. Lois Mailou Jones, Les Fetiches, 1938.

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• Fig 9. Lois Mailou Jones, The Ascent of Ethiopia, 1932.

Unjust treatment amongst the colored race inevetably caused the uprising of the Harlem Renaissance. Prior to the Harlem Renaissance, the Jim Crow Laws were actively enforced. These laws remained in existence for more than a decade. The duration in which the laws were still in use lasted for a little over a century. Originating from previous practices the Jim Crow laws began in the late 1800s. Following after the black codes, the birth of the Jim Crow laws were greatly influenced by those sets of laws. Black codes mimicked trends of normal restrictions placed upon people whose hierarchical status wasn’t of great significance. Black codes state specific regulations and time frames regarding how freed slaves could work. As these codes became more widely known it influenced the start of what are the Jim Crow laws.

Jim Crow laws were simply a newer form of black codes. Both sets of laws contained their own similarities and differences. In comparison to the black codes, Jim Crow laws fully excluded one race in particular from places such as restaurants, schools, churches and more. On the other hand both sets of laws witheld unique differences. To differentiate one from the other both the black codes and the Jim Crow laws had divergent objectives. Black codes were enforced in order to have control over the lives of freed black individuals whereas Jim Crow laws were used in order to segregate colored from whites. Due to these laws which imposed strict limitations upon people of color many fled the area. The laws led to large amounts of racially segregated places in many different areas. For instance “northern whites had excluded blacks from seats on public transportation and barred their entry, except as servants, from most hotels and restaurants. When allowed into auditoriums and theaters, blacks occupied separate sections; they also attended segregated schools. Most churches, too, were segregated”.

Blacks were denied as it benefited people who were not colored like them. In a regular environment, colored individuals weren’t allowed around whites unless they were working for them. Fleeing these circumstances allowed people of color to freely explore their heritage. This also marked a time in history known as the “Great Migration”. “Fifty years after the United States outlawed slavery African Americans fled the South in huge numbers in a movement that became known as the Great Migration.” Resettling in northern cities, where they sought better lives, employment, some degree of social equality, and an escape from daily violence, the migrants (numbering approximately 500,000 in the first wave, from 1916 to 1919) did find more opportunities in the North, where they transplanted some of the most vibrant aspects of their culture. In building and discovering the foundation of African American culture a period in history known as the “Harlem Renaissance” came about, also reffered to as the “New Negro Movement”. This time period related to the categories of arts, music, and much more. Individuals during this era took the time to set free the artistic abilities within them whether it be music, literature, poetry or anything related to fine arts in order to express their insignificance.

Writers along with artists of African American descent united themselves as they began to uncover the true meaning of who they were and how their background contributed to their individuality. Art was more of an escape to those who felt captured, trapped, mute, restricted, and lost. It was used as a way for colored people to express themselves in ways that many others could understand and relate to. There were many iconic figures during the Harlem Renaissance that made a lasting impact on history. One of many figures was Langston Hughes, an individual who contributed greatly to this time as he granted many people much of his knowledge through his writing. His writing was based on equalitiy, prejudice behavior, and various injustices within the system. Hugues strayed away from basic traditions and created his own way of voicing the poor treatment of the black community. In doing so he became one of the most significant individuals of this time period due to the simple fact that he made himself stand out. Colored people used this time to create a voice for themeselves as well.

Fortunately, some stories received great recognition just like the story of Augusta Savage. “After being rejected for a summer art school in France because of her race, she appealed to the press. Her story appeared in newspapers. While she never did receive the scholarship, she did focus public scrutiny on the problem.” In many cases receiving recognition of course didn’t put a stop to the problem but what it did do is raise awareness and draw attention to the situation. Unlike many other time periods in history, women didn’t hold as much significance as men much less any at all. For example, women couldn’t rule it was always the men. If a woman had a daughter and a son, the son would always get the position over the daughter. It was normal for men to be superior and for women to be the inferior ones. Women had no rights as far as voting, owning property, marriage, and more. One thing that is significantly different about the Harlem Renaissance is that women were praised by many for their performances in theater and music. This was a turn in history due to the fact that women normally weren’t valued. They were often looked down on and restricted to household chores only. It is evident that the Harlem Renaissance didn’t only shine light upon the African American race but also on women. This movement had multiple lasting effects on history many of which created better opportunities.

A few important female figures during this time was Savage Augusta, Smith Bessie, and Hurston Zora Neale. These females have played a very important role in the development of the Harlem Renaissance. Savage Augusta was a sculptor during the time of the Harlem Renaissance as she prospered in the area of art. She was also an advisor during this time. As Savage Augusta persued two carrers she became a very well known leader of this era. “She produced over 130 sculptures in clay, plaster, wood, and bronze won significant awards, and exhibited her work at prestigious salons in Paris and in numerous galleries in the United States”. “Savage’s sculptures include realistic portrait busts of Harlem leaders and ordinary people from the African diaspora, religious and classical/mythological themes, genre scenes, metaphorical, abstract pieces, and commemorative statues”. After being rejected from an arts program due to her race that exclusion turned into a turning point in her life which came with great success. Smith Bessie, another female leader during this time period gained recognition from her. musical talent. She used her voice to express various topics relating to adoration. On the stage sharing her beautiful voice with others, she received the name “Empress of the Blues”. “As she sang, her rich voice and personal intensity spoke directly and emotionally of common folks’ troubles, and she would move listeners deeply with both her message and her passionate delivery”.

