Solidarity: The Birth of Poland

Solidarity

The Solidarity union in Poland is known as "the party" that dismantled communism in Poland. However, this definition of Solidarity only grazes the surface of who they truly were, as they were much more than a political party. In fact, they started out as an independent trade union fighting for workers' rights.

By the end of World War II, communism from the Soviet Union had transformed Poland into one of its puppet states. But from a long history of worker discontent and the progressing social and economic deterioration, the Solidarity movement was formed to reveal the rising tension between the state and the society. The existence of this harmless legal trade union took a turn when their government, the Polish Communist Party, announced yet another increase in food prices in 1980. As a response, one of the most prominent strike committee, the Gdansk strike committee, posted the "21 Demands" on the gates of a shipyard (workplace for many union members). Some of the highlights of the "21 Demands" included more worker's rights, establishment of free trade unions, and independence from Communist Party control.

Although Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev peacefully negotiated treaties, they were unsuccessful. As time went by, Solidarity increased its members to over 10 million. At the same time, it was becoming clear to everybody that this "trade union" devoted themselves to achieve something much bigger than socio-economic justice: political independence. This change in the definition of Solidarity came with their realization that socio-economic improvement could not obtained with the lack of political representation. This "official programme" gives us some insight to the revolutionary approach they began to take:

“Solidarity unites many social trends and associated people, adhering to various ideologies, with various political and religious convictions, irrespective of their nationality. We have united in protest against injustice, the abuse of power and against the monopolized right to determine and to express the aspirations of the entire nation. The formation of Solidarity, a mass social movement, has radically changed the situation in the country”.

Propaganda Poster

By mid to late 1980s, Solidarity had become too much of a presence for the Polish Communist party to ignore. During one of their Round Table Talks (negotiations between Soviets and opposition parties in Eastern Europe), the government agreed to legalize Solidarity again. Like soda shaken and suppressed in a bottle, the revolutionaries had their eyes on the political prize this time and they were not going to go down without a fight.

In 1981, General Wojciech Jaruzelski of the Polish Communist Party declared martial law and official outlawed Solidarity. The face of Solidarity may have been destructed, but the morale of the movement had survived.  Now as a primarily underground activist union, they focused on illegally spreading anti-Communist propaganda through books, journals, newspapers, flyers, etc.

In the 1989 semi-free elections, the opposition party saw a whopping victory, winning all contested seats in the Parliament and all but one seats in the Senate. President Lech Wałęsa became the first president of Solidarity-led coalition government.

President Lech Walesa

They had come a long way in this "10 Year Revolution". Now, their goal was to follow Western policies and transform themselves into a long-awaited modern, democratic Eastern state.

Source:

https://thevieweast.wordpress.com/2015/07/29/the-evolution-of-the-polish-solidarity-movement/

Distrust in the American Government

The Pew Research Center of U.S. Politics and Policy suggests that only 19% of Americans say they can fully trust their government in 2017. But back in 1958 when the American National Election Study asked the question of, "Do you trust the federal government?", 73% of the people replied "yes". So when did this erosion of trust in the American government begin? Some major reasons for this distrust can be rooted back to the 1960s.

Vietnam War protests

The Vietnam War, which lasted for 20 years, shot a huge bullet through the U.S. federal government and proved to be a disaster for its plummeting reputation. Started during Eisenhower's presidency, no one predicted that this war would blow up to dominate the foreign policy sector of the government. As casualty numbers began piling up to exceed one million, many Americans affected by their families and friends serving in the military, expressed their concerns. Although they demanded answers from the White House, in reality, the government did not have an adequate response because they never had a clear plan and as General Westmoreland put it, the war was a time for "trial and error". As this state of confusion in the White House became more publicly known, Americans lost faith in their traditionally headstrong and confident government. There seemed to be no direction whatsoever, that the Vietnam War was headed towards. They began to consider the deceased soldiers' lives wasted and called for the men to come home.

Women's rights

Social movements and public unrest were the highlight of action in the 1960s. These included the most well-known civil rights movement, feminist movement, antiwar movement (in response to Vietnam War), gay rights movement, student protests, environmental movement, and the revival of conservatism. All of these movements were indicators of public dissatisfaction in the way things were working in America at that time. Wanting to drastically change the traditional American way of life in many aspects, a lot of citizens actively participated in these revolutionary movements, which often resulted in physically or verbally attacking the federal government. Broadcast on TV, most families in America could see injustice such as police brutality happening on the streets of their country. This ingrained in many people's minds, the distasteful side of their own government that they could not previously see nationwide.

