In the decade following World War I, the American way of life began changing. The Eighteenth Amendment illegalized most alcohol, leading to speakeasies and organized crime. The younger generation gained a rebellious attitude, and women went against traditional standards for behavior. People began buying many frivolous items and engaging in new forms of entertainment. However, although all of the cultural shifts of the time greatly impacted American society, the social changes were considerably more controversial than those that were economic. The economic practices of Americans in the 1920’s became vastly different from what they had previously been. For example, the use of installment plans became popular, giving many people the illusion …show more content…
One instance of this was the introduction of “The Flapper” and women’s new, rebellious attitudes. While women of the past were quiet, conservative, and polite, flappers wore scandalous clothing, openly discussed and participated in relationships, and went to speakeasies, where they danced, smoked, and drank. Similarly, the younger generation of African-Americans, the “New Negro”, broke tradition and openly promoted their culture. They developed new varieties of literature and created jazz music, a style that brought lots of different people together, even those of different races, but was viewed as modern and offensive by many. The 20’s saw groups of people freeing themselves from old rules, causing a major shift in society. Another significant development during this time was Prohibition, an experiment that had been pushed for by reformers who thought that abolishing alcohol would rid the country of corruption, greed, abuse, and other social ills. However, despite having some benefits at first, it quickly led to smuggling and resentment from Americans who were unwilling to give up liquor. Additionally, the Scope’s Trial, and the growing disagreement between religious fundamentalism and scientific evolution, was a prominent issue in America. Both of these changes represented more of society's deviation and questioning of its previous standards. In many ways, the time after the war was one when the nation, especially the younger generation, began to rethink its morals, and this defiance of everything that had been considered “right” was very
The 1920s were a time of leisure and carelessness. The Great War had ended in 1918 and everyone was eager to return to some semblance of normalcy. The end of the war and the horrors and atrocities that it resulted in now faced millions of people. Easily obtainable credit and rapidly rising stock prices prompted many to invest, resulting in big payoffs and newfound wealth for many. However, overproduction and inflated stock prices increased by corrupt industrialists culminat...
After the war, the American people made the change from "old" ways to "new" ways. Many factors, such as new technology, fundamentalism, new looks and church led to tension between the old and the new. The 1920s were a time of conflicting viewpoints between traditional behaviors and new and changing attitudes.
After World War I ,the generation of young Americans who had fought the war became intensely disillusioned, as the brutal carnage that had just faced made the Victorian social morality of early-twentieth-century America like stuffy. The dizzying rise of the social market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden, sustained increase in the national wealth and a newfound materialism, as people began to spend and consume at unprecedented levels. A person from any social background could, Potentially, make a fortune, but the American aristocracy-families with old wealth-scorned the newly rich industrialists and speculators. Additionally, the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919,which banned the sale of alcohol, created a thriving underworld designed to satisfy the massive demand of bootleg liquor among rich and poor alike.
Technology played an important role in the daily lives of Americans in the 1920s. Many inventions and new developments occurred during this time. A large number of items that are used today were invented by individuals and teams in research laboratories. This technology brought many conveniences such as electrical power and indoor plumbing into the home. Radios gave people access to the news and provided entertainment. Mass culture was also born and the automobile became the largest consumer product of the decade. By 1929, one in five Americans had an automobile on the road. America experienced a decade of economic growth due to the impact of technology in the 1920s.
The 1920’s was a period of extremely economic growth and personal wealth. America was a striving nation and the American people had the potential to access products never manufactured before. Automobile were being made on an assembly line and were priced so that not just the rich had access to these vehicles, as well as, payment plans were made which gave the American people to purchase over time if they couldn't pay it all up front. Women during the First World War went to work in place of the men who went off to fight. When the men return the women did not give up their positions in the work force. Women being giving the responsibility outside the home gave them a more independent mindset, including the change of women's wardrobe, mainly in the shortening of their skirts.
