US History 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US History 3 - Essay Example â€Å"†¦Americans of the twenties sought to adapt to the rise of a new mass culture, mass production, urban world† (738), while â€Å"†¦the New Deal Era radically redefined the nation’s political agenda, the role of the federal government, and the nature of the presidency† (777). The popularity of print media was at its peak in the 1920s, as the circulation graph of magazines like Saturday Evening Post and Readers Digest verify. Though there is an accusation that the lofty elements of classic literature were lost in the periodical articles in these magazines meant for light reading, they have definitely played a vital part in shaping the American sensibility. Though radio and movies were in vogue in the twenties, they reached perfection in the production and reach only in the thirties. The impact of the magazines had decreased to an extent in the New Deal Era, thanks to the innovative means of entertainment and information that audio-visual mass media offered. While the twenties’ moviemakers struggled with ‘vitaphone’ and ‘movietone’ for sound in movies and were content with black and white films, the thirties are known for phenomenal inventions in incorporating sound and color to the movies. However, it is observed that â₠¬Å"the rise of corporate economic power in Hollywood had a subtle but distinct effect on film content, encouraging escapist, predictable formula films most likely to turn a profit, and discouraging riskier work and critical explorations of the darker corners of American society.† (773) The most significant aspect of the Progressive Era is the emergence of the African American community and a celebration of their existence through the Harlem Renaissance. The cultural flowering at Harlem owes it allegiance to the pride and self-confidence the Afr0-Americans gained in the Post-World War I America. Jazz music, which originated form the Afro-American musical tradition, is representative of the breaking free from the white traditional