Watergate Scandal

The Watergate scandal greatly contributed to the public distrust already present in American society. Although President Nixon's reputation turned more positive when he officially signed the SALT treaty to limit nuclear weapon production, this scandal scarred the image of the federal government more than ever. On June 17th 1972, five men in relation to President Nixon's reelection campaign organization were arrested in the Watergate office of the Democratic National Committee. They were caught attempting to bug phone lines and put tapes over multiple locks in the headquarters building. As it became clear over immediate investigation that President Nixon was the mastermind behind this incident, the House of Representatives voted to impeach him for abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and Constitutional violations. But before they could impeach him, he resigned. This entire scandal outraged the public as they were left without an elected president and no sense of where the broken nation was headed. This also specifically contributed to the declining popularity of the two dominant political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans.

These three main issues that took over the 1960s led to a general distrust in the American government. It frightened the people to see a once trusted government start to collapse under unfulfilled promises of freedom and democracy. This unrest would continue throughout the 1970s and 1980s with President Ford, Carter, and Reagan. It is clear that even today with our new president, people are rapidly losing faith in the federal government.

Stonewall Riot of 1969

Among the widely-known and accepted social movements like civil rights and women's rights, the gay rights movement has often been overlooked. Because this movement was relatively new to the United States and was not a topical issue that was discussed in the 1960s, one incident stood out in the most: The Stonewall Riot.

On June 28th 1969, eight New York City police officers walked into the Stonewall Inn to enforce laws against gay people that still existed at this time. It was illegal for gay people to dance with one another and to be served alcohol in a public place. So to enforce these regulations, the police department would regularly raid gay clubs and check each customer's identification, on top of typically arresting the employees and store manager. But on this Saturday night, the Stonewall Inn reacted differently to this act of harassment. There were approximately 200 people in the club when the officers entered the doors. When asked to pause and line themselves up against the wall, the patrons did not obey so the officers called for patrol wagons to take all 200 of them to the police station. As the air became tense and they waited, a crowd of about 150 people had gathered around Stonewall to watch. By the time the first wagon arrived, the restless crowd had grown to over 500 and began to violently attack the police. The police car was overturned and garbage cans, glass bottles, and bricks were shooting back and forth while the heavily outnumbered officers weaved through the crowd and took refuge inside the club. A parking meter was uprooted from the ground to ram the doors of Stonewall. When Tactical Police Force of New York City Police Department rushed to the scene, the club itself and the surrounding streets laid in a giant heap of mess. By 4AM, the streets were finally cleared out.

Word about the Stonewall Riot had broken through Greenwich Village and two more early morning riots followed in the next few days. Around 1,000 protesters gathered in the neighboring streets of Stonewall where the crowd expressed their rage through explosive violence.

Many consider the Stonewall Riot to be the start of the gay rights movement. Although discrimination issues have been prevalent since the beginning of the United States, it was never considered important until the advent of "gay liberation" during the 1960s. The gay rights movement have propelled in its progression since these years but there is still a long way to go even in 2017.

A Look into Family Life in the 1950s

A Typical 1950s Family

Life in the 1950s revolved around family. The word "family" also had a specific definition to go with it. It consisted of a mom, a dad, and at least one child. Because of social pressure and the nation's overall upward trend, people were expected to get married whether they truly desired it or not. Early twenties were the prime age for men and women to find a lifelong partner. Divorce rates were extremely low because it carried a stigma and couples preferred to stay married even if they faced a certain level of unhappiness. A woman also had economic incentives to be married because reality was crafted in a way that they were at their most stable lives economically, when they had an employed husband. Men married because their families, neighbors, and bosses expected them to have a wife and kids.

Apart from the Baby Boom, a housing boom was a huge part of the 1950s upward trend. Prefabricated houses flaunted previously-unseen features in regular homes that were in the price range for many families. Heating in homes were done mostly by coal in the 1950s before utility gas became the primary heating source in the 1960s. Unfortunately, complete plumbing consisting of hot/cold water, shower, and a flush toilet only existed in about half these houses.

