The 1920s was a decade of renewal after the devastating consequences of the First World War and the global pandemic that followed. A youthful energy burst forth from those who survived the carnage, finding its form in flappers dancing to jazz music, families attending movies and the theater, fans going to or participating in sporting matches, seemingly everyone investing in stocks fueled by credit, all powered by the latest inventions and technological improvements. This is the story of the legal side of the 1920s, of the struggle for equality for women and excluded people, for the battle for free speech and consumer protections, the days of Prohibition and speakeasies and bootleggers, of stock market gains and scams, of the emerging technologies of radio, electrical gadgets, cars, and aviation, of sporting activity both true and crooked, of Hollywood and its stars, and of criminals of all stripes.
More than 500 legal cases are presented to provide a flavor to life in the 1920s, both for the average citizen in the United States and United Kingdom and for the sports heroes and movie actors and actresses that they followed. Sections are devoted to the legal issues for women in this decade; for immigrants and for Native and Black citizens; the rights of citizens to speak, assemble, and practice religion; the soaring stock market and the rights of workers and farmers. Many famous athletes such as Babe Ruth, Bill Tilden, Red Grange, and Jack Dempsey are involved, as are actors like Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Mabel Normand, and directors like Cecil B. DeMille and Florenz Ziegfield. Scamsters include Charles Ponzi and the Teapot Dome scandal, and the criminals described were infamous murderers, bootleggers, robbers, and kidnappers.
This book is for those who enjoy the legal history, fans of this decade or sports, movie, and crime history, those looking for a different telling of tales often or never told, lawyers needing a break, and those who enjoy unearthing obscure participants and events during this time in U.S. and U.K. history. Those and others should find something which will appeal to and entertain them in reading this new book, finding legal issues and trials long forgotten from this unique era of 100 years ago.
