America as a Divided Society in the 1920s Essay

America changed its mind about prohibition for many reasons. Some were for the better, and most were for the worse. Prohibition lasted a long time and it brought out the worst in our country. More gangs were created, more violence, and more crime, all because alcohol was banned.

The American Civil War has become a point of controversy and argument when discussing key events in shaping America. The arguments that arise when discussing the war tend to focus on whether the Confederate was constitutionally justified in seceding, or whether the North had the right to prevent the secession. However, when discussing the America Civil War and the idea of separation, it is important to be mindful that separation did not simply end at the state level. Letters written by Jesse Rolston, Jr. and Jedediah Hotchkiss portray two significantly different attitudes toward the war, despite the fact that the writers both fought for the Confederate States and give accounts of the same battle, one of which ended in the Confederate’s favor. When examining the documents, both writers express different viewpoints on life on and off the battlefield. This significant difference represents a division amongst the Confederate army.

During the post-civil war era, America, specifically the south, was undergoing a period of reconstruction. The general goal of reconstruction was to successfully readmit the former Confederacy back into the Union as smoothly as possible, as well as enacting specific safeguards of freedmen’s liberties. The social and constitutional developments in America between 1860 and 1877 were very minor. The lack of change between pre and post civil war status could hardly be considered a revolution.

“The United States emerged from a virulent, intense, and inhumane civil war and evolved into a new nation during this period. This transition was the culmination of political, economic, social, and cultural movements which transformed the nation. E Pluribus Unum - out of many United States, one nation; the United States was forged in the cauldron of these revolutions."     -Arnold Toynbee, A Study of History

As a nation coming out of a devastating war, America faced many changes in the 1920s. It was a decade of growth and improvements. As immigrants fled from Europe, the economy improved, and new machines offered convenience and luxury from the kitchen to the streets. However, with all change comes opposition. The 1920s revealed a conflict between traditional America and the new attitude and lifestyle through the changing role of women, continued dominance of Christian values, and racism.

The 1920s, often referred to as the Roaring Twenties, was a time of great change and a time of powerful enthusiasm in many areas of society. The world had just finished the biggest war in history, the First World War, and the United States was left almost unharmed by the war. The United States was able to experience a decade of peace and success following the war. During this decade, America became the wealthiest country in the world (Trueman, 2000). The people in the United States went through a colorful period during the twenties. However, at the same time the 1920s was also a very rebellious and difficult time for many. The culture of the 1920s has influenced the culture of America’s society today.

Everything in history seems to lead to something else. The Civil War was no exception. It started with the creation of parties. Thomas Jefferson started the Anti-Federalist Party that would eventually evolve into Andrew Jackson’s Democratic Party. Policies were issued and the two party system started to collapse and sectionalism started to rise. Instead of Democrat versus Whig, it was North Versus South. Neither side could agree on any issues even when compromises were issued neither side really liked the terms. Every act lead to an argument and every argument led to a compromise which would only last for a few years. Eventually the South was tired of not getting their way and seceded from the Union. The underlying cause to the Civil War

How did the sectional crisis begin? What one event triggered this crisis? While these are question commonly answered, it is up to interpretation of the conflicts between the North and South in order to decide which events caused the secession. There is not simply one event or conflict which resulted in the secession of the deep southern sates beginning in 1860 (Brands 2015, 333). As of February 1, 1860 seven southern states had seceded from the union due to the friction between Northern and Southerners. While some may argue that the sectional crisis is a result of the fight for power between the North and South; the sectional crisis can be attributed to three main factors and their effects on the nation, differences

As time passed the rapidly changing society in the nineteenth century, in 1820 the north and south began to have serious conflicting problems that were proved unfixable by compromise. During this time, the north underwent major social, economic, and industrial changes known as the Antebellum Period. While the south generally clung to king cotton and slavery and thus remained essentially the same. This arose a manifold of controversies with how issues such as tariffs, slavery, and land should be handled. Both the Union and the Confederacy tried to create compromises to resolve these problems, yet both sides were never completely satisfied no matter how hard they tried. This made it very close to impossible for them to completely put their

The United States changed dramatically from 1865 to 1950. Many changes occurred in industrialization, foreign affairs, government, as well as in society and culture. The events that took place within this time period helped shape this country into what it is today.

The Roaring Twenties started in North America and spread to Europe as the effects of World War I diminished. In Europe, the years following the First World War (1919-1923) were marked by a deep recession. Europe spent these years in rebuilding and coming to terms with the vast human cost of the conflict. Unlike in the aftermath of World War II, the United States did little to try to rebuild Europe. Instead, it took an increasingly isolationist stance (Answers, 2006).

On Christmas Eve in 2010, my grandmother received a gift from a hospice nurse who was assisting with my grandfather’s deteriorating health. Initially both surprised and embarrassed by the gesture, her emotions quickly changed once she removed the wrapping. A single package of Ramen Noodles was revealed. Embarrassment changed to confusion as she attempted to wrap her mind around what she had received. The hospice worker drove a 1997 Plymouth Voyager that she regularly complained about not being able to run properly for more than a week. She wore old worn out clothing and my grandmother claims she had never seen the woman wear jewelry before. It was evident that she was not wealthy. Although she could not afford a gift, the nurse in her

Every four years, Americans go to the polls and vote. Experts say approximately 23% of America have unregistered voters. Voting is vital. Every single vote counts on election day. The Presidential Election brings out the most Americans. Democratic and Republican parties go head to head in the race to become the nation’s president. In 2008, the presidential hopeful will be Barack Obama. He will provide citizens with affordable healthcare insurance. Obama will give tax breaks to the working class and improve the education systems.

The 1920s, World War I has just ended and it’s a new place for change. Any old customs and values have been rejected. Flappers, jazz, temperance act, and mobs; these were all things that have contributed to the new beginning.While the other things may have seemed like a good kind of new for America, prohibition made kind of obvious that nothing good was to come out of it. It actually sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. As much as people want it to happen now, and wished it would have stuck, ignorance never leaves those people who want it so badly. Many pros and cons came as an outcome of these simple things. There isn't a single thing by itself that has changed America to what it is today.

Harold Lasswell once described politics as: “who gets what, when and how”. Society, in my opinion, revolves around three key subjects; history; politics and; international relations. In order to make sense of the present day, we need to examine the past events and how they have evolved our society into what it is. In order to understand situations in the present, we must look at; the powers of the world; the political institutions; pillars of authority and how they interact, on local, national and international stages. The world is full of questions which can be answered by looking at these aspects. Questions such as: why racism was tolerated in 20th century American society (and beyond) and why was it often accepted as the norm? History helps