The Upper Class In The 1920s

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Victory in the Great War allowed the United States to rise as one of the dominant powers in world affairs. As soldiers returned home, there was a new sense of hope and prosperity. This aura, driven by money and wealth acquired from the war, was the basis of the 1920s. The 1920s is attributed to be the “Golden Age” of America as business prospered, innovations arose, and the standard of living boomed. The change in the standard of living induced drastic evolvement in the class system of America. There were 2 major classes in the 1920s: the upper class and the lower class. There was no in between, one was either fortunate to be wealthy, or attempting to gain the fortune to be wealthy. This stark division was the source of the drastic change for …show more content…

The members of the upper class invested in rising businesses, gaining the benefits of an increase in wages and shorter workweeks. They reveled in the increase of wages by enjoying leisure time and adapting to a newly affluent lifestyle. The individuals in the upper class regarded themselves as superior to everyone else; this mentality could be seen in their attire, attitude, and interests. The upper class was further divided into two sections; “old money” and “new money”. Those with “old money” acquired their wealth from an established family inheritance passed down from generation to generation. While those with “new money” were not from wealthy families, but gained their wealth from the economic upsurge in the …show more content…

The Golden Age did wonders to advance the lives of the rich, however it did little for the lives of the poor. The lower class was highly neglected by society in the 1920s. The standard of living declined instead of improving for the poor; they faced falling rates in healthcare, education, wages, and consumption. Their lack of wealth left them to be victims of the business boom of the 1920s. However, the absence of money did not impede the poor from attempting to live a meager version of the rich’s lifestyle. Destitute women tried to imitate affluent women’s style by wearing similar fashion and makeup, but it they were run-down versions of the true affluent women’s style. The men merely attempted to reach the level of the wealthy by constantly working. Yet, they could never gain enough hours or a steady income to move up from the lower class. The poor’s constant need and want to be like the rich was part of the reason they were ridiculed and ignored by the rest of society. The other part was because they were poor; in the 1920s it was unheard of to mingle with people who were not of the same social class. The rich stuck with the rich and the poor stuck with the poor. This was an unspoken rule of society that everyone

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