Nineteen Twenties And American Culture

Throughout American history and the 1900’s, fads have been a hugely successful form of self expression. From fashion, to recreation, to dumb and sometimes dangerous things that youths do, fads are a way to distract from the troubles of the world and find something else fun to do.

The Roaring Twenties of America, which was from 1920-1929, saw a great social and economic prosperity. People were happy, and were celebrating the victory of World War 1. The gasoline price was lowered, right to vote for women was granted, and America was climbing towards a great success. In 1929, Herbert Hoover became the president of the United States of America, and he said, “ Given a chance to go forward with the policies of the last eight years, we shall soon with the help of God be in sight of the day when poverty will be banished from this nation”(Roark, Pg. 703). After few months of his inauguration, his words contradicted, the Roaring Twenties halted. During the Roaring Twenties, the stock market prices increased steeply. The rapid

The Jazz Age which is also referred to as the Roaring Twenties began after World War I took place and lasted until 1929, when the Great Depression began. The 1920s opened up a world of change to Americans; some did not approve and others, especially those in the big cities, celebrated with music and dance every day. There were numerous inventions that were being created throughout the 1920s and because of nationwide advertisement; people all over America were able to buy all the same stuff as one another. But unfortunately, times were different for those that lived in Colorado.

The nineteen twenties can be summed up as one of the most important improvements on theatre, paintings, music, building, and culture.

The 1920s, or better known as the roaring twenties changed the lives of women in America politically, physically and mentally. Women were granted more freedom, the right to vote, changed their physical appearance, and focused on materialistic goals instead of moral values. Before World War I, women would wear a high collar, long straight skirts below the knee and long hair that was tied loosely. The roaring twenties brought along swing dancing and jazz which changed the way women dressed and danced. Not only did the roaring twenties bring along flourishing taste in music, but flappers came into play. Flappers were women who wore short sparkly dresses, cut their hair into a bob, wore heavy make-up, drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes and partied all night.

The 1920s was a decade filled with prosperity, chaos, and excitement. During the 1920s, many ground breaking inventions were introduced, such as the Model T Ford, the radio, and the television. The discoveries and cultural developments of the 1920s would go on to shape America for decades to come. The 1920s was arguably one of the most important decades in American history, in regards to the impact it had on American culture and way of life. Such an important decade should have a nickname, thus the 1920s were called the “Roaring 20s.” The decade of the 1920s is referred to as “roaring” because it was a time of dramatic social change, as demonstrated by the birth of a consumer society, the rise of a party culture, and the abandonment of long standing morals.

The beginning of this new jazz age sparked a time of immense change, changes that gave this decade a nickname known as “roaring”. Controversy between modernists and traditionalist was the beginning to a social war. The Nineteen Twenties were a turning point in society due to many reasons; those being social and cultural changes, new literature and authors emerging, and the economy on the brink of greatness.

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).

A ten year gap can really impact a society. This is evident in the times of the 1920s through the 1930s. These decades are very different from one another. This paper compares and contrasts the traits of these times in the world of pop culture. Pop culture is an accurate way to observe the past because it shows everything that was mainstream and a staple of the time.

The 1920’s should be considered a time of prosperity in American history. America was introduced to new a modern identity. There was many cultural norms in the 1920’s. The decade also saw an economic boom, through new modern industries and the automotive age. The government went back to a hands off, “Laissez-Faire”, government. The government and politics were going for the return to normalcy type of outlook.

In America the repercussions of World War 1 resulted in, the roaring twenties, a time period characterized as an era of economic prosperity. The stock market sky-rocketed, advances in technology were distinct and demands were shifting, but what value prominently elevated above everything else? Wealth. The widespread wealth was desired and people valued social class with such high regard that to attain these two fixations became the standard “American Dream” of the 1920’s. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s depiction exposes an era of poor social and moral values, and it was a miserable desire for wealth that progressed this. Fitzgerald utilizes the setting, a combination of the time period and geography, to reveal the message that it became

The 1920’s was the era of not only mass consumerism, social changes, and profound cultural conflicts but that of the Lost Generation and the effects of World War I during this time period. World War I had a significant impact on the lives and the writing styles of the Lost Generation, changing their perspectives on both the government and their lives.

The Roaring Twenties brought many cultural changes to the United States and Europe, which have had many lasting effects. The roles of women changed tremendously and alcohol became banned, but people found many loopholes, also many new inventions and ways of life came about.

The dawning of the 1920’s in America left a need in the citizens’ hearts to return to a state of normalcy after the devastating effects of the Great War. However, the new era of isolationism spawned a cultural revolution that can only be described as anything but “normal”. Heavy losses over seas left Americans turned off to problems occurring outside of United States borders. As the citizens’ averted their eyes from the problems of the world, they were left to focus their attention of forming the spectacular sense of moral freedom of the decade. The economy flourished as well.Wall Street became an enormous success as the introduction of credit dazzled the American people. The colossal factories which had supplied weapons and war machinery now churned out the automobiles, radios, and abundant excitement which would go on to define the era. The isolationist attitude also led away from the idea of the “whole” and people found themselves focusing on their own needs and wants, which emphasized the adolescent nature of the United States. The post-war, isolationist minds of Americans in the roaring twenties focused on the dream of total freedom as they strove towards liberation in their daily lives, and were represented by the authors of the modernist fiction era.

The 1920s was often referred to as the "Jazz age", or the "Roaring Twenties". Not only was American culture 'roaring' in terms of social trends and style, but the economy was 'roaring' as well. This related to the economic booming period of rapid expansion and changed social attitudes. The 1920s impacted American Society and economy because of Laissez-Faire, farm crisis, and consumer credit/installment plan. Society was discovering new found freedoms and becoming less regimented. This lead to new technologies disasters and a booming economy. However, hidden behind the optimistic views on the economy, there were significant structural problems, which led to the Great Depression of the 1930s and the notorious stock market crash of 1929.