Table of Contents

1. Table of Contents 2. Timeline 3. The Harlem Renaissance 4. Prohibition 5. The Red Scare 6. Automobiles and Airplanes (Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh) 7. Planters Peanuts Advertisement 8. The Sacco-Vanzetti Trial 9. Teapot Dome Scandal 10. Women’s Hair Product Advertisement 11. Women’s Rights 12. The Scopes Trial 13. Radio and Movies 14. Radio and Movies 15. Coca Cola Advertisement 16. Labor Unions 17. Racial Prejudices 18. “Murders Row” (Sports)

 

1920  1921  1922  1929 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928

The Red Scare 

19th Amendment 

Teapot Dome Scandal Scopes Trial

Charles Lindbergh becomes first to complete the solo flight 

Babe Ruth Sets Home Run Record 

The Jazz Singer

Sacco Vanzetti Trial 

1920‐1929

December, 1929 Life Magazine Spurthi Tarugu

Page 3

Poet of the Harlem Renaissance: Langston Hughes

A sea of white faces, speckled with only two black ones, trickled into the room seemingly all at once. Quietly, they made their way to their seats. The teacher began to start off the day with announcements. Just yesterday, the class had finished their poems, submitting them to their teacher for review, who promised to announce the winner the next day. That day had arrived, and like all little boys, all wanted to win, although the white boys knew they would not. They knew, of course, that “all negroes have rhythm”. When the teacher announced the young Langston Hughes as class poet, no one was surprised, except for Hughes. No one could have known at the time that Langston Hughes would indeed become the greatest poet of the Harlem Renaissance.

It wasn’t until he was living in Illinois that he started writing poems seriously. Not capable of financing the publication of his novels, Hughes took a job in Washington D.C as a busboy in a busy restaurant while he waited for an opportunity to get his poems published. This opportunity came to the restaurant in the form of Vachel Lindsey, a well known American poet. Hughes left three of his poems on his table, and upon reading them, Lindsay decided to publish his poems, and his poetic career took off in a flash. This rather humble beginning catapulted Hughes into fame, the likes of which we see today.

It can be said that Hughes’ poems are unique in their voice and perspective. Few of his poems rhyme in the traditionally sense with the words, but they flow harmoniously, taking on the essence of music. Hughes beautifully incorporated black culture into his poems, always searching to spread the black culture. As he gained fame, his poems became more widespread, and even American men and women read his poems, gaining an insight into the African American life, heritage, and rich culture. It helped foster a sense of

understanding and sympathy with the white population, although, of course, racial tensions were still running high, and are still running high today. Nevertheless, the black culture was spread into society like never before. His poems were everywhere and people could not help but read his poems, often enveloping an addictive quality.

It is with this eagerness that I sit here, in the dark with only candlelight to provide my light that I pour over his poem in father’s study. I had learned of Hughes in his appearances on the newspaper and became enamored. I knew I had to read some of his poems to understand how a black man was making such an impact on the white community, the likes of which were

practically unparalleled. Backed with the growing fame of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes presence, as well has other famous black Jazz musicians and artists, was permeated society. I could not understand how a rather large group of black artists, writers, and musicians commanded the attention of an elitist white country. I was trying to understand this

incomprehensible phenomenon, which is what led me to this room at the

peak of night.

As I started pouring over the book filled with poem by Hughes, I understood what the big deal was. It was pulling me in, making me want to read more, making me want to understand their pain, making me want to know their culture. It was apparent to me from the very first poem why it was making rounds in even the very highest circles. It was a new perspective, new challenges, and new struggles that many of us have not been in contact with. It was almost like a different world, but I knew, as I glanced out the window and saw the black people sweeping the streets, that this was very much our reality.

December, 1929 Life Magazine Spurthi Tarugu

Page 4

Prohibition: A Festering Wound

Like a festering wound, Prohibition slowly built up steam starting from the mid 1800’s up to 1919. Social reform groups, composed of mainly white, middle class woman, believed alcohol tore families apart and caused men to be violent, unemployed, and immoral. Women campaigning ardently for temperance gained a lot of attention, and over time, many politicians supported the movement. Woman were finally gaining supporters in positions of power and turning the public against distribution of alcohol. Finally, in 1919, after decades of protests, the 18th amendment was passed, outlawing the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.

