Mention one new detail that you learned from the documentary segment that none of your classmates have commented on in previous responses.
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October 10, 2017 at 9:43 pm
In this documentary, I learned more about the events leading up to the Roaring 20s, which included the specificities of the aftermath of World War 1 and the changing status of America at the start of the 20th century. In the summer of 1919, parades of soldiers celebrated the victory of WW1 in the streets of New York City. Regiments were cheered for weeks, past the victory arch at 23rd street, the memorial at 42nd street, as well as other landmarks still exist to this day. The 369th regiment, also known as the Hell Fighters, was the first regiment to be honored after the war. This was a big stride for African American equality, as the 369th regiment was an all black force from Harlem. The French awarded their highest military honor to this regiment of the Allied forces, as the Hell Fighters expressed their perseverance and strength at war. The victory of WW1 sparked the Roaring 20s, which was in a sense, a psychological change in America as a new world power. The victory made Americans think that anything was possible, and creativity was limitless. Prior to the war, America was a nation in debt, but afterwards, came out thriving. As such, New York began competing with London as the major city of the world at this time. The commercial and industrial age was fueled during this time, encapsulated by a mass culture. I found it very interesting how a single event can lead to a change in the mindset of an entire nation, like an enormous domino effect.
October 12, 2017 at 10:09 am
The event that I most viscerally reacted to in the documentary occurred at the very beginning of the Roaring 20s and indeed set the tone for the rest of the decade. This was the Wall Street bombing of September 16, 1920. According to the documentary, a horse-drawn carriage pulled up across the street from the headquarters of the J.P. Morgan bank on Wall Street and exploded. It’s said that the bomber reconfigured the wagon so that he could pack as much explosive material into the wagon in order to kill as many people. The explosion was so intense that it launched the horse’s hooves into the air and into Trinity Church. That was the only part of the horse left; the rest of the horse was absolutely obliterated. 38 people were killed and 143 were seriously injured (this count doesn’t include the total number of injured, which is estimated to be in the hundreds). What surprised me the most out of all of this though was the reaction from the rest of the City. They just strung across lights in order to not have the incident cause any kind of inconveniences to passers-by and to illustrate that repairs need to be made. By the evening, the repairs were mostly completed and Wall Street business went on as usual. The market even continued its upward trend without any negative repercussions from the surrounding events. I snooped around a little bit after watching the documentary and I found that this event was actually the deadliest act of terrorism on US soil up until that point. To hear that the loss of 38 lives and the scarring of hundreds of others wasn’t even commemorated for a day before everyone moved on is a harrowing indication of the state of mind of the City at that point. New York City refuses to be slowed down under any circumstances; time is money and money is all that matters.
October 14, 2017 at 7:17 pm
In this segment of the documentary, I learned of the role of F. Scott Fitzgerald in marking the beginning of the Roaring Twenties. It was 1918 when the war ended and he was discharged from the military when Fitzgerald moved to New York City. As a writer, most of his first novels were rejected by publishing companies. This led to his engagement being broken off as his fiancé, Zelda, did not believe Fitzgerald to be financially capable of taking care of the two of them. This spiraled him into a drinking binge for a few weeks before he submitted This Side of Paradise, a novel that eventually became published. He became an overnight success. His career was sprung up at around the same time as the Roaring Twenties had sprung up. Economic success and the lack of innocence of the decade was tied to Fitzgerald’s life. His novels became the stories that signified the Jazz Age. The drinking and the shallowness of the people of the Jazz Age was portrayed through The Great Gatsby. However, it wasn’t until after F. Scott Fitzgerald’s death that his legacy was recognized.