Life Changes of Americans in the 1920's In the 1920's many American lives were improved greatly, but some lives were as bad as they had been before. The economy was booming, with cars being mass produced, and many other consumer goods such as radios, were widely available. Also more jobs became available, and many people recieved a par rise. However there were bad things such as racism about. Many ethnic minority groups were treated poorly.
Lindop, Edmund, and Margaret J. Goldstein. America In The 1920s. Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group Inc., 2010. Print.
and the Jazz age evolved, along with many positive aspects evolving. The prohibition of alcohol was a devastating downfall for the raging youth of the twenties. When the United States announced the ban of all liquor and alcohol. There has been much controversy about how to obtain alcohol, therefore many people engage in bootlegging, the illegal. selling of alcohol, which led to organized crime.
Events that occurred in the 1920s altered society greatly, becoming an important part of modern day reality. The way society thinks in the 1920s is quite similar to modern society, illustrated through the ideology of the “American Dream”. During the 1920s, people aspired to grow to their fullest through achieving a high social status, and wealth. Likewise, in modern society, people continue to carry this idea as they aspire to have a good job; earn money; and obtain a high social status. This idea of opportunity of prosperity and success has continued on into the modern society, having a great impact. These impacts are also visible through the lessons carried on from events that occurred in the 1920s. Many mistakes were made in this era which are
The 1920’s were a time of revival for the country. They successfully ended World War l and rapid changes began emerging for businesses and citizens as they attempted to improve their lifestyles. The old methods prevalent in America were altering and people tried to change their regular customs. However, despite the success of the era, many began blaming their problems and hardships such as crime, death and poverty, on alcohol and the immigrants coming to America for an improve life. Many cultural conflicts including prohibition, the KKK, nativism, the Harlem Renaissance and bootlegging, emerged, which altered conditions in the country and resulted in various positive and negative outcomes.
Schumpter, Joseph A. "The Decade of the Twenties." The American Economic Review 36.2 (1946): 4. Document. 24 October 2013. .
During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, many saw alcohol as a cause of instability among communities. To counteract the effects of alcohol on American society, The Temperance Movement, Prohibition Party and many others sought to enact anti-liquor laws that would prohibit the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol. On January 19, 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment had taken effect and a nationwide ban on alcohol was enacted. This was thought of as a solution to the many problems that America had at the time, but it only made matters worse. The American society had been greatly affected by the Eighteenth Amendment in many negative aspects such as increasing crime and violence, worsening the economy, and much more.
History is an abundance of movements that demonstrate the changes in societal ideals and beliefs, it also conveys the struggle many people had to maintain conservative ideas. The 1920s was a major time frame when many changes occurred and began, it is the epitome of the struggle between a changing nation and the Conservatives who want it all to stay the same. The power struggle between the Conservatives and the rebellious members of society had been going on for years but it was the passing of the Volstead Act, which had kicked started the Prohibition, that created an explosive change throughout the society. Drinking became fashionable, everyone wanted to do it because it was forbidden. With one law being broken people began to break the societal norms; woman drank and smoked in public, blacks were becoming popular in society, and even the accepted religious facts were called into question. This disregard for the norms caused an uproar throughout society and were the main tensions between old and new ideal; the tension stemmed from the ideals about women, blacks and religion.
As a nation coming out of a devastating war, America faced many changes in the 1920s. It was a decade of growth and improvements. It was also a decade of great economic and political confidence. However, with all the changes comes opposition. Social and cultural fears still caused dichotomous rifts in American society.
In today’s age of technology and media the average American lives a life that concentrate on the life immediately around them or information provided by media without attempting to understand how they fit within a complex social world. Most people will focus on what they come into contact with personally, or the direct results of their actions with no clear connection to how larger forces have a trickle-down effect on their day-to-day lives. There are billions of people living in the world today, all from different levels of income, race, and background that may interact in an indirect way. Keeping this in-mind, how can we begin to understand the larger picture?