The 18th amendment was intended to stop crimes and violence at home by limiting consumption. Overall, it had the intended effect, but some consumption increased due to the added appeal of getting around the law. The amendment made it illegal to manufacture, sell, and transport alcohol but it did not make it illegal to consume alcohol. Many people obtained alcohol is many shady ways, including going to speakeasies, which we all know were illegal. Alcoholics were more desperate than ever before, and manufacturers needs the income that supplying alcohol brought. People began smuggling alcohol in their boots, sometimes even producing alcohol with poisonous ingredients. Moonshine, homemade alcohol made usually with corn or potatoes, became very popular. Some people even obtained alcohol from doctors, who would prescribe alcohol for certain illnesses, and churches, which needed wine for rituals. With such desperate measures running rampant, many gangsters came into play, including Al Capone. Al Capone ran the biggest alcohol distribution ring and organized crime in the country and was considered “Public Enemy Number One”. He bribed public officials, convinced owners of speakeasies to buy

illegal alcohol from him, which he obtained by smuggling it in from other countries, and opened thousands of new speakeasies himself.

With the introduction of these gangsters and the new methods of obtaining alcohol, crime and lawlessness ran rampant across the country. With such a widespread increase in crime, punishing and arresting all those violating the law became close to impossible for public officials, especially with limited funding. By 1926, about 80 percent of the public was in favor of repealing the amendment, although this has not happened thus far. Prohibition is still in existence, although it seems to be holding on by a very tenuous thread. It is a very real and beneficial possibility that the 18th amendment to the U.S Constitution will be repealed, becoming the first amendment in our nation’s history to have been repealed.

The impact of the 18th amendment was been far and wide and has directly led to increased organized crime. Because distribution was illegal, distributors and consumers were going to new lengths to make a living, and

obtain the object of their desires, leading to increased crime. Advocates of this amendment state the decrease in morality and increase in violence due to alcohol before its ratification, but none of this has changed since its ratification. In fact, violence is higher that it was before, and the prices have gone up, making the rich richer, and the poor poorer. If the amendment was repealed,

the

Government could collect tax on alcohol and put gangsters and alcohol dealers out of businesses, which will once again decrease crime and restore a semblance order to the country once more.

1929, December Life Magazine Matthew Solka

Page 6

Model T and the Spirit of St. Louis

He was born in 1908 to Mr. Henry Ford. He is native to Detroit, Michigan and his favorite pastime is to drive. He isn’t a human, he is a car. The Model T is possibly the greatest arrival in the 20th Century.

The Model T is the Grandaddy of all Vehicles, the “Big Boy” in town and, and the original Mr. T. During the first 2 decades of the 20th

Century, the Model T became a household name, and a member of the family. Its nicknames are Tin Lizzie, Flivver, T-Model Ford, or “T”.

This innovative vehicle is the “Brain Child” of Henry Ford, a prominent car salesman and a sponspr to the assembly line. Henry Ford has become a pioneer in the production of motor vehicles. He has made the motor vehicle cheap with his use of the assembly line in the production. Instead of hand crafted automobiles which could take hours to produce, Ford introduced the assembly line when one person does one job and then passed the part onto another person who has another job. This cut production time dramatically, and made vehicles greatly cheaper. This car made travel for the middle class a possibility because of the cheap price. In 1909 the Model T was priced at $809. By the early 1920s, the Model T’s price dropped to $290 because of Henry’s highly efficient assembly lines and its volume.

Motor vehicles aren’t the only means of transportation that have sprouted in the ‘20s. Airplanes have flown (literally) to the top choice of travel of American citizens. The airplane was first flown by the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. Even though the Wright

Brother’s first flight last for a few minutes, it paved way for long distance air travel. In May of 1921, Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis from New York to Paris non-stop for 33 hours. His monumental flight proved that long distance air travel is a possibility and set a new standard for transportation. Not only did Lindbergh’s flight set the stage for transportation, it proved that air travel can be used for communications too. Now airplanes can be used to deliver mail at great distances quicker than land and naval vehicles.

This past decade has seen an enormous growth in the means of travel. Airplanes and motor vehicles have been around since the beginning of the century, but now they have been used more for transportation and work than for leisure. Airplanes and motor vehicles can now be used by the working class because of the cheap prices.

