Conflicts During the 1920s
The contrast between the new and changing attitudes and traditional values was unmistakably present during the 1920's. This clash between the old and the new had many roots and was inevitable. A new sense of awareness washed over minorities in our nation, especially blacks who began to realize that they were entitled to their own subculture, pursuit of success, and share of the
American dream. This ideal was expressed by Langston Hughes in "The Negro
Artist and the Racial Mountain." They were supported by the growing number of young, financially well-to-do liberals who formed the new intelligencia. Each group sought the use of logic and rational reasoning in their rethinking of reevaluation of society's current status. Still, they constituted a minority and their reformist views were not well-taken by the greater part of the population who had become accustomed to a certain way of thinking were not willing to budge, thus keeping the radicals silent. Individualism was also partially suppresse d by the succession of three traditionalist Republican presidents whose partiality to the strong was displayed by their strong backing of big business while discouraging the Labor Union movement. Literature was one medium by which the new intelligencia could express their views on impracticality and injustice of the social system and government in the 1920's.
Sinclair Lewis was one such author who used his writing to condemn the stale and outdated ways of thinking that were so widely popular in our nation during the 1920's. In addition to exposing the poor working conditions of most factory labor, particularly the meat-packing industry, he criticized the common man who could not think or act individually in his novel, Babbit, which was published in 1922. His description from the novel of the common man portrayed a person who acted in a manner that was socially acceptable who also strived for success based on society's definition of purchasing material goods. In essence he was a man defined by the society that he lived in.
Religion was also a topic of controversy during the twenties.
Traditionalists who were usually older and less intelligent than the rising young class of liberal intellectuals were primarily Christian and would only accept literal interpretations of the Bible. The liberals were not so quick to take the Bible at face value and came up their own interpretations. The tension between the old and the new regarding religion was perhaps most obviously prevalent at the Tennessee Evolution Court Case of 1925.
In this time of where individual thinking was a rarity, public misconception and ignorance ran abound. People looked to scapegoats to account
During the early 1920s the Great Depression took place. The Great Depression affected many people's lives. The immigrants caught the worst of it. They had just come from another country and were trying to start their new lives when the depression hit. They had to struggle once more with poverty and desperation in taking care of their families, the main reason they had left their old countries was to escape the same epidemic that was now overtaking ?the land of the free?. Immigrants, such as the Jewish immigrants, had to live in poverty-stricken ghettos without the necessities they needed to live healthy lives. The 1920s was the time of rapid change, it was the time of risque fashion, it was the time of which that if you were rich and had all the latest fashions then you were ?in? but if you did not then you were an outcast.
In the 1940's, there was a population growth of 19 million, which doubled the rise of the 1930's. However, in 1957, America experienced a "baby boom", and by 1957 the population increased by 29 million. "The rising birthrate was the dominant factor affecting population growth" (text, 847). Along with the escalated birth rate was an upsurge in divorces due to problems with separation and infidelity. " In 1945, more than half a million marriages were dissolved" (Bailey, 147).
In the 1920's women's roles were soon starting to change. After World War One it was called the "Jazz Age", known for new music and dancing styles. It was also known as the "Golden Twenties" or "Roaring Twenties" and everyone seemed to have money. Both single and married women we earning higher- paying jobs. Women were much more than just staying home with their kids and doing house work. They become independent both financially and literally. Women also earned the right to vote in 1920 after the Nineteenth Amendment was adopted. They worked hard for the same or greater equality as men and while all this was going on they also brought out a new style known as the flapper. All this brought them much much closer to their goal.
There were many conflicts and wars during the 18th and 19th century. These conflicts grew and grew because America was trying to become an independent nation, by moving from England and discovering new land the newfound colonies made many enemies. A lot of these conflicts and wars were turning points in history, some for better and some for worse. In this world it is necessary to have conflicts in order to get certain things accomplished. Some of the bigger conflicts or wars known are the American revolutionary war, the war of 1812, the Mexican American war, and the American civil war. There were also many smaller conflicts that led up to these becoming greater known wars and even were some of the starters or outcomes of the wars themselves.
The beliefs of the Greenwhich Village, a group of authors, poets, playwrights, and artists, during the 1920's, included the idea of salvation by the children, i.e., encouraging children to devolp their own personalities, and cultivating their own self-expression. They upheld the idea of paganism, the body is a temple in which there is nothing unclean, a shrine to be adorned by the ritual of love. They upheld idea of living for the moment; the idea of liberty; the belief of female equality; the idea of psychological adjustment, to remove repression's so we can adjust ourselves to any situation and be happy; and the idea of changing place, they believed that by living in Europe a person can become wholly creative.