Bessie Smith had a lot of success in her career where she vocalized different messages and brought awareness to the genre of jazz music. Jazz had a big influence in the Harlem Renaissance. “No aspect of the Harlem Renaissance shaped America and the entire world as much as jazz. Jazz flouted many musical conventions with its syncopated rhythms and improvised instrumental solos. Thousands of city dwellers flocked night after night to see the same performers”. Smith’s music continues to win over new fans, and collections of her songs have continued to sell extremely well over the years. She has been a primary influence for countless female vocalists — including Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin — and has been immortalized in numerous works”. Similar to these successful women, Hurston Zora Neale triumphed in her career as an anthropologist and author. “ Zora Neale Hurston was best known for her collection of African American folklore Mules and Men (1935) and her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), in which she chartered a young African American woman’s personal journey”. This time period greatly impacted history and changed a lot of things that go on in the world.

A Raisin in the Sun vs The Harlem Renaissance

Mankind is a very interesting species, both in terms of the tasks we can accomplish and how we can all come together to tackle any conflict at hand. This can especially be seen in terms of how we creatively express ourselves as an individual. Ranging from the vast and colorful paintings to the emotionally driven stories in many theatrical plays. They teach us that are all unique as individuals and can achieve anything we set our mind to. Many events can show many artistic forms of expression, and perhaps the most significant historical event of them all is the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was an event in history that lasted from 1918 and continued up into the late 1930s in New York. The Harlem Renaissance was responsible for the sudden artistic explosion in music, religion, and literature. Although the Harlem Renaissance has been over for several decades now, the Harlem Renaissance’s impact on colored people and history simply can’t be ignored, as its effects can still be seen today. One of these examples being the play adapted into a theatrical film named “The Raisin in the Sun,” which was inspired by the Harlem Renaissance. The Raisin in the Sun is a reflection of ideas from the Harlem Renaissance because of the black characters, situations of racial injustice, celebrating black culture, and referencing other art forms that we can find in our everyday lives.

First, A Raisin in the Sun is a reflection of ideas from the Harlem Renaissance because of the black characters. The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic movement led by black people, which we can also see in A Raisin in the Sun as it proudly uses black characters in the story. Both periods of time also connect because black people aren’t presented in a stereotypical or negative way. Instead, they are proudly showing string character traits such as being hard working and setting motivations and priorities. These characteristics were also seen in the Harlem Renaissance as they were proudly being hard working and setting motivations and priorities for creating an artistic explosion with black people.

Next, A Raisin in the Sun is a reflection of ideas from the Harlem Renaissance because of situations of racial injustice. In A Raisin in the Sun, the character Mr.Lindner offers the family money so that they can’t move into a white neighborhood. They respond by kicking Mr.Lindner out of their apartment. Racial injustice can also be seen in the Harlem Renaissance. After the Civil War, many black citizens began to strive for rights such as voting and equal pay. The many forms of racial injustice caused many black citizens to come together and strive for a development in music, art, and religion. Another example can be seen in A Raisin in the Sun when Walter describes how he doesn’t like working as a servant in a rich white household. This is also seen in the Harlem Renaissance since before the Civil War, black people were forced into slavery and had to take orders or they would be severly punished.

Also, A Raisin in the Sun is a reflection of ideas from the Harlem Renaissance because of the celebration of black culture. The Harlem Renaissance is responsible for a flourishing of African American expression. As such, many African American citizens now had not only a pride to show off their country of origin, but to show their excitement to learn more about their ancestors. This is seen in A Raisin in the Sun when Beneatha dresses up in a traditional Nigerian outfit and dances to the record. This shows us that Beneatha wants to know more about her African heritage and is eager to learn more about it.

Finally, A Raisin in the Sun is a reflection of ideas from the Harlem Renaissance because of the references to other art forms that we can find in our everyday lives. Music became widely loved by black citizens, as such many individuals were interested in picking up an instrument. This is seen in A Raisin in the Sun when Beneatha is trying to play the guitar. Another example in A Raisin in the Sun can be seen when Walter is listening to several Jazz records. This is seen in the Harlem Renaissance because jazz became exponentially popular during this time period.

In conclusion, The Raisin in the Sun is a reflection of ideas from the Harlem Renaissance because of the black characters, situations of racial injustice, celebrating black culture, and referencing other art forms that we can find in our everyday lives. The original play for A Raisin in the Sun debuted on Broadway in 1959, approximately 20 years after the Harlem Renaissance movement. The play demonstrates many of the same characteristics that black citizens strived for during the Harlem Renaissance. Despite many of the bad things that happen to Walter Lee Younger and his family, we all learned an important life skill when viewing this play. Even when you make mistakes, you gotta get up and learn from them.