This past decade has seen an enormous growth in transportation. Airplanes and motor vehicles have been around since the beginning of the century, but now they have been used more for transportation than for leisure.

Model T

December, 1929 Life Magazine Spurthi Tarugu

Page 8

Sacco-Vanzetti Trial Draws Worldwide Scrutiny

The turn of the decade also brought

about a turn in the lives of two possibly innocent men. In April of 1920, a paymaster and guard at a factory were murdered. Weeks later, Niccola Sacco, a shoe worker, and Bartolommeo Vanzetti, a fish peddler, were charged with these murders. Both were Italian immigrants, anarchists, and strongly opposed the Palmer raids. A lack of evidence and the judge’s and jury’s strong bias against Sacco and Vanzetti lead me, as well as many notable historians, to agree that while it is possible these men were guilty, their rights were unequivocally violated based on anti-immigration sentiment, as well many other factors.

The sixth amendment to the U.S Constitution guarantees “the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed”. The trial of Sacco and Vanzetti had, in not even the most convoluted perception, a fair and impartial jury. Walter Ripley, a foreman for jury, said, “Damn them, they ought to hang anyway,” despite their innocence or guilt. The jury is responsible for arriving at verdict, and when the foreman of the jury is biased and has already made up his mind for the irrelevant reasons that they are immigrants and anarchists, how should the rest of the jury be able to have an open mind? In addition, the judge is also required to construe the law, and evaluate evidence presented, but above all, they are the impartial bearers of justice. Judge Webster was reported to believe “that foreigners and anarchists deserved no consideration”. With that mindset, it is no surprise when a witness on the

prosecution’s side during his early testimony said that “I don’t think I have the right to say he is the man.” With even the witness from the prosecution’s side equivocal, a sound verdict should not have been reached so easily. Taking into account that the Red Scare resulted in a negative view of immigrants and anarchists, the perception of these two men is understandable when the Red Scare is taken into account, but as holders of justice, their personal feelings should have certainly been taken out of the equation.

Of course, the world did not stay quiet. Following the executions, violent demonstrations swept the globe, ranging from Geneva to London, Paris to Amsterdam, and even Tokyo. Strikes in South America caused factories to be closed. Protestors in Johannesburg burned the American Flag outside of the U.S Embassy, and one extremely ardent supporter of Sacco and Vanzetti bombed the American Embassy in Buenos Aires. In the wake of the funeral, The Boston Globe had called it "one of the most tremendous funerals of modern times." The global society was invariable affected upon learning of this unfair trial. To many countries, America was the “Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave,” but perhaps it was only so for people with a non-immigrant status who adhered to government values. In a land often thought of to be tolerant of religion and politics, despite bias, this case showed the world that perhaps this is not always the case.

December, 1929 Life Magazine Audrey Harvey

Page 9

The Teapot Dome Scandal

Following World War I, the economy was turned upside down. National and personal income declined because there was no wartime production which meant that there were no jobs available. After all the losses of jobs, there was great competition for resources and jobs among all races and classes. The government didn’t play a huge role and was inundated with corruption. A controversial political scandal during this time was known as the Teapot Dome scandal. This scandal forever changed the minds of society about their view on the government and president.

During the 1920’s, Warren G. Harding was known as one of the worst presidents in U.S. history. His actions added to the economic and social problems in America at the time. This was greatly displayed in his role in the Teapot Dome scandal. Secretary of Interior, Albert Fall leased the U.S. Navy’s petroleum reserves to private interest for a bribe. The scandal had evidence that implicated Harding with assisting Fall, turning the public against the president. It affected society greatly because the public became very mistrustful of the government. One side of the public believed that President Harding was wrong in his actions. They thought that what he had done had created much of the unrest in society. He was the leader of the country and now was not trusted. Nobody knew what he could do next. This turmoil was something that was uncalled for and affected a huge amount of people. The other side of the public viewed the scandal as something small and not very important. They thought that it

didn’t have a very big affect on society, when it actually, truly did.

