The American Dream In The 1920's

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The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. The decade following World War II is often described as one of the most prosperous economic times in American history. With victory under their belts and money in their pockets, Americans in the 1950s could optimistically pursue the American dream. Part of that dream included the comforts of home ownership and the opportunity to start a family. Although the housing boom began shortly after World War II, it wasn’t until 16 million veterans actually returned from the war that America …show more content…

The nightmare that was the Wall Street Crash of October 1929, was inconceivable right up until it happened. The 1920’s saw a break with the traditional set-up in America. The Great War had destroyed old perceived social conventions and new ones developed (Jazz Age). Born January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues in 1947, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers (jackie robinson bio). Jackie Robinson was the youngest of five children Edgar, Frank, Mathew “ Mack “, and Willa Mae - and they all grew up in relative poverty in a well-off community in Pasadena. Jackie`s brother Mack was an athlete like Jackie and inspired Jackie to keep going with his career of sports. In 1942 Jackie was drafted into the Army. He was assigned to a segregated Army Cavalry unit in Fort Riley, Kansas. While in the Army, Robinson became friends with boxing champion Joe Louis when the heavyweight, who was stationed at Fort Riley at the time, used his celebrity to protest the delayed entry of black soldiers in an Office Candidate School (OCS). As a result, Robinson was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1943 (42 facts about Jackie). When Jackie got back from the Army he pursued his dream and played sports. After an incident where he refused to sit in the back of

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