The Modern Age

Historical Background

What does
Modern mean?
Period from 1914-1945
Before World War I: optimism
New technology
Solving social problems
After World War I: optimism shattered
People started to rethink what it
meant to be a human being.

The Great War

WWI: very bloody
Trench warfare
Machine guns developed
LOTS of death

U.S. joined Allies in 1917

Saw how bad war could really be
I Have a Rendezvous with Death by
Alan Seeger

The Roaring
Twenties
Attitude of partying
after war ended in 1918
Great economy
Building of skyscrapers
Prohibition bootlegging
and organized crime
Radio, jazz music
Hollywood

Trying to drown out the

remembered sound of
exploding bombs and the
horror of death

The Great
Depression
October 24th, 1929 stock market
crashed
By 1932, 12 million Americans (25% of
work force) were unemployed.
Bread lines and soup kitchens

The New Deal

Passed by FDR reformed
and strengthened economy
Government-funded projects
(dams and bridges) meant
WORK!
Helped dig us out of the
Depression

World War II

Isolationism Americans
wanted to stay out

December 7th, 1941 attack

on Pearl Harbor

Atomic bombs developed

and used helped end war

To sum up
Post WWI: optimism left
behind
Roaring Twenties: selfindulgence and extravagance
Great Depression: intense
hardship
WWII: ushered in Atomic Age