Popular Culture: 1920-1939

Popular Culture: 1920-1939 — page 5 — Even though alcohol was officially banned between 1920 and 1933 people still gathered at speakeasies like this bar in New York Prohibition and speakeasies In 1920 the U S government decided to take action to solve the many social problems caused by alcohol They passed a national law known as Prohibition that put a total ban on making and selling alcohol Prohibition lasted until 1933 1 During this period gangsters known as bootleggers smuggled alcohol into the United States and illegal bars sprang up everywhere The bars were known as speakeasies

Popular Culture: 1920-1939 — page 6 — and they became very popular with young people Jazz musicians played in the speakeasies while people drank smoked and danced to the music Life in the 1930s During the 1930s life became much harder for many people In 1929 countries all over the world plunged into the Great Depression This was a period of widespread poverty when banks and businesses failed and millions of people lost their jobs The Great Depression lasted for most of the 1930s However by the end of the decade there were signs of recovery especially in the United States 2 By the late 1930s the United States had become the dominant world economy It also set trends in popular culture with people all over the world listening to American jazz and watching American films A dangerous world The 1930s saw a growing threat from Germany By 1933 Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party had gained control of Germany 3 Hitler began to make plans to create a Greater Germany by invading neighboring countries He also launched a campaign to persecute Jews gypsies and disabled people By the late 1930s it was clear that the only way to stop Hitler from achieving his aims was to go to war with Germany

Popular Culture: 1920-1939 — page 7 — During the 1930s there was also widespread fear of communism By 1929 Joseph Stalin had become leader of the Soviet Union and taken total control of the Russian people’s lives 4 Many people feared that communist ideas would spread to Europe and America A world of entertainment Faced with serious problems at home and abroad many people chose to escape into the comforting world of entertainment Movies and radio were immensely popular and they brought people together in a new kind of community In particular romantic movies such as Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz attracted massive audiences around the world The 1930s also saw the growth of celebrity culture as people worldwide identified with movie stars singers and musicians

Popular Culture: 1920-1939 — page 8 — The Great Depression hit families especially hard as parents struggled to find enough food to feed their children Breaking the law In the desperate years of the Great Depression many people in the United States were driven to crime Most lawbreakers stole small amounts of money to keep their families alive But some armed outlaws moved from town to town breaking into shops gas stations and banks The most famous outlaws of the period were Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow Bonnie and Clyde drove through Texas and the

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