October 15, 2017 at 4:53 pm
Even with the end of World War I, New Yorkers were still skeptical and indifferent towards each other, especially towards those with a different skin color than them. However, this rapidly shifted as New York City approached the Roaring 20’s. With the help of the media, the Harlem Renaissance became one of the most popular cultural and artistic movements that was perhaps the defining movement of cultural diversity in NYC. The movement began when a new subway line opened, stretching from lower Manhattan all the way to Harlem. This attracted over 200,000 African Americans across the city, varying from areas near Greenwich Village, The 5 Points, and San Juan Hill in Midtown Manhattan. Although the Harlem Renaissance is often known as the “New Negro Movement”, the integration of black Americans and immigrants has led to the essential development of cultural diversity throughout the city. For instance, many non black artists began to perform in Harlem. One of the most notable artists was Richard Rodgers, a German composer born in Queens. Even though he was not black, he performed in Harlem and contributed to the Harlem Renaissance. As George Gershwin had put it, the experience of composing for the Renaissance is like writing “with a melting pot of NYC itself, with its blend of natives and immigrant strains”. The Harlem Renaissance developed more than just the multiculturalism we see today in NYC. It had also defined being American as being mixed.
October 15, 2017 at 8:02 pm
One new detail that I have learned from watching this segment of the New York documentary is the topic of the “Red Scare.” The Red Scare started on the night of May 1st, 1919 when a U.S. Postal worker found 16 abruptly weird and awkward packages that were supposed to be shipped to prominent businessmen or politicians. Each of these packages contained enough nitro-glycerin to blow a man’s head right off. This one event became a catalyst for the oppression and discrimination of foreign races. The Red Scare was a wave of political hatred with a motivation solely based on race, and xenophobia, unlike anything the U.S. country has ever seen before. Within months of this first event, immigrant workers that thought of the U.S. as their salvation and land of the free were now placed on the run. Massive roundups and gatherings of immigrants/aliens began, sending them in ridiculously large groups to Ellis Island, the first place they arrived at when immigrated to New York City. Ellis Island was seen as a flash of hope and opportunity when they first arrived, but now being sent back to Ellis Island, this time for the complete opposite meaning, for the purpose of deportation. The most famous deportee of the time was Emma Goldman, the famous anarchist, political activist, and writer. These events, this scare, led to the change in culture present during the 1920’s.
October 16, 2017 at 5:37 pm
There was a lot I learned about from this documentary about the history of New York. One of the things I found really interesting was that the 1920’s was the beginning of modern American consumerism and advertising. The documentary mentioned that the 1920’s was the “2nd Industrial Revolution” as it allowed for the production of mass consumer goods. This fostered the development of advertising. Advertisers began using the radio and developing methods to make desires of people into wants. Advertisers were trying to sell me hope and this age bought about a plethora of new products, entertainment and culture. New broadways shows were being made, there was a mixture of cultures to create new entertainment, and famous icons and artists rose during this time.
October 16, 2017 at 6:36 pm
One thing I learned while watching this episode of the documentary was that African Americans never previously had a space of their own in New York City. Prior to the early twentieth century, African Americans were in small groups throughout the city and were often moved about. For example, at first African Americans were primarily located in the Five Points District, then they moved to Greenwich village, then the Tenderloin and then San Juan Hill. Eventually, a subway line was created that went north of central park which paved the way for many African Americans moving to Harlem. It is said that approximately two hundred thousand African Americans moved to Harlem between 1917 and 1925.
October 16, 2017 at 7:39 pm
While watching the documentary I learned of a lot of different aspects that made the twenties the roaring twenties. One of those was the growth of commercial products and the idea of the consumer. New York city was in a boom financially because of the growth of domestic products and a growth in how that played a part in the lives of the people every day. One of these inventions and products was the radio. It was one of the first ways to communicate with people over a large distance by broadcasting advertisements, news, or music. This growth in the commercial industry signified a change in the culture of NYC. Jazz was introduced and became very popular during this time due to the appeal of the music and it became particularly popular in NYC because of the opportunities in media that NYC provided young musicians with. This also led to a migration of African Americans to Harlem in NYC.
October 16, 2017 at 8:18 pm
Something that I found interesting and exciting was the events that surrounded the construction of the Chrysler Building. It was the spring of 1929 when the race to the skies reached its climax. The automobile magnate, Walter Chrysler, announced plans for a new skyscraper with the goal of building the tallest building in the world. However, he was rivaled by an architect for the bank of the Manhattan Company. Month after month, both sides altered their plans in mid-construction just to try to stay ahead of the other. When the fall of 1929 came, the building for the bank of Manhattan made its final touches on the building, believing they had won the competition. Unbeknownst to their rivals, Chrysler actually built a spike in the building. At the last minute, they pushed it up to create the crowning feature of the building to beat the Manhattan Company by over one hundred feet. The Chrysler Building became the tallest building in the world at the time.