On 4th June, 1920, Congress passed a bill that stated that the Secretary of the Navy would have the power "to conserve, develop, use and operate the same in his discretion, directly or by contract, lease, or otherwise, and to use, store, exchange, or sell the oil and gas products thereof, and those from all royalty oil from lands in the naval reserves, for the benefit of the United States." Edwin Denby, the Secretary of the Navy, was persuaded into taking full responsibility for the petroleum reserves. Albert Fall then decided that two of his friends should be

allowed to lease some of the reserves. When this scandal was uncovered president Harding defended Fall by claiming that "the policy which has been adopted by the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of the Interior in dealing with these matters was submitted to me prior to the adoption thereof, and the policy decided upon and the subsequent acts have at all times had my entire approval." After the Senate had done an

investigation, they had come to the conclusion that the leases "were executed under circumstances indicating fraud and corruption". Many people thought that Fall had persuaded Denby to take over the petroleum reserves just so that he could lessen the blame on himself. In the end, it didn’t matter because Fall and Denby were both forced to resign from office.

December, 1929 Life Magazine Natalie Hudson

Page 11

Women’s Rights and Changing Place in Society- Feature Story Article

Imagine watching mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and neighbors dream and rally around women’s rights in the political system for your entire life, and seventy-two years later finally, after a culmination of these rallies, getting to watch women cast their first votes. For Charlotte Woodward, this historical moment came true.

We all remember the day the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920. A sense of pride and patriotism flourished within every woman’s heart, which still resides 9 years later. The fight for our political freedoms was not an easy one. Charlotte Woodward, almost one hundred years old now, was only eighteen at the start of the Seneca Falls Convention, the first major rally around women’s voting rights.

Woodward is the only woman involved in the Seneca Falls Convention who has lived to see the 19th Amendment passed. When asked about how she feels about the 19th Amendment, Woodward replied, "My heart is with all women who vote. They have gained it now, and they should

not quarrel about the method of using it."

Now that the fight for political freedom has been fought, a new fight for social freedoms has begun as well. Even in just the past 9 years since the 19th Amendment, a large step in political advancements, has been passed, social advancements are clearly shown. Looking around, hem lines of skirts have risen, hair has gotten shorter, and cosmetics are being used more often. Women’s view of themselves physically, has certainly changed since Charlotte Woodward was a small girl. Although her rebellion was against politics, Woodward agrees that in every woman there is some sort of rebellious tendency. She says, “"I do not believe there was any community anywhere in which the

souls of some women were not beating their wings in rebellion. . . . Every fiber of my being rebelled”. Women are now “rebelling” in a sense against modest fashion, and beginning the new flapper fashion.

With this new rebellious attitude, society should brace themselves for what may come next from these wild women. If Charlotte Woodward saw what a dramatic change in politics women leaped in 72 years, who knows what could happen to their society changes in another 70. Watch out America, these women are on the fight.

December, 1929 Life Magazine Natalie Hudson

Page 12

Scopes Trial- News Article

The recent Scopes Trial was a clash between creationism and science and was nicknamed the “Trial of the Century”. Another common term used for the Scopes Trial is the “Monkey Trial”. People that use the name “Monkey Trial” clearly oppose of the idea of Evolution.

The idea of Evolution is the change in the genetic composition of a population or species during many generations, as a result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation among individuals, and resulting in the development of new species. The idea of Evolution is that each species evolved from previous species over millions of years and during this evolving process, humans were created. This goes against everything that the Bible says.

The trial was basically a fight for if teaching Evolution should be allowed in a school setting. Many southern states opposed the idea of Evolution and these Southern states such as Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and obviously Tennessee have tried their hardest to stop the teaching of Evolution. A law had just passed in Tennessee called the “Butler Act” and it stated that it is illegal "to teach any theory that denies the Story of Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animal.”

Evolution is the basis of Biology and therefore people believed it should be taught, especially teachers and scientists that believed in Evolution over creationism. Others thought that teaching Evolution during school as a lesson would go against their children’s beliefs and “confuse them”. Parents also believe that teaching Evolution would go against everything that they have been previously taught their children about how the world had been created.

The trial took place in Dayton Tennessee at the Rhea County Courthouse, in 1925. John Scopes, the 24 year old defendant taught at a public high school in Dayton, and he believed that teaching evolution was necessary and added it in his curriculum even though this was illegal. Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution in his classroom and his lawyer, Clarence Darrow and was an avowed agnostic in religious matters and agreed to defend him.

On the other hand, the famous attorney against Evolution was William Jennings Bryan. He is a Christian, and a pacifist, and at one point in his career he was a presidential candidate. He believed that if Evolution was taught in school, it would lead to dangerous social movements and he thinks that the Bible should be taken literally.

