Events Surrounding The 1920s

During the 1920s, the United States witnessed substantial changes in society and government that challenged conventions. Many Americans, however, also tried to lessen the effects of these changes through emphasizing the importance of customs and long held beliefs. This era consisted of conflicting progressive and traditional ideas, which influenced American government at the time.

After World War 1, America had to demobilize and revert back to a peace time economy. During the 1920’s, it was viewed as a prosperous economy since there was a new labor force due to demobilization, new inventions, and a new infrastructure. Also moral spirits were high since America along with the Allied Powers defeated Germany and the Great War was finally over. However, America began making many economic policies and decisions that will eventually lead up to the Great Depression.

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 Trial and error can be supported by the fact that a new amendment repealed a past amendment.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 was known for its prosperous and flamboyant lifestyle. The GDP during that time had risen by 30 percent and unemployment was as at an all-time low of 3 percent. This was not meant to last forever. In fact, it was nearly impossible for this to last any longer than it did due to an imbalance that society was unaware of including that not every citizen was experiencing this uncommon wealth. There were still 3 percent unemployed and even some of the employed members of society did not make enough to support a family and were considered homeless. It was in October of 1929 when this so-called luxurious lifestyle vanished as the stock market crashed at a time when the stock market seemed it would never stop increasing. This caused an economic, downhill, rolling ball effect. Those who took out loans to invest in stocks could not afford to repay the banks causing the banks to fail and close down. When the banks closed down, the depositors of that bank lost their life savings causing them to go broke and some company owners to close their doors. This led to a loss of jobs by the employers of those companies. This time period was known as the Great Depression and rightfully so. It is the most significant setback in the American Economy to date. The Herbert Hoover administration was in effect at this time giving the society an easy target to blame. Come time for the next election in 1932, Americans were ready for a change in authority to bring them out of this seemingly black

During the 20th century, the people of America had to adjust to new desires, lifestyles, and the new materialistic economy. After entering World War I, the aftermath included false positives that in the end, turned out to be complete negatives. Citizens of America possessed materialistic beliefs that led to disappointments. African Americans were confronted by atrocious social conditions. The frustrations faced by many Americans living in the 1920s, included the desires for materialistic possessions in hopes of contentment, the aspirations for freedom and the dignified need for racial equality, are all elucidated in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, “Winter Dreams”, and both poems, “Democracy” by Langston Hughes and “The White House” by Claude Mckay.

The Roaring Twenties were a time of new behaviors, attitudes, and freedoms which were all presented during the Prohibition. The Roaring Twenties were an era of social, political, and dramatic change. During this age, freedoms were expanded yet, in some cases, they were diminished. Prohibition was an enormous part of this era. Prohibition was ratified as the 18th Amendment in 1919, banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol. The three main contributions from Prohibition were: bootlegging, organized crime, and the failure of Prohibition. Prohibition very much contributed to the atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties in a detrimental way to society by creating a period of time in which even the average citizen broke the law.

Newspapers had once been the only mass communication & entertainment. The demand for new products that emerged in the 1920s created a new industry, advertising, which enticed buyers to purchase new products, and now that the radio had emerged, advertising was integrated into this media outlet . Radio shows like Amos n' Andy, became a nationwide hit. The advertising industry grew with the emerging industries of mass culture, especially radio and cinema. For the first time, from coast to coast, Americans experienced the same shows and used the same advertised products due to mass culture. The first commercial radio station aired in 1920 and broadcast music to a few thousand listeners. By the end of the decade, thirty-three

Prior to the 1920s people were already not given equal prosperity. This can be seen in 1882 by the Chinese Exclusion Act, the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States. However, the ban was only against the immigration of Chinese laborers. Furthermore, Andrew Carnegie owner from the steel industry from 1973-1901 controlled the most extensive integrated iron and steel operations ever owned by in the United States. Although Carnegie gained millions, he paid his workers little. Therefore, the 1920s did not give prosperity to everyone including those who were immigrants, the new technological advancements, and the economic difference in social classes.

The 1920s was a time of prosperity and new ideas that challenged the social norm and began the movement into modernism that we know of today. The economy was still coming off of the First World War and tax policies were creating an economic boom with the increase of discretionary income. The United States was in a scary position on what to do after coming home from such a brutal war that was going to end all wars. The young generation brought out the best in people and challenged the intellect of many bright minds that had the solid traditionalist views with the new fast paced modernistic thoughts. The 1920s were a time of growth and led the United States and the modern views came quick and made a lasting impact.

The 1920’s were a time of change. New ideas were becoming more readily experimented with and even accepted by large portions of the population. Some of these included jazz music and the fight against the alcoholic prohibition. The radical idea I will focus on in this paper, however, is Evolution. It is a theory that had been around for over half a century before the 20’s but had only more recently caught on in the US. It contradicted the Christian theory of Divine Creation as described in the Bible. This caused many religious fundamentalists to fight against it. They took their battle to the law books, and they were challenged by pro-evolution modernists in the Scopes "Monkey Trial" of 1925.

The 1920 census indicates a population in the United States over 100 million people, for the first time. The 15% increase since the last census now showed a count of 106,021,537. The geographic center of the United States population still remained in Indiana, eight miles south-southeast of Spencer, in Owen County.

The book is based in the 1920's so they had desserts like lemon cakes, upside-down cakes, and gelatin which were big hits at parties. First In the book Nick states, " Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop."(Fitzgerald 89)This example shows that they were very good because of how much that they ate. Lemon cakes would have been served at parties or small get togethers during the 1920's. Next, on "Desserts from the '20s" it says, gelatin was first mass produced at the turn of the 20th century, and came to fame in the 1920s because of refrigeration. (Selke) Gelatin was also brought to parties during this time and could be easily made during the summer now that they had refrigerators. Another dessert is the

Underneath the façade of dancing and parties, the decade of the 1920s was a violent clash of culture between the conservative Protestants mostly from rural, small town America and the liberal, modern city dwellers. The liberals embraced and celebrated their newfound freedoms, such as sexual liberation, while the conservatives tried desperately to hold onto their traditional religious standards. The World War sent many Americans abroad for the first time and blacks were introduced to foreign societies where they were equal to whites. The post-war years saw mass immigration, which brought new religions and cultures to America. Prohibition became law, and failed miserably to produce the moral society its supporters had predicted. While this was a time of economic prosperity, the inability of the conservatives and the liberals to reach a common ground on moral issues provided a backdrop for the instability and social

The sixties were the beginning of more idealistic views. Many events occurred during this time. According to Anderson, “The nation seemed flooded with the cool generation, and they begin exhibiting youthful forms of rebellion.” Society was becoming more liberal, premarital sex was no longer a big deal, and girls wore miniskirts. Students were no longer interested in their parents’ ways. The culture was changing including music. Many folklore songs were about the issue of civil rights. For instance, Chad Mitchell Trion sang about segregation. Education was no longer preserved for the wealthiest Americans. It was democratized. Anderson even commented that, universities were the beginning where many students questioned their lives, and a way

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.