Hi! The examples for each decade are below.
1900's
Literary title: "The Souls of Black Folk" by W.E.B. Du Bois (1903)
Influential event: Laws are passed to disenfranchise African Americans in the South in 1900.
Connection: The poem and the laws both show the struggles that African Americans faced.
1910's
Literary title: "Baseball's Sad Lexicon" by Franklin Pierce Adams (1910)
Influential event: The Chicago Cubs won the National League pennant four times from 1906-1910.
Connection: The poem is connected to the Cubs winning the National League pennant four times from 1906-1910. It is written to reflect the feelings of a New York Giants fan because the Cubs often defeated the Giants on the way to their victories.
1920's
Literary title: "Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil" by W.E.B. Du Bois (1920)
Influential Event: The Ku Klux Klan had its biggest event in 1925, in which they marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington.
Connection: Both are related to the history of racism in the United States. The poem advocated equality between the races while the KKK advocated white supremacy.
1930's
Literary title: "Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes (1935)
Influential Event: The Communist Party-affiliated International Workers Order (IWO) was formed in 1930.
Connection: Both the poem and the IWO advocated making the American Dream more accessible to economically disadvantaged groups.