During the trial Bryan described Evolution as being, “many guesses strung together” and “indistinguishable among the mammals.” On Darrow’s end, he poked holes in the Genesis story and described creationism as, “fool ideas that no Christian on earth believes.” During the trial Bryan contradicted himself, making his side look bad. This has affected some of the American people and has caused them to question creationism more than they ever have before.

In the end, Bryan ended up winning. John Scopes was found guilty for teaching Evolution when he was not allowed to and he was fined for 100 dollars. Recent reports have stated that Bryan won the trial, but he did not win the argument.

December, 1929 Life Magazine Audrey Harvey

Page 13

The Jazz Singer

When I awoke, I knew today

was not going to be an ordinary

day. I wanted to do something for

myself instead of constantly

working so hard. I was tired of all

the bootlegging of liquor and my

husband coming home drunk. At

that moment I just wanted to listen

to some fine Jazz and sway to the

music. As I was trying to decide

what to do, my Jazz music was

interrupted by an advertisement

about a new movie called The Jazz

Singer. I became quite confused

because the radio station kept

emphasizing that this film was

different and I wondered why.

After listening to the full

advertisement I understood what

made the new movie The Jazz

Singer so popular. It was the first

movie that included sound. I decided

right then that I would make a trip

to the theater to escape my hectic

life and see this swell movie. I was a

regular woman who had recently

gained the right to vote and wanted

to show some pride. Maybe I was

becoming more rebellious like a

flapper. I didn’t really know.

As I got myself ready for the

day I continued to listen to my nifty

radio. This radio was very special to

me because I had used my wages

from my job as a seamstress to pay

for it. Radios had just become more

affordable to the middle and

working classes, so I had enough

money to pay for it. Listening to my

radio was a refreshing way to start

off my mornings because it helped

me indentify with society. I could

listen to various stations and feel

like I was no different than them. I

realized that radios not only had an

effect on me, but the majority of the

people that owned

one. This was

because many

people could relate

to the news that

was being said and

the music that was

being played.

After I was

all ready to go I

grabbed my purse

and went to the

theater. Once I arrived, I sat back

and watched a movie unfold in

front of me that impressed me so

much. Many critics had said that the

actors and actresses from the movie

were not part of society and

portrayed the movie as not very

good. I believed that they fit in

perfectly with the way they carried

their performances on the screen. Al

Jolson and May McAvoy played

December, 1929 Life Magazine Audrey Harvey

Page 14

their characters with great poise.

They were a great inspiration to the

people of the public. The

entertainment industry changed

society forever.

All in all, my day had been a

swell one because I had gotten to

experience a great piece of

entertainment. I had gone to the

theater and saw the first movie that

included sound. This, I had decided,

was a

huge

turnin

g point

for the

film

indust

ry

becaus

e there

entertainment would keep people

amused forever and gain lots of

popularity. In the end, I realized

that my little radio had informed

me about an important movie that

defied all odds at sound, and that

movie would forever revolutionize

American entertainment into the

future.

Coca Cola can cure including morphine

addic-tion, dyspepsia, neurasthenia,

December, 1929

Coca Cola is made with the finest ingredients since 1886. We strive to bring you a refreshing, carbonated soda for the hot, summer days when thirst arrives. Coca Cola is proudly from Atlanta, Georgia. Coca Cola Company 1929.

December, 1929 Life Magazine Natalie Hudson

Page 16

Labor Unions – Letter to the Editor

To Life Magazine Writers and Editors,

As a natural-born citizen of the United States, I would like write to you about my thoughts on the recent labor unions and strikes. I hope that you take into consideration of publishing my opinion on what I believe to be a very important issue.

First of all, as just a mere housewife, I have never experienced but I can understand the frustration of workers when they get paid very little for the long amount of labor they put in. I can also understand, and even relate to, giving up jobs to returning soldiers from World War 1. However, I cannot understand the selfish act of striking when it clearly affects more than just the worker who is striking.

For starters, striking affects businesses because it costs them money for losing loss of production time. After all, World War 1 has just ended, and America needs time to put our economy back together. I went to work in a factory while my husband was off fighting the war, and when he came home, I willingly up my job for the returning soldiers. The fact that immigrants are protesting that their jobs are being taken away in my opinion is selfish and unpatriotic. The soldiers fought for us in the war and we should give them the respect of giving up our job for them.

