Historical Context:
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Socioeconomic context – Beginning in 1925 the “Florida Land Boom” hit. This Land Boom was a period of movement. Some cities in Florida were nearly abandoned, becoming almost ghost towns. These cities were abandoned due to people moving from them to new cities springing up in the Everglades. This is an example of the suburbanization craze of the 1920’s. The real estate there was appreciating in value exponentially. Miami as well as other parts of Florida had become the ideal paradise for life in the United States. It was well advertised and as a result many wealthy families were able to move there. This trend continued for several years, but at a slowed rate. In 1928, the Okeechobee Hurricane hit which did drastic damage to the land and the value of it. This along with the stock market crash of 1929 killed all economic progress in Florida.
Political Context - In 1920, the 18th Amendment was passed and added to the constitution. This was the prohibition of alcohol. This law was extremely difficult to enforce and was overlooked by many Americans. Much of the political focus in the 1920’s was towards the end to racial strife (at this point there wasn’t much press for equality, politics were focusing more on preserving peace). There was also a lot of focus on returning to a society with a bigger emphasis on Christian values. The government at this point was concerned with becoming more conservative and less involved in the daily life of the common man. The Presidents in the time period of Their Eyes Were Watching God were Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) and Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929).
Artistic, Cultural, and Entertainment Context – The 1920’s in America, known as the “Roaring Twenties” was a time of enormous cultural growth. The end of WWI brought many men back from Europe and allowed for many new jobs, homes, and families to be made. As a result of economic success, the common man was able to enjoy entertainment and the luxuries of life. This was not felt as prominent on the African American scene; however, opportunities that had never been available to African Americans became open to them. Baseball became a huge part of the American life in this time period; the great Babe Ruth seemingly brought this form of entertainment to life. Movies were also becoming a huge form of entertainment. The 1920’s also gave birth to the “Jazz Age”. This was hugely popular, especially in the south where the majority of African Americans lived. The first commercial-run music stations became available on the radio. The surrealist art movement also came about in the 1920’s. This movement was partly led by Pablo Picasso. The 1920’s played a huge role in building America’s culture into what it is today.
This was written by: Grant Woetzel