Prefab Homes in the 1950s

At dinnertime, all members of the family would sit together and eat. It was the mother's responsibility to By the end of the decade, most families had a TV in their living room, so they would watch a show together while having dinner. Unlike our lives today, there was only one TV in the entire house and one home phone. Therefore, children were more attached to their parents than they are today. The 1950s were also the days when children could stay late at a friend's house nearby and walk home without being thrust into danger. Common places for older kids to hang out after school were soda shops and casual diners.

Compared to 2017, family life was very different back in the 1950s. Gender roles that restricted both men and women have drastically changed and the definition of "family" has become more flexible. A traditional makeup of a mom, a dad, and a child is not the only structure we see today. Children and especially teenagers have much more freedom in the Silicon Valley as a lot of us have cars and an increased range of mobility in our neighborhoods.

Source:
http://fiftiesweb.com/pop/info-family/

U-2: The American Spyplane

The Space Race was a spaceflight supremacy competition between USA and USSR during the Cold War. Post WWII tensions between the two countries especially heightened when the Soviets successfully launched Sputnik, the first ever satellite to orbit the Earth. Immediately, the fear that America had now fallen behind in the Space Race began to consume the entire country and its population, including federal officials. Feeling threatened of their international status as a leader, America decided to send spy planes over to the USSR. Unfortunately, we all came to learn that it was perhaps the worst decision that the United States made during the Space Race.

On May 1, 1960, the American spy plane, U-2, and its pilot, Gary Powers, was shot down when it entered Soviet airspace. Although it was a spy plane, this particular flight was not intended for spying on the Soviets. Gary Powers had simply taken off from a base in Pakistan to get to another base in Norway and a mere 2,900 miles of his planned flight path was to transgress over Soviet airspace. The United States believed that taking this trajectory was practical because U-2 was an unprecedented high-altitude plane that flew at 70,000 feet. So naturally, officials believed that it would fly high enough to go undetected by the Soviet ground radars. Sadly, this was not true at all.

(Francis) Gary Powers

Luckily, the instant his plane was shot down, the emergency parachute safely landed Powers onto Soviet ground. Unluckily, he was now held in the country for interrogation. With the plane and the pilot both intact, USSR now had concrete proof that United States had actually been spying on them. But in response to this open accusation, American officials lied and responded that Powers was knocked unconscious because of oxygen depletion inside the aircraft and had unintentionally drifted over to  Soviet airspace. The new Soviet leader, Khrushchev, demanded a sincere apology but he did not get anything close to one. President Eisenhower himself was committed to the spy-plane program and took great interest in it on a personal level as well.

Gary Powers was tried and convicted of spying. He was sentenced to three years in prison and hard labor but by another fate of luck, he was saved in 1962. The tables now turned and America discovered a Soviet spy, Rudolph Abel, in the country. They agreed to exchange these prisoners and return them to their respective homes. This incident made it impossible for Eisenhower and Khrushchev to peacefully cooperate again. Instead, Khrushchev patiently waited for John F. Kennedy to be inaugurated as the new president elected in November of 1960.

Sources:

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1953-1960/u2-incident

Hitler's Revenge at Lidice Massacre

As the German invasion of Europe commenced back in late 1930s, Hitler had one goal in mind: to purify the German countries to create the "master race". Any groups of people that failed to fit into his narrow circle of pureness was either murdered or sent to notorious concentration camps. Among the ten million or more lives that were taken in the Nazi persecution, one event that occurred in Lidice, Czechoslovakia in 1942 particularly claimed thousands of innocent lives. 

The terrors at Lidice all started with the Munich Agreement of September 1938. In exchange for Hitler to hold off on the use of weapons and consequently avoiding an early outbreak of war, the French and British prime ministers helplessly watched Czechoslovakia get annexed as part of the coveted Sudetenland. Tragically, Lidice was part of this new Nazi-occupied land. 

Prior to this massacre, Lidice (20 km west of Prague) peacefully stood as an ordinary village invested in agriculture. But soon after the Czech lands became a puppet state for the Nazis, anti-Fascist movements erupted. In this formerly silent town, Hitler placed a trusted police pawn, SS Obergruppenfuhrer -- Reinherd Heydrich, to suppress those revolts. Beginning in 1941, he imprisoned over five thousand anti-Fascist fighters; however, that did not last long. Two Czech fighters, gleaming in patriotism, bravely volunteered to ambush Heydrich.