October 16, 2017 at 8:48 pm
I never learned that Al Smith ran against Herbert Hoover in the election of 1928. The name sounded familiar but the story behind him did not. The documentary portrayed him as a nice man who a lot of New Yorkers admired. However, the election, “descended into a dark episode of Americas political history.” Smith was successful in New York, due to the city’s democratic views. However, what worked for him in New York actually worked against him in the countryside. His New York accent, liberal views but most importantly his Catholicism confused a lot of people and ignited hatred in others. I found shocking that the KKK burned crosses along the route of his campaign trail and people made rude remarks towards him throughout his travels. This reminded me a lot of the recent presidential election. Bernie Sanders, besides the Catholicism, represents Al Smith. The city admired Sanders and he even promoted a lot of young adults to step out and vote. However, his socialist views were not accepted in the south or the republican areas. This comes to show that the city is so large that sometimes politicians forget about the rest of the country, which in majority is a countryside. That was the issue with the election. People were upset that Hillary did not win, however, they forgot the rest of the country unfortunately does not think like New York.
October 16, 2017 at 9:12 pm
New York City is the birth of the popular entertainment with music and songs before Hollywood. The Roaring 20s was defined by the image making and visual selling of new mass media or radio broadcasting. From the advanced technology and innovative transportation system, there lies a new invention of, the mass media communication, radio stations. In 1922, the first transmission was radiated from the Manhattan’s skyscraper. The first radio message was an advertisement for housing in Jackson Heights, Queens. This announcement flooded the words about Queens and people began to purchase and rent apartments in Jackson Heights. The real estate companies sold about $150,000 after this successful advertisement. In essence, this became the American system in broadcasting. The idea that companies are creating their products to fit the needs of the costumers was compelling and avant-garde. People quickly became captivated by the content in the advertisement and was more willing to purchase merchandise. Advertise easily reached the targeted audience through radio since almost everyone, at that time, had a radio in their household. The change in behavior in the 1920s provoked businessmen to create products that fit the needs and demands of the customers. Radios were highly significant because it was the prominent form of communication through entertainment, news, and mixture of commercial purposes.
October 16, 2017 at 11:11 pm
When I hear of the Roaring Twenties, I think of flappers and speakeasies. I never knew that the name was really in reference to the rampant proliferation of culture and commercialism for the first time in America. During the twenties, advertisement was born. So commonplace in today’s society, back then, it was revolutionizing for businesses. The first ever radio broadcasted ad was for housing in Jackson Heights. They described how it was in close proximity to the city, while also rural. It was the first display of real public advertisement on radio. This one-ten minute slot of time brought $150,000 worth of demand in apartments. The result was groundbreaking. The twenties is a time when we really see modern culture of today’s society being born and used for the first time. This really began the formalization and exploration of business. It became even scientific, in which businesses were thinking about the psychological aspect of reeling in customers. It’s fascinating to see that almost a century ago, people were already discovering the formal and modern techniques of business that still exist today.
October 16, 2017 at 11:18 pm
There have always been examples of how the United States is a place where immigrants can follow their dreams and the Roaring Twenties was no exception to this statement. As immigrants came from different regions, they were able to produce an interesting theater with their different styles and music that were mixed together. The Irish, African Americans and Americans were able to accept each other in the working environment and cooperated together as they learned something new from the others. They were able to put aside their differences as the gender and race barriers were broken down when it came to the Broadway musicals. It was a symbolism of America because it showed the melting pot in which different cultures were able to come together and create a new type of entertainment.
