America in the 1920's - Sources Coursework.

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Amber Gill 5F

America in the 1920’s – Sources Coursework

1. The message the cartoonist is trying to make in source A is that America in the 1920’s appeared to be booming on the surface, but underneath there were many unresolved problems which threatened to become its downfall. This is illustrated with the new “Uncle Sam” being in an armchair of “luxury”. His grandchildren are running around below him with different names showing the different features of society.

“Crime” refers to the gangsters whose numbers were increasing during the 1920’s. The most famous of them was Al Capone. “Graft” also refers to crime and then the greed of Americans, for example on the stock market. Many used this as their way of making money quickly so that they could buy the latest development in technology. This links with indulgence and materialism, meaning the latest Model T Ford, radios, Hoovers, refrigerators and many more. This is also shown in source D. The left leg of the figure reads: “World’s most beautiful leg”. This is also referring to the materialism taking over America in the 1920’s.

“Scandal” is referring to President Harding and the Ohio Gang. This was his group of friends to whom he gave many important jobs. Several members were dishonest and this lead to such scandals as those at Teapot Dome and the Veteran’s Bureau. “Scandal” is also referring to the “Flappers” and it links with the signpost which reads: “Divorce” and “Alimony”. This signifies women changing and the bobbed haircut on “Scandal” reiterates this point.

The new “Uncle Sam” is looking at a picture of the old “Uncle Sam”, saying “Those were the happy days.” This shows that America is not improving and as people get richer and become more materialistic, society will get worse.

2. Both sources show and talk about the violent murdering of black people. We can see this in source B from the lynching and in source C it is described: “Castrated and in indescribable agony…the negro burned.” In source B we can see that the lynching was a public event as is also evident in source C: “100 men and women.”

        Both sources show the lynching as a celebration. In source B we see people laughing and pointing somewhat excitedly. Source C also talks about acts of celebration: “joined hands and danced around while the negro burned. A big dance was held in a barn nearby that evening in celebration of the burning, many people coming by car from nearby cities.” There also appears to be a mix of people in both sources, as described in source C: “old and young, grandmothers among them.”

        However, the method of death is different in source B to source C. Source B shows two men who have been hanged. Dissimilarly, source C describes a man being burnt to death. Source C also talks about mutilation of the negro: “Castrated.” There is no evidence to show that mutilation also took place in source B.

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        There is a description of a dance being held after the burning in source C: “A big dance was held in a barn nearby that evening.” However there is no mention of a dance in source B. Another difference is that source C appears to be more of a Ku Klux Klan event: “500 people in Ku Klux Klan dress had placed a pine knot around a stump” compared to source B, where there is no indication of the event being a Ku Klux Klan one.

        Although there are an equal number of similarities and differences, the two sources ...

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