Jan Kubis (left) and Jozeph Gabcik (right)

On the morning of May 27 1942, Reinherd Heydrich was brutally murdered on the way to work by Jan Kubis and Jozeph Gabcik. Hearing this news, an enraged Hitler ordered a mass execution in Czechoslovak villages. At this point, more Germans were landing in Czechoslovakia with deadly weapons. Five thousand villages were raided and over three thousand innocent civilians were arrested. Stripped of everything but the clothes that they had on, over a thousand of those that were arrested saw the Nazis annihilate their homes and kill their friends and family, before facing death themselves. They shot adult males first, followed by women and children who were mostly sent to concentration camps. Out of the eighty-eight children that were crammed on a train heading to a camp in Lodz, Germany, seven were selected at random for "Germanization". The remaining eighty-one children boarded yet another train to Chelmno, Poland, only to be gassed to death following their arrival.

About a thousand and three hundred innocent civilians suffered for the death of one Nazi police officer. As Hitler rapidly got his hands on victory everywhere in the continent, his power became a frightening symbol of death. Worst of all, not just any death but the death of innocent civilians who he did not consider "pure". By the end of World War II, he was responsible for the death of eleven million Jews, Czechoslovakians, Poles, Russians, Hungarians, gypsies, homosexuals, mentally disabled people, and more. Through tragedies like the Lidice Massacre, we come to realize that World War II's victims consisted of both soldiers and innocent civilians. 

This memorial stands in Lidice, Czech Republic today

Sources:
http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/nazioccupation/lidice.html

Conservation on the Home Front

While millions of young American soldiers were being shipped off to confront the Axis powers during World War II, civilians in the home front worked just as diligently to support it. They made sure that there were enough clothes, rifles, airplanes, and food for their men, just to name a few. This new concept of relinquishing luxurious lifestyles and converting to minimal consumption at home became known as conservation.

A prominent method of conservation that changed the lives of many Americans was the rationing system. In 1942, the federal government launched the Food Rationing Program to sufficiently meet the supply and demand. As an unprecedented type of modern warfare, World War II consumed so much of the American economy that the country was suffering to balance the right allocation of resources between the military and the civilians. As a result, the civilians were asked to compromise on their food consumption to have enough to send overseas to our soldiers. This prevented public anger and the rich from gathering all the commodities. Families were given a War Ration Book that contained stamps, signifying the amount of goods they could receive. More specifically, canned foods were untouchable by civilians because they were saved for overseas soldiers. Imported foods like coffee and sugar were restricted due to restrictions on fuel.



Restricting fuel consumption was crucial to the war effort. Without gasoline, tanks, ships, and airplanes could not journey for miles to the European battlefield. To minimize how much each family could consume, they lowered the speed limit down to 35 mph. A new idea called the "ABC of saving gas" was born. "A" holders were limited to 3 gallons of gas a week. "B" holders had critical war occupations such as industrial jobs so they were allowed more gas but often carpooled with other workers. "C" holders received extra allocations because their jobs were the highest in society (doctors, clergies).



Through the rationing system, American citizens conserved commodities, leisure products, and necessary products like fuel. This reflected the patriotic attitude of wanting to do something to propel the war effort, while their boys were off fighting overseas. We can also see that a lot of the products that required conservation were interconnected; without gasoline, food, clothes, and weapons could not be transported to military stations and therefore, fuel consumption needed to be cut down. Although citizens obviously could not predict the victorious outcome of World War II then, we can see from hindsight now that these civilian home front contributions were more than essential.

Sources:
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1674.html
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-teachers/primary-sources/rationing.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
https://envisioningtheamericandream.com/2012/11/15/gas-rationing-wwii/

WWII Propaganda for the Public

For the United States of America, World War II was a very troubling and indecisive war. Roosevelt faced dead-end dilemmas regarding British policies and relations with the Japanese and Chinese could not have proceeded more ambiguously. However, one of the most troublesome aspect of World War II was the power of the public. Whenever the president needed to make a decision, he was always forced to compromise with public opinion by being careful not to provoke them in the wrong way. As a practical method of convincing the American people to follow their leader into war, Roosevelt issued stirring propaganda. Propaganda for World War II could be classified into six main categories.