October 17, 2017 at 12:59 am
The documentary mentioned a “red scare” that swept the U.S. in the years 1919 – 1920, breeding intense anti-immigrant sentiment throughout the U.S., particularly in cities. It was the culmination of the ending of the first world war, the recent communist revolution in Russia, and growing nativism that especially targeted southern and eastern European immigrant groups. This intense fear of communists and anarchists was well exemplified by the bombing of Wall Street, outside of the Morgan bank in September of 1920. I know that the case was never completely resolved, but I recall this event is thought to be related to the arrests of Sacco and Vanzetti. The two men, Sacco and Vanzetti, were known Italian-American anarchists convicted of robbery in Massachusetts and sentenced to death, though they maintained their complete innocence. Their trial and subsequent conviction were largely based on circumstantial evidence and the subject of mass amounts of media coverage and public interest. The consensus of the investigation into the bombing maintained that a group of Italian “Anarchists” were to blame for this bombing, and had supposedly done this in retaliation for Sacco and Vanzetti’s arrests. I found this particularly interesting because it is usually the Sacco and Vanzetti trial that is pointed to as an example of the danger of the red scare, and wide spread anti-immigrant fervor. Yet the bombing of Wall Street was a far more deadly event. It is highly symbolic of the oncoming era of capitalism and its resilience in the face of competing ideological systems.
October 17, 2017 at 1:11 am
An aspect of the documentary I found enlightening was the description of the entertainment industry as “democratic” during the 1920s. At the time, the styles of music performed on stage ranged from classical to jazz, and the selection of styles was largely at the discretion of the avid patrons. The diversity in New York City allowed a wide variety of musical interests to come together in spite of differences that may have otherwise been a factor of hatred between groups. In the artistic area of society, at least, race and gender were barriers that were overcome through the mixture of styles and borrowed culture. High art, which included classical music and literature, was intended to be enjoyed by the educated elite of society. In contrast, low art was meant to be consumed by the lower class, as it was more accessible and easily understood. During this time period, even the line between high art and low art was blurred because the quintessence of America was the medley of cultures and mutual appreciation for art.
October 17, 2017 at 1:40 am
For 16 years, the Woolworth building of New York city reigned supreme as the tallest building in the world. Up until then, no other country had been able to compete with this colossal feat in architectural history, one that New York was incredibly proud to possess. It wasn’t until the spring of 1929 that the race for sky began, and companies all over New York embarked on a feverish race to top the record of the tallest building in the world. One of the first and more famous builders to throw their hat into the race was Walter Chrysler, an automobile company owner and an ambitious businessman who desired to have his name on the ultimate skyscraper. His instructions to his architect William Van Allen were, of course, to make it the “tallest in the world”. Meanwhile, 80 blocks to the south, Van Allen’s past partner- turned -rival H. Craig Severance was busy constructing his own groundbreaking project, the building for the Bank of the Manhattan Company on Wall Street. For months, the two men worked furtively to outdo the other, constantly changing their plans mid-construction in competition with their opponents designs. The men became engrossed with their projects, driven by the common desire to obtain the famous legacy of the worlds greatest building.
Towards the end of construction, it appeared the Severance was in the lead of the competition, and that his building was superior in height to that of his competitor. However, in surprise to Severance, Van Allen had one more small trick up his sleeve. With the intent to outdo Severances lead once and for all, Van Allen inserted a new addition to the construction plans, in which a steel or Monell spike was to be added to the top of the building. This last minute addition became the crowning feature of the Chrysler building, and not only caused Van Allen to win the race but made the Chrysler building into the iconic landmark of the New York City skyline that it is today.
October 17, 2017 at 2:46 am
One fascinating detail I encountered in the duration of this documentary was the Wall Street Bombing event. I have visited Wall Street multiple times and hope to work there one day, yet I was never aware that a bomb blast incident had taken place there. The bomb blast was executed through a horse-drawn carriage carrying 100 pounds of dynamite and a timer that set it to explode around noon. Killing about 30 people, the bomb exploded in front of J.P. Morgan Bank and was never resolved by law enforcement due to lack of modern technology. Upon more research on this topic, I discovered that law enforcement thought a possible lead in the bombing was Italian anarchists who were upset about the deportation of Luigi Galleani. Additionally, $2 million dollars in property damages were incurred-amounts that would add up to about $24 million dollars today. What I found amazing was that Wall Street finished most repairs by 1 A.M. the next morning and kept operating. Furthermore, the NYSE continuously rose-unaffected by the tragic event. The fact that Wall street was able to stand upon its feet again in such a short amount of time profoundly reflects New York’s strong and perseverant attitude.
