Final answer:
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, jazz, blues, country, and ragtime became distinctly American music genres, with jazz and ragtime, in particular, having significant cultural impacts during the 1920s.
Step-by-step explanation:
Distinctly American kinds of music that became popular in the late 1800s and the early 1900s include jazz, blues, country, and ragtime. Jazz, with roots in ragtime and blues, not only became a symbol of the 1920s culture and the Harlem Renaissance but also an international genre. Legendary jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway were fixtures at Harlem's Cotton Club, a bastion of the era's nightlife. Similarly, blues travelled from the deep South up to Chicago and beyond, resonating with various communities. Ragtime, another uniquely American music form, with its "ragged" rhythms and compelling beat, influenced many and laid the groundwork for jazz.
Ragtime was symbolized by the works of Scott Joplin and gained popularity among diverse audiences, including young white Americans. As ragtime and jazz spread, they reshaped the musical landscape of America and reflected the vibrant changes in urban life post-World War I. Country music, while not as prominently mentioned in historical accounts of this period as jazz and blues, also emerged as a significant American music genre during the early 20th century.