Secondly, I’m sure you have you heard about the recent Russian Revolution. Radical communist leaders in Russia have vowed to spread communism through the entire world. Forgive me, but I cannot help but think that maybe some of these strikers could be part of a Communist Labor Union. They are trying to change the foundation America was built on! This could affect the government and the public.

Life Magazine, certainly I would not be writing this if I was the only citizen who felt this way. I have discussed the labor union situations with many fellow neighbors and friends. We all agree that action needs to be taken against these radicals. The government needs to abolish all who threat to disgrace the patriotism that this country was built on.

Thank you for your time. Again, I respectively ask for the publication of this letter.

Dorothy Roberts

Dorothy Roberts

December, 1929 Life Magazine Audrey Harvey

Page 17

Kept me interested

Dear Editor,

Your piece in the previous

issue of Life magazine on racial

prejudices made me feel well

informed. I was glad that I read

your article because I didn’t know

about all the race riots and violence

that was happening. I learned many

things including information on the

Ku Klux Klan and the horrific

lynching’s that took place. I knew

that the KKK was a white

supremacist group that believed

that to be truly American, a person

must belong to one race, religion,

and political and economic

philosophy. They opposed many

people including Catholics, blacks,

Jews, immigrants, homosexuals,

Asians, drug dealers, “wild women”,

the Pope, and politician Franklin D.

Roosevelt. I was distraught to find

out that they rode through black

neighborhoods flogging people and

dumping them at garbage sites,

pulled couples from cars and beat

them, tarred and feathered whites

supporting equality. This angered

me so much that I cried at the

dreadful information I was reading,

but I wanted to thank you for

informing me as a reader about

what actually happen in the KKK. I

also was dumbfounded to read that

lynching was considered something

that could entertain spectators.

Even though they tried to justify

what they were doing as right by

saying that they deserved to be

killed for doing inappropriate things,

this disgusted me that people could

be so cruel. I’m sure that your

writing not only had an effect on

me, but all of society. Your words

were inspiration to not abide by

racial inequality. Overall, your

article deeply moved me to raise

awareness about these awful things

and stand strong against racial

intolerance.

Margaret McCarthy

California

1929, December Life Magazine Matthew E. Solka

Page 18

“Murderers Row”

In the early 20th Century sports has been a “medicine” for the American citizens. With sports, they can sit back, kick their feet up and listen and maybe attend games for fun. Sports helped people relax from the stress from work and the daily life.

Baseball was considered to be the “National Pastime.” Everyone listened to the neighborhood baseball game. Everyone knew Rogers Hornsby, Tris Speaker, the Black Sox scandal and the infamous “Murderers Row” of the 1927 New York Yankees.

Before the ’27 season even began, the Yankees were pitted to win the World Series. The pitching team had the lowest ERA (Earned Run Average) in the whole American League and had the 2 lowest ERA’s in the AL, Wilcy Moore (2.28), Waite Hoyt (2.64), and Urban Shocker (2.83). They only gave up 599 runs that season, also a record in the AL. Even though the Yankees pitching staff almost led in every category, the Bronx Bombers were know that year for their hitting from “Murderers Row”.

10 wins – 44 losses that was the record of the 1927 New York Yankees. They were the greatest group of ball players to take the field at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. They brought power and consistency to the game, and their results showed it. In ’27, Earle Combs lead off for the Yankees, followed by Mark Koenig, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel, Tony Lazzeri, Joe Dugan, and John Grabowski, respectively. They brought in 975 runs on 400 plus hits. Murderer’s Row had a batting average of .307 and a slugging

percentage at .489, and the most stolen bases with 90 that year.

They won the AL Pennant by the great margin of 19 games. In the World Series, against the inferior Pittsburgh Pirates, the Yanks swept the series, 4 – 0. They outscored the Pirates, 23 – 10. After the World Series, many players won Awards and led the league in stats. Lou Gehrig won the AL MVP, Babe Ruth brought in a league leading 60 homers, Earle Combs earned an AL leading 27 triples, and Lou Gehrig was the AL RBI Champion.

The New York Yankees are the greatest team of the decade and shaped sports of the ‘20s drastically.

Babe Ruth is admiring congratulation from the crowd.

Babe Ruth warming up.