The Roaring Twenties and Turbulent Thirties

This course will look at the period from c. 1920 – 1939. After briefly examining post World War I adjustments, we’ll look at how and why immigration restriction occurred, the causes of the second Ku Klux Klan, the Red Scare, the economic boom of the twenties, including the stock market, Prohibition, and rural/urban conflicts exemplified by the Scopes “Monkey” Trial. Cultural changes and fads such as sports, flappers, the Charleston, and flag pole sitting will be discussed. Additional topics will include how inventions like the automobile and the radio began to change American life. How did young people go from a young man “paying a call” on a girl to dating? We’ll look at the causes of the Great Depression, from both liberal and conservative points of view. The New Deal will be examined, from different points of view. Did it save capitalism or help prolong the Depression? We’ll also look at some of the famous figures of the period including Charles Lindbergh, John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, and Amelia Ehrhart. What are the theories of what happened to her? We’ll finally examine the rise of dictators in the twenties and thirties and the looming threat of war in Europe and Asia.