Effects Of Materialism In The 1920s

The 1920s was nicknamed the “Roaring Twenties” because every action had a voice. Every event or amendment was supported by some type of individual or group. Certain individuals made opportunity for American citizens, such as Henry Ford. Because of business leaders like him, Americans once confined to their city of work, can now live miles away. This era was full of trial and error. Trial and error can be supported by the fact that a new amendment repealed a past amendment. America was shaped politically by Congress, stereotypes, and mass production. The 1920s wouldn’t be the same without the leading automobile industry, “New Women”, and the Eighteenth Amendment.

The 1920s were an age of dramatic social and political changes. The nation's wealth more than doubled between 1920 and 1929, this economic growth swept along many Americans into a wealthy but also a unfamiliar spot this left some Americans uncomfortable with the new changes. Most Americans brought more conflict then celebration in the 1920s. However a small portion of people in the big cities were roaring about these new changes. People from coast to coast bought the same goods, listened to the same music, danced the same dances, and also had some experience with each other slang.

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.

After World War One, the United States went through a decade full of industrial, economical, and social growth. This decade is known as the Roaring 20s. The 1920s was a time of important historical events and technological advancement. The development of consumer goods, such as fridges, typewriters, radios, and cars, created jobs and helped the American economy grow. However, not everyone was able to enjoy the advancement that the boom had assured. Although there were many wealthy people, there were still many people who could not afford to live luxurious lives. Many immigrants were not welcome into to United Stats. Prejudice and racism were spread throughout the country. In spite of the prosperity of the 1920s, the

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.

The 1920s was a major turning point in American history. Known as “the roaring twenties”, the citizens of the United States enjoyed the new found wealth from the economic turnaround. The United States’ wealth more than doubled as the nation turned into a consumer society. Not all Americans were fond of the changes in society, and not all of the changes were good.

The 1920s was an age of drastic social and political changes. For the first time in history, more Americans started living in cities rather than on farms. Americans were wealthier than ever before. People from coast to coast bought similar goods, listened to the same music, did the same dances, and even used related slang. Numerous Americans were uncomfortable with this unfamiliar, urban, and occasionally racy “mass culture”. In fact, for a large number of people in the United States, the 1920s brought more conflict than celebration. However, for a minuscule handful of youth in the nation’s larger cities, the 1920s were roaring. Prohibition gave criminals a way to illegally make money; gangsters, young men who worked in criminal gangs, began selling on the black-market alcohol. Young woman emerged during the 1920s with different appearance, attitude, and behavior; with a bobbed haircut and short skirts.

Social classes played a dominant role in shaping the 1920s ,while most Americans enjoyed prosperity and well-being , many others saw very little social growth in their lives. Race and Ethnicity contributed to the atmosphere of the 1920s. During this period, American freedoms were expanded yet many others diminished. The blend of increasing racial pride and the longstanding racial hatred after the Reconstruction Era led to a tension-filled atmosphere throughout the ‘20s. Race and ethnicity in the Roaring Twenties demonstrated the inequalities and prejudices that many Americans

The 1920’s better known as the roaring twenties was a period of dramatic social, and political change. Throughout history the roaring twenties was the first time most Americans lived in cities than farms. After the years of World War I this was a period where America and the public wanted to separate themselves from other parts of the world, foreign countries .

The urban-rural culture wars of the 1920’s was due to myriad changes occurring in society, and partly in cause of a new generation, angered by the events of World War I, wanting to take a stand. Exposure to different types of culture in the 1920s varied on where one lived. In urban places, like bustling cities, one could find modernists. Modernists were more open-minded and liberal in their thoughts. In other words, they obtained a “new-school” way of thinking. Those in rural places who were not exposed to the always-changing city life, were more likely to be traditionalists and focused on practices, values and views from the past. Furthermore, modernists, from the city, and traditionalists, from the countryside, did not see eye to eye. This issue resurfaced several times in major events of the 1920s.

Prohibition was a huge controversial issue in the 1920s, which was when America banned the production, importation, and the sale of alcohol throughout the nation. The Ku Klux Klan was one of the largest supporters of Prohibition along with many other Americans. These Americans saw alcohol as poison to a person’s health, money, and way of life, and also believed all crime was caused by alcohol. The Ku Klux Klan was very strict on enforcing the prohibition laws, to a point where they went out and violently attacked, destroyed houses, saloons, and anything valuable to those who had broken the prohibition laws. The KKK’s support for Prohibition represented the single most important bond between Klansman throughout the nation, since every member strongly believed alcohol poisoned the soul (Hanson). Since the KKK had openly supported prohibition and strictly enforced it, it had encouraged Americans with the same conservative views on the topic of prohibition to get involved . The Klan’s support for prohibition led to a dramatic increase of new members in the Klan. The Klan also attempted to gain political power as Mr Simkin explains “Klansmen were elected to positions of political power. This included state officials in Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Oregon and Maine” (Simkin). Klansmen began becoming political leaders such as state legislators, governors, and city

Most Americans were beginning to lead a life away from religion, and often consumed alcohol they attained from “speakeasies”, or even produce their own liquor called “moonshine” or “bathtub gin”. With the growing illegal consumption of alcohol during prohibition, the crime rates sky rocketed; but law enforcement simply could not keep up with the amount of crime happening. Since police were busy with simple crimes such as one consuming alcohol illegally, there was little to no time for them to focus on keeping citizens safe. Due to this fact and the fact that the government could no longer maintain safe alcohol manufacturing, there were many dangers associated with ‘bootlegged’ alcohol. These dangers included; “blindness,” if gotten into the eyes, “paralysis and even death” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015). With the distribution of unsafe ‘bootlegged’ alcohol, many Americans died; raising the death rate throughout the nation. While the population fell apart politically and socially with chaos and rebellion, the United States also experienced a huge economic downfall due to

The 1920s was a huge time period for the United States. Modern technology such as automobiles, radios, and advertisement had taken America by storm. Rural areas were on the decline. American cities had attracted not only rural and urban citizens, but also people from all over the world. In America during the 1920s, citizens struggled with accepting other races and ethnicities into their widely populated country.

by prosperity, leisure, technological advances, consumerism and major shifts toward modern values. The decade witnessed a titanic struggle between an old and a new America. Things such as immigration, race, alcohol, evolution, gender politics, and sexual morality all became major cultural battlefields during the 1920s. Wets battled drys, religious modernists battled religious fundamentalists, and urban ethnics battled the Ku Klux Klan. The contrast between the new and changing attitudes and traditional values was clearly present during the 1920's.

In Detroit, Michigan rumrunners or bootleggers had risen during the 1920 due to the National “dry” period. During the first year of law enforcement, the number of drunkenness arrested were doubled. (Hall, 2014, p.85) The crime rate had reflected the effectiveness of national prohibition instantly and bootlegging had done serious impact to both economics and society.