October 17, 2017 at 3:22 am
One detail from the documentary that I found intriguing was that, in 1920, for the first time, more Americans resided in urban cities than in the country. This brought about a sort of anxiety in rural communities, concerning the glittery, modern urban lifestyle that was growing in popularity and yet was so unfamiliar to them. Country dwellers viewed large metropolitan centres, particularly New York City as alien lands of sorts as opposed to different parts of America, as they were filled with immigrants, families of mixed origin, and political deviants, such as Communists and Socialists. Many people were uncomfortable with the image of modern city society- new immodest fashion and makeup, the presence of sexuality, embrace of new technology, and changing relations between men and women. The narrator of the documentary argues, however, that it is impossible to separate the city from the country, as (despite their criticism of urban lifestyles,) country dwellers were essentially enamoured with the glitz, glamour, and futurism of modern cities.
However, the seeming roaring utopia that was New York City in the 20’s could not last forever. As the decade went on, social events became wilder, morals became looser, and liquor became cheaper, leading a majority of people to drink too much. Young people began to burn out and harden at an earlier age. This downturn is illustrated by Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, as Zelda succumbed to mental illness, and Scott began to struggle with alcoholism. Only two years after the publication of his novel The Great Gatsby in 1925, in which Fitzgerald described the romance and wonder of New York, Fitzgerald would come to call his home “The Lost City.” This decline could act as a foreshadowing of the years of depression that were soon to come.
October 17, 2017 at 5:13 am
One detail that I learned from the documentary was the over speculation that occurred during the late 1920s on Wall Street. The stock market continued to set record gains and saw record-breaking numbers of shares traded each day. More capital went towards paper speculation and real estate while less went towards commodities. John Jacob Raskob suggested allowing people to buy stocks on credit using. He believed that there was no chance that stocks would go down and believed consumption would continue to grow and generate economic growth. More money was being loaned than was in total circulation. The over speculation on the stock market created a massive bubble that ultimately led to its collapse and brought an end to the decade of prosperity. Meanwhile, massive investment in real estate brought the city to new heights as taller and taller skyscrapers such as the Chrysler Building and the Bank of the Manhattan Company Building.
October 17, 2017 at 8:58 am
Through this documentary I learned a lot about the events leading to the Roaring Twenties, and the one that struck out to me the most was the bombing outside of the J. P. Morgan bank on Wall Street on September 16, 1920. A wagon drawn by a horse had pulled up outside the bank and suddenly exploded. People came to see that the wagon was full of dynamite. It was heartbreaking to hear that the death toll was at almost 40 people and that the horse’s body that was carrying the wagon was scattered. If this explosion had taken place in the busier afternoon when everyone would have gone to get lunch, the death toll may have risen to possibly 100 people. J.P. Morgan however continued to carry out business and did not shut down. lights were strung out all across Wall Street for the work crews to repair damage. The NY Times reported that Wall Street was open for business. People were surprised to see that the market continued towards a steady upward trend. This was the beginning of the Roaring Twenties.
October 17, 2017 at 11:10 am
Something new that I learned while watching this documentary is simply more about president Herbert Hoover. I had previously read about him and his great charity-like service to the nation. I had heard that during tough periods of time, he even gave a large portion of his presidential salary as donations to the poor of New York City. I had little knowledge about Smith and his unfortunate campaign. The documentary really showed how much hatred had been brewing up within New York City’s diversity. From religious people, to foreigners, to terrorist organisms had so much hatred for one man for his liberal ideals. It seemed like the white, christian, middle class to high class had begin to show a restrained purge of hatred against literally anyone different from them. I honestly thought Roosevelt was just as charismatic a runner up as any other president. But how the documentary simply skimmed past Roosevelt as “squeezing into the elections” was surprising to me as well.