Breeding Hatred for the Enemy

 

Posters like these largely inflated anti-Axis sentiments in America and led to more Americans in support for war involvement. Through the Office of War Information (OWI), Roosevelt instructed painters, printers, cartoonists, etc to demonize Hitler and the Japanese in their publications. Like these show, propaganda posters succeeded in personalizing World War II for Americans because Hitler stepping on the White House or preying greedily on "our homes" meant that this was not just a distant European problem. 

Encouraging Portrayal of Allies 

  

These types of propaganda glorified the idea of fighting alongside Britain and the rest of the Allied countries. Roosevelt hoped that through portrayal of foreign allies, he could prove to the American citizens that we were all in this together to save democratic ideals in the world. He encouraged them to think of World War II beyond their personal or national scale and presented it as a bigger international issue they had to face.

The Need to Work 

 

Through propaganda that urged Americans to start working for the war, Roosevelt gained support for the war itself. America had just experienced the worst depression in its country's history and that also propelled people's willingness to get back to full work mode. By the 1940s, working was advertised to both men and women. Although workers in the industry were initially reluctant to mass produce weapons, it could be said that propaganda like the ones above greatly helped them overcome that dilemma. 

Enlisting Soldiers

 

Enlistment posters were perhaps the most important out of the six types of propaganda. As matters with Britain's shipping escorts leaned towards the need for American men, Roosevelt urged enlistment for anyone eligible. By making it sound appealing like "choose your own branch of the service", more and more men applied to become a soldier. The second poster here portrays the navy seal as courageous and admirable, even getting attention from his significant other. 

Call to Sacrifice Luxury 

 

This was an especially important type of propaganda as the war progressed. From "To the Brink" chapter in Freedom from Fear, we learn that England is short of money although they were still desperate for supplies from America. This meant that America had to pay for the war when England's money supply exhausted. With this fear turning into a reality, Roosevelt advised American citizens to conserve any resources they used for themselves. 

Fight for America and Democracy

 

Finally, there were of course propaganda encouraging American unison for one common purpose: winning the war. These kinds of posters often included the American flag somewhere and illustrated ideals that were historically important to any Americans. By pointing out that they were fighting for democracy, equality, etc, Roosevelt pulled the public to his side. 

The use of propaganda controlled by the OWI eliminated some of the stress on President Roosevelt. The devastation of World War I had left most Americans unwilling to cooperate with him in the effort of war. Therefore, propaganda became ever-more crucial to unite the nation in preparation for the next world war. 

Sources:

http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/ww2-history/at-a-glance/propaganda-posters.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/world-war-ii/essays/every-citizen-soldier-world-war-ii-posters-american-home-front

Eleanor Roosevelt: Revolution of Role as First Lady

Childhood - Marriage

Eleanor Roosevelt was born in 1884 in New York City but tragically, her parents both passed away when she was just 10 years old. She pursued her education in England which contributed to her having a better and more insightful perspective on the world and foreign relations than the average woman. In 1905, Eleanor married her distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who she would stand by her entire life especially during his difficult times.

Role as First Lady

Eleanor is thought to be the most active First Lady of United States history until that day. As a minority herself, she communicated to a diverse array of American citizens in hopes to be involved in their lives as a sympathizer. She was a strong advocate for racial equality, women's rights, and human rights. She went so far as to serve as the chair of United Nations' Human Rights Commission after her husband's death (appointed by ensuing president, Harry Truman). She revolutionized the the meaning of First Lady by taking advantage of a growing mass media, the newspaper, to openly discuss her public actions such as the soldiers she visited during WWII. Although criticized by some who denounced her government involvement as "too radical", a lot of Americans supported not only President Roosevelt, but also First Lady Roosevelt as an individual. 

Ultimately, Eleanor Roosevelt charmed the majority of American people as the sweeter face of federal government. She worked to propel her husband's reforms and support him as a trustee for him to lean back on, however, she was different from the preceding First Ladies in that she took actions for her own pleasure as well. To address social concerns and encourage people to never lose hope, Eleanor Roosevelt stood by the poor, blacks, children, and women. 