The years after the civil war left one half of America, the north, satisfied and the other half, the south, mostly dissatisfied. Therefore the last third of the nineteenth century, 1865-1900, was a time period in which America was mending, repairing, improving, reshaping, and reconstructing its society, economy, culture, and policies. Basically it was changing everything it stood for. This continual change can be seen in the following events that took place during this time. These events are both causes and effects of why America is what it is today. These are some examples: the reconstruction of the south, the great movement towards the west, the agricultural revolution, the rise of industrialism, the completion of the transcontinental railroad, and America's growth to gaining world power. All of these are reasons and events that characterize America as being an ever-changing nation.
The American Civil War is known to be one of the bloodiest wars in history. Significant advances in weapon technology contributed to the unprecedented carnage. All types of weapons were being invented including side arms, shoulder arms, and artillery. Surveying the origins and design of only a portion demonstrates fire power had outstripped battlefield tactics by the mid-nineteenth century.
It is illogical to attempt to ‘reap’ what you do not ‘sow.’ However, from 1870 to 1885, many Canadians thought this was a legitimate frame of mind in handling affairs with groups in the North-West. Their selfishness, to them, was sanctified. Sanctified because a push for the formation of Canada overshadowed and overruled each stage in a long, unfriendly struggle. In his article, “Causes of the 1885 Struggle,” Howard clarifies that giving the label, “Riel rebellion,” to these struggles, is a misleading and inappropriate title. He states that Riel was not alone in the unravelling of the events that took place in 1885. From this, Howard identifies the 1885 “hostilities” as a class manifested turning-point in Canada’s movement politically and socially: towards capitalism, modern agriculture and industrialism.
The twentieth century is coming to a close and it has been a time of sorrow, innovation, and progress. The decades have come and gone and with events like the civil rights movement, the world wars, and the roaring twenties this century will be one that is definitely remembered. All of these events questioned peoples values, especially the values of autonomy and responsibility. The event that is to be looked at on this page is the roaring twenties and how the governments and citizens actions reflected these values in both positive and negative ways. The areas of socialness, literature, The Mafia, prohibition, the government, and the economy are all areas that will be focused on to demonstrate these positive and negative reflections. The group members individually looked at these areas and put together information on the actions of the people in these areas and if they were autonomous, responsible, or both.
The name Civil War is misleading because the war was not a class struggle, but a sectional combat, having its roots in political, economic, social, and psychological elements. It has been characterized, in the words of William H. Seward, as the “irrepressible conflict.” In another judgment the Civil War was viewed as criminally stupid, an unnecessary bloodletting brought on by arrogant extremists and blundering politicians. Both views accept the fact that in 1861 there existed a situation that, rightly or wrongly, had come to be regarded as insoluble by peaceful means.
Approximately 400 women fought on the battlefront during the American Civil War. (History.com Staff) The Civil War was a war fought on American soil between the Union, the North, and the Confederacy, the South. As the War began, most people believed it would be won and over quickly. However, the Civil War was long, difficult, and the deadliest war in American History. Women, both in the North and South, played tremendously important roles in the American Civil War.
The Civil War has been viewed as the unavoidable eruption of a conflict that had been simmering for decades between the industrial North and the agricultural South. Roark et al. (p. 507) speak of the two regions’ respective “labor systems,” which in the eyes of both contemporaries were the most salient evidence of two irreconcilable worldviews. Yet the economies of the two regions were complementary to some extent, in terms of the exchange of goods and capital; the Civil War did not arise because of economic competition between the North and South over markets, for instance. The collision course that led to the Civil War did not have its basis in pure economics as much as in the perceptions of Northerners and Southerners of the economies of the respective regions in political and social terms. The first lens for this was what I call the nation’s ‘charter’—the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the documents spelling out the nation’s core ideology. Despite their inconsistencies, they provided a standard against which the treatment and experience of any or all groups of people residing within the United States could be evaluated (Native Americans, however, did not count). Secondly, these documents had installed a form of government that to a significant degree promised representation of each individual citizen. It was understood that this only possible through aggregation, and so population would be a major source of political power in the United States. This is where economics intersected with politics: the economic system of the North encouraged (albeit for the purposes of exploitation) immigration, whereas that of the South did not. Another layer of the influence of economics in politics was that the prosperity of ...
The 1920’s was a period of rapid growth and change in America. After World War I, American’s were introduced to a lifestyle of lavishness they had never encountered before. It was a period of radical thought and ideas. It was in this time period that the idea of the Harlem Renaissance was born. The ideology behind the Harlem Renaissance was to create the image of the “New Negro”.
Benner. Tar Heel Junior Historian Association, NC Museum of History, ""A New Woman Emerges"." Last modified 2004. Accessed April 5, 2014.
The 1920’s are also known as the "Roaring 20’s". It was the first modern decade experienced by this country, as America flourished after WW I. The average number of hours worked per week dropped from 60 hours to 48 hours (Rayburn). For the first time, people felt that it was just as important to play as it was to work; family outings and weekend trips had become things that workers expected (Rayburn). Women became more open by appearing in public smoking and drinking. Trojan condoms first appeared and sex became an open issue for discussion.