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Winds of Change | Mystery of the Blues | Scandal of 1920
Young Indy Home
Back in America, Indy enrolls at the University of Chicago and takes up a part-time job at Colosimo's restaurant. His work as a waiter becomes a labor of love as he uses his time at work to enjoy the jazz sounds of Sidney Bechet and his band. Overtaken by the power of Jazz, Indy sneaks out of his college dorm with his roommate Eliot Ness to roam the nighttime streets of Chicago in pursuit of Jazz clubs. A growing friendship with Bechet leads Indy to learn the soprano saxophone and reveals the ever-present racial divide of American society.
The fun of the Roaring Twenties suddenly fades when "Big Jim" Colosimo is murdered in his own restaurant. His mysterious murder serves as a foreshadowing of the organized crime that would plague 1920's Chicago and the Prohibition era. To solve the mystery of "Big Jim's" murder, Indy teams up with old friend Ernest Hemingway only to discover that the lines between law and lawlessness are not as clear as they seem.
Key Topics: | Jazz, Roaring Twenties, Organized Crime, Prohibition, Harlem Hellfighters, Chicago Race Riot of 1919 |
Historic People: | Sidney Bechet—One of Jazz's earliest famed solo artists. Notable instruments include the clarinet and soprano saxophone. |
Exclusive Previews of the Included Documentaries: | -Jazz: Rhythm of Freedom -Al "Scarface" Capone: The Original Gangster -On the Trail of Eliot Ness -Louis Armstrong: Ambassador of Jazz -Ben Hecht: The Shakespeare of Hollywood -Hellfighters: Harlem's Heroes of World War I |
Indy Connections: | Click here to see current event articles that relate to the events, topics, and people seen in this Young Indy chapter. |
National Social Studies Strands: | Culture; Power, Authority and Governance; Time, Continuity and Change; Science, Technology and Society; Individuals, Groups and Institutions, Global Connections |
Suggested Resources: | Jazz | Al Capone | Prohibition |
DescriptorAn American music tradition that blends African and European music traditions into a lively and unique style. Jazz traces its roots to the early 20th Century, but came into its own in Chicago after WWI. Notable performers like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington increased the popularity of Jazz, however, it was Prohibition and the growing "need" for excitement that pushed the feel good style of Jazz into the mainstream. Exclusive Documentary PreviewBooksChilton, John. Sidney Bechet: The Wizard of Jazz. New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1996. Gioia, Ted. The History of Jazz. New York:Oxford University Press, 1998. Websites |
DescriptorNotorious gangster, bootlegger, murderer, and tax evader. Capone is the best known gangster in American history and remains the model for mob bosses everywhere. Exclusive Documentary PreviewBooksKobler, John. Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone. New York: Da Capo Press, 2003. Ruth, David E. Inventing the Public Enemy: The Gangster in American Culture, 1918-1934. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1996. Websites |
DescriptorAlso known as the "The Noble Experiment," prohibition was America's attempt at ending lawlessness and crime by taking away alcohol. Prohibition was enacted with the best intentions, however, no one could foresee the organized crime, speakeasies, and ironic lawlessness that it would spark. Gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran smuggled alcohol into Chicago and the US, making millions of dollars and killing hundreds of people in the process. Blood and murder eventually brought Prohibition to an end 13 years after it began. BooksPegram, Thomas R. Battling Demon Rum: The Struggle for a Dry America, 1800- 1933. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 1998. Kobler, John. Ardent Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. New York: Da Capo Press, 1993. WebsitesNational Archives- Volstead Act Woman's Christian Temperance Union |
DescriptorPassionate and ruthless agent of the Treasury Department who is best known for ending the career of the infamous Al "Scarface" Capone and enforcing prohibition in Chicago with his team of lawmen known as "The Untouchables." Exclusive Documentary PreviewBooksHeimel, Paul W. Eliot Ness: The Real Story. Nashville, TN: Cumberland House Publishing, 2000. Ness, Eliot. The Untouchables. Cutchogue, NY: Buccaneer Books, 1957. Websites |
DescriptorKnown for playing the coronet, the trumpet, and being a powerful vocalist, Armstrong redefined Jazz with his innovative ability to improvise and solo. In 1920's Chicago, Armstrong brought Jazz to the mainstream with his fast-paced rhythms and electric personality. He is best remembered for his vocal track on Thiele and Weiss' 1967 release of What a Wonderful World. Armstrong remains an icon of Jazz. Exclusive Documentary PreviewBooksGiddins, Gary. Satchmo. New York: Doubleday Press, 1988. Armstrong, Louis. Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans. New York:Prentice-Hall, 1954. Websites |
DescriptorWWI veteran, and acclaimed American author who was awarded with the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize. Forever battling depression, Hemingway ended his life in 1961. Works include: The Torrents of Spring, The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea. Exclusive Documentary PreviewBooksHemingway: Life into Art. New York: Cooper Square Press, 2000. Wagner-Martin, Linda, ed. A Historical Guide to Ernest Hemingway. New York:Oxford University Press, Inc., 2000. Reynolds, Michael. The Young Hemingway. New York:W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1998. WebsitesHemingway Archive at JFK Library |
DescriptorA Broadway playwright and Hollywood screenwriter. Hecht won two Academy Awards and was nominated a total of six times. Hecht is also remembered for breaking the Ragged Stranger Murder Case while working as a writer for the Chicago Daily News. Exclusive Documentary Preview> BooksMacAdams, William. Ben Hecht: A Biography. New York: Barricade Books, Inc., 1990. Fetherling, Doug. The Five Lives of Ben Hecht. Toronto:Lester and Orpen Limited, 1977. Websites |
DescriptorThe all African-American Infantry Regiment (369th Infantry Regiment) of the US Army that saw action in World War I. Despite being one of the most decorated units to serve in WWI, the Hellfighters returned to America only to face the same segregation and inequalities they left behind years earlier. Exclusive Documentary PreviewBooksHarris, Bill. The Hellfighters of Harlem: African American Soldiers Who Fought for the Right to Fight for their Country. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2002. Harris, Stephen L. Harlem's Hellfighters: The African American 369th Infantry in World War I. Washington, DC:Brassey's, Inc., 2003. WebsitesNY Military Museum- Hellfighters Bio |
DescriptorOn July 27, 1919 a young African-American named Eugene Williams was swimming with some friends in Lake Michigan. A peaceful afternoon turned violent when Williams strayed into a swimming area reserved for whites. Several white bystanders began throwing rocks and struck Williams, ultimately resulting in his drowning. The Chicago police failed to arrest involved parties despite the reports of numerous eyewitnesses. What followed was a two week long race riot that resulted in 38 deaths and hundreds of destroyed homes. The Chicago riot is considered the worst of the "Red Summer" riots of 1919. BooksWilliam M. Tuttle, Jr. Race Riot: Chicago in the Red Summer of 1919. University of Illinois Press, 1997. Chicago Commission on Race Relations. The Negro in Chicago: A Study of Race Relations and a Race Riot. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1922. WebsitesJazz Age Chicago- Race Riot 1919 |
DescriptorSidney Bechet was one jazz's earliest and most influential musicians. Known for his clarinet skills, Bechet was also an accomplished saxophonist and composer. BooksBechet, Sidney. Treat It Gentle: An Autobiography. Da Capo Press; 2nd Edition, 2002. Chilton, John. Sidney Bechet: The Wizard of Jazz. Da Capo Press, 1996. Websites |
Lesson Plans: | Coming Soon! |
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Winds of Change | Mystery of the Blues | Scandal of 1920
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