Sources:

http://www.biography.com/people/eleanor-roosevelt-9463366#us-first-lady

https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/first-ladies/eleanorroosevelt

Art: Roaring Twenties vs Dirty Thirties

Perhaps one of the most well-known decades in U.S History may be the 1920s, commonly known as the Roaring Twenties. Many are already aware of the lively spirit that carried American people through this decade, giving it its powerful nickname. On the other hand, the next ten years following the twenties could not have been a more contradicting decade. The Dirty Thirties, as many have labeled it, is a perfect description of what this decade actually consisted of: living, eating (barely), and working (if you were lucky enough) among the dirt. Although apparent change in these decades could clearly be seen in the rapid economic depression, decline of living and working conditions, etc, there was a less known, unique way in which these unfortunate differences were depicted: art.

Roaring Twenties 

Correctly reflecting the bright and active mood of this decade, the twenties gave birth to some magnificent arts and artists. First of all, jazz music is the most notable type of art that made its debut through the Harlem Renaissance. It was composed of many instrumental solos, mostly the famous saxophone, performed by mostly black Americans. Jazz conveyed the wild and prideful vibe of the Roaring Twenties, as it gained more popularity in performances like night clubs. Another form of art that demonstrated these feelings of this decade was the tango and foxtrot dances. Tango was a friendly social dance that focused more on partnership than audience. Its colors and light footwork reflected the steps towards fast-paced modernism and innovation taking place during this time.

  


Dirty Thirties 

Compared to the works of the Roaring Twenties, the Dirty Thirties produced art that conveyed a hopeless, depressing tone. For example, one of America's most credited authors, John Steinbeck, published the Grapes of Wrath which illustrated the struggles of a poor family of sharecroppers moving from their home in Oklahoma to California, in search for a better life. Awarded with the Nobel Prize for literature and the Pulitzer Prize for this book, Steinbeck accurately reflected the upsetting mood of this decade in much of his other literature as well. In music, the song Strange Fruit sung by Billie Holiday was a particularly depressing song that faced many Americans, mostly blacks, with the reality of prevailing racism. Although racism obviously still existed in the twenties, this song shows how the American people were more focused on the negativity of social life than the positives like jazz music from the prior decade.

 


Comparing the art in these two decades, it tells us a lot about the characteristic changes that happened between them. Roaring Twenties was a symbol for patriotism and wild youthfulness where the Dirty Thirties was a period of nonstop downfall in most aspects of life. It is interesting to see the interconnection in the American economy, politics, and social life which influences each other in such a grand scale. This is not something that occurred solely in the twenties and thirties, but is constantly observed throughout our history. It may be a huge benefit to us if all is going well; however, it may also act as a Jenga tower in which the lack or failure of one part of the tower ( an aspect of American society), could result in the collapse of the entire contraption (the entire nation).



Sources
http://www.walternelson.com/dr/tango
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/20th-dustbowl.html

Harlem Renaissance

Between post-WWI and the 1930s, there was a drastic change for African American culture, known as the Harlem Renaissance. This social, artistic, literary change took place in Harlem, NY as one of the major effects of the Great Migration. Countless numbers of black residents in the south picked up their belongings and left for the northeastern cities and formed clumps of black neighborhoods like Harlem, and enlightened the entire nation with a surge of their lively culture. This nationwide movement gave birth to particularly notable elements of their culture, such as literature, art, and jazz.

Perhaps the most famous writer was a poet: Langston Hughes. Born in Joplin, Missouri, Hughes was a man made of elite education, receiving degrees from Columbia University and Lincoln University. His first poetry book, The Weary Blues, was published in 1924. His primary influence is claimed to be Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Carl Sandburg, and Walt Whitman. He is best known for his insightful, colorful, passionate, unfaltering portrayal of black culture in his poetry and books.

Harlem Renaissance also produced an unheard genre of music: Jazz. As jazz became widely known around the nation, it became classified as a sophisticated but fun form of art. With the advancement of the radio, many listeners began to tune in to the artistic talents of young African Americans. It was performed at nightclubs and its most notable sound was the dynamic saxophone.

This time in history is considered as the age of outbreak from traditional methods and the Harlem Renaissance was one of them. It created the term "New Negro" which described the more politically assertive, free, self-confident African Americans who took pride in their race and culture. As it grew from a town-wide to a nationwide revolution, a huge step was taken towards improving the perspective on African Americans.

   

Source:
http://www.jazzinamerica.org/lessonplan/5/4/251
http://www.ushistory.org/us/46e.asp
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-harlem-renaissance-and-american-music-by-mike-oppenheim.php