Source: Narrated by Zach Lamb
Students, adults, and historians remain fascinated by the roaring '20s. Just think about the different events and trends that occurred during the decade, many of which were mentioned in Matthew story, and see if you could draw parallels to today's society.
Today, Americans adore their cars as they commute from place to place. Americans during the 1920s felt the same. They fell in love with Henry Ford's Model T and other new automobile models. Cars were one of the many technologies creating a mobile, fast-paced urban society, one that drew Matthew to New York City after World War I.
Matthew's experiences also reflect the generational and racial divides that emerged during the roaring '20s. Matthew was among are members of the new generation, where younger Americans who lived in the city listened to jazz music, wore new styles of clothing, and explored new sexual relationships. By going to Harlem and listening to jazz, Matthew witnessed part of the Harlem Renaissance, which was an era of renewed creativity and political organization within African American urban communities.
Meanwhile, Matthew's parents, who live in upstate New York would, qualify as members of the nervous generation, or those Americans who were older and often living in rural areas, and holding tightly to religion and other traditions in the face of the changes modernity was ushering in. Do any of these trends or division sound familiar? How can you draw comparisons between the roaring '20s and today?
Try applying one of the five C's. For instance, think about the context in which the generational divide between the new and nervous generations emerged. What economic, social, and cultural factors shaped this divide? Have similar factors influence the generational divide between you and your parents, or between you and your children?
Similarly, we can apply another C, causality, to understand the great crash of 1929 and connect it to the more recent 2008 financial crisis. Remember, everything has a cause and effect, and multiple factors caused the great crash. Class, race, and location all helped to influence how an individual experienced the effects of the great crash.
Finding connections between the 1920s and today is yet another C, contingency. Everything is related and connected and nothing in history happens in isolation. As the 2008 financial crisis occurred, observers and historians looked to the great crash of 1929 for comparisons and lessons. As you continue in the course, keep applying your historical thinking skills to uncover similar connections among historical events and current events.
