American History 11.4-11.5 Terms

jazz

a musical form developed by african americans based on improvisation.

charles lindbergh and the spirit of st. louis

an aviator who became an instant media celebrity known as the lone eagle, first to fly across the atlantic solo; his engine plane was called the spirit of louis.

phonograph

became a powerful instrument of mass popular culture and allowed people to listen to the same music they heard on the radio, but at any time.

moving pictures

became america's democratic art; it transcended languages and literacy treating universal themes that allowed viewers to follow the stories.

ernest hemingway

novelist that explored similar themes like fitzgerald, but in a new idiom; he felt betrayed by the american dream and the literary language.

f. scott fitzgerald

novelist that explored the reality of the american dream of wealth, success, and emotional fulfillment.

harlem renaissance

period during the 1920s in which african american novelists, poets, and artists celebrated their culture.

zora neale hurston

powerful voice that had a novel, "their eyes were watching God," that expressed the new longing for independence felt by many women, black and white.

radio broadcasts

radio was developed by guglielmo marconi; brought distant events into millions of homes in a way unmatched by newspapers or magazines.

lost generation

term for american writers of the 1920s marked by delusion with ww1 and a search for a new sense of meaning.

the jazz singers "talkies"

the first movie with sound synchronized to the action; silent pictures quickly faded out, replaced by talkies.

langston hughes

the most powerful african american literary voice of his time; he captured the remarkable diversity of everyday african american life.

marcus garvey

the most prominent new african american leader that promoted the idea of universal black nationalism and organized a "back to africa" movement; he advocated a separation of races.

louis armstrong

trumpet player who became the unofficial ambassador of jazz.

bessie smith

vocal soloist in a jazz band, "the empress of the blues."

flapper

young women from the 1920s who defied traditional rules of conduct and wore short dresses.