The 1920's: The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring 20s were a prosperous time for many. New inventions and ideas grew and many societies flourished, and the idea of the perfect American family was created, thus empowering people of different nationalities to go to America. In the United States, immigrants and citizens enjoyed going out to have fun. They could go to out to clubs, go listen to some jazz music or go dancing. This time period was all about new inventions and having fun but also there was a lot a separation of what class people were in. The upper class used all the new inventions and the lower class did not use any high technology inventions because they were poor. Immigrants usually were in the lower class or in the middle class depending on what kind of occupation they had. Immigration in the 1920s led to drastic changes in population. Immigration was very important because of international movement during World War 1 and World War 2. They were searching for new occupations so they looked overseas to find new opportunities,and to have a higher chance of finding a job. This caused immigration to happen all over the world which resulted in an increase in migration to the U.S.

There is a controversial debate about the 1920s, whether it was “roaring” or whether is was destitute. In the perspective of some historians, the 1920s brought a rapid increase in urbanization and boom in the economy, however, these historians fail to see the evident terrors that the 1920s brought. The positive uproar on the 1920s did not stand a chance against the rising negative roar of residential schools, the Stock Market Crash, and credit debt. Due to these tragic events, 1920s was brought a dark and negative atmosphere rather than one of contentment.

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 .

A main factor in this was the relative prosperity that the upper class enjoyed during their presidencies; because the rich were doing so well, the government was compelled to help continue their success. This pro-business rhetoric was illustrated in the inaugural address of Warren G. Harding, who promised to reduce government intervention in business (Document E). Harding’s stance was based on the industrial productivity that had been spurred by America’s participation in World War I, as well as his view that big business could pull America out of the postwar slump. Harding’s Vice President and successor Calvin Coolidge continued the federal commitment to businesses and the wealthy, arguing that individuals deserved control over their wealth because it was a product of their work (Document D). He also believed that big business was

Hoover was beginning to demonstrate conservative beliefs even before the onset of the Great Depression. Document A shows Hoover’s wish to avoid being thought of as a complete supporter of laissez-faire ideas. He appeared irresolute when it came to preserving the capitalistic society of the 1920s. During this time, society was managed by corrupt political bosses, such as Tweed. The American economy had flourished under the private interest policies of Harding and Coolidge, which forced Hoover to promise the American people that he would not abandon the laissez-faire economics, which had been so successful during past presidencies. Hoover was sure, however, that working class Americans would not be opposed to restricting unfair business practices. Documents B and C depict Hoover’s lack of support for private interest or public purpose policies. In these documents, Hoover stresses the significance of individual interests

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 1920’s also known as “The Roaring Twenties” went through may drastic changes. The roaring twenties are remembered as a time of great technological advancement, prosperity, and social change. Women started standing up for themselves, alcohol was being banned, and technology was getting more advanced. This was the decade after world war 1 ended. More americans were living in cities than on farms because of all the business that started up north.

The former presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover had similar views on how the government should be, that differed from Franklin D. Roosevelt. How the presidents decided to manage the economy with their power, shows how they thought the government should be ran. President Coolidge and President Hoover had many ineffective ideas throughout their presidency, while President Roosevelt managed to change the economy. Calvin Coolidge was a republican president that believed that the government should stay away from controlling the people. He was known for not doing much to better our country; he thought it would happen naturally, so he didn’t feel the need to pressure the congress into passing legislation, and didn’t create any plans of action to benefit our country.

The Roaring Twenties were a time of wild enjoyment, loud music and booming economy. In 1920, for the first time in American history, more

Contrarily before the Depression, there were signs that pointed to President Herbert Hoover becoming more conservative. Document A suggests that Herbert Hoover didn't want' do be considered strictly laissez-faire. Document A proposes that Herbert Hoover wanted to liberalism to be found not " in striving to spread bureaucracy but striving to set its bounds, " but also wanted The United States to know that, " he doesn't want to be misinterpreted as believing that the Untied States ins a free for all, or system of laissez-faire." Hoover appeared as if he was less determined to preserve the capitalistic society of the 1920's seeing that he argued that capitalism also has social obligations. However, the success of the American economy under presidents Hading and Coolidge who believed in private interest beliefs required him to make sure that the lack of intervention in the economy would be maintained. Also Hoover began to sense of the public disapproval and transformation of the working masses and public views. The public mass began to start looking favorably on restriction of unfair business practices. This transformation of the public opinion gave president Hoover trouble since he wasn't completely dedicated to the private interest or public purpose.

He was not a believer in the federal government having a more direct influence on market prices or the control of businesses. Because of this he rejected proposals to manipulate the value of currency, viewing such strategies as socialist. What he did believe, however, was that it was possible for the economy to improve without the interfering in American individualism. His view of “Rugged Individualism” caused him to reject direct aid to citizens. Hoover’s handling of the Great Depression caused disdain amongst most Americans, and in the presidential election of 1933, he lost the race to Franklin Roosevelt, who promised to make serious changes in the first 100 days. President Roosevelt’s “New Deal” policy involved relief, recovery, and reform. His polices were intended to take immediate action to halt the economies’ deterioration, to create temporary programs to restart the flow of consumer demand, and to make permanent progress towards ensuring the citizens against future economic disaster. One of his points of focus was the farmers. In one of his famous Fireside Chats on September 6 of 1936, he addressed his remedy for their woes. “We are going to conserve soil, conserve water and conserve life. We are going to have long-time

Since the beginning of the Middle Ages around 400 A.D., the economic model of capitalism has been adopted by communities with the intent of experiencing the greatest amount of growth in wealth in the shortest amount of time. In America, the end of World War I in 1919 represented a great opportunity for capitalists around the nation to further grow their wealth with what seemed to be no downside. However, capital’s reliance on sign exchange value, where individuals subscribe to beliefs and purchase goods because of what they represent, caused drastic changes in society. The value of interpersonal relations diminished, and the very meaning of reality was synthesized and then deconstructed. The “Roaring Twenties” represented a time where no

"The 1920s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 3: 1920-1929. Detroit: Gale, 2001. U.S. History in Context. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

Franklin D. Roosevelt saw rising taxes as a positive solution to solve economic depression. He felt that the government’s duty is to help the unemployed and raise the power of federal government for greater security and freedom. He states, “The course we have followed fits the American practice of Government – a practice of taking action step by step, of regulating only to meet concrete needs – a practice of courageous recognition of change.” In other words, Roosevelt claims that in order for there to solve the economic depression, the government needs to step in so there could be freedom with economic security. He believed the New Deal will be the solution to recover, redefine, and strengthen America overall. However, Herbert Hoover was opposed to the idea and saw as a threat of freedom.

The domestic policies of Thomas Jefferson, William Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Ronald Reagan varied greatly as they were set forth during different time periods. Firstly, Thomas Jefferson wanted a government that would respect the power of individual states, operate with a smaller bureaucracy, and cut its debts. He believed that the government would stimulate the growth of agriculture and therefore bolster the economy. William Harding, who was president from 1921 to 1923, supported the Immigration Quota Act of 1921 which made it more difficult for immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe to enter the country. Harding was also determined to make the federal government serve United States’ business interests. Additionally, from 1923 to 1929, Calvin Coolidge was outspoken in his support for civil rights for African Americans and Natives. He also believed that the federal government should not intervene in local affairs. Finally, Ronald Reagan was president from 1981 to 1989, and he set out to cut taxes and deregulate some industries. Reagan hoped that deregulation would lower costs and boost profits for employers while lowering prices for consumers. Ultimately, from 1801 to 1989, the United States changed greatly economically, politically, and socially causing presidents’ domestic policies to change as well.