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the boom years 1920
the boom years 1920
Effects of second world war, economically,politicaly and socially
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No era in American history is quite as dynamic and contradictory than the 1920s. Deemed the “Roaring Twenties,” the country experienced vast increases in wealth and in the standard of living. Americans were earning the highest wages in the world and were out producing their competitors in astonishing numbers. Technological developments made life easier and increased leisure activities such as sports, cinema and music. Despite this prosperity, the decade also saw a backlash against the changes America was experiencing. A federal ban on alcohol consumption yielded a dangerous increase in bootlegging and organized crime while reckless economic policies threated the financial security of the nation. In his book The Perils of Prosperity, author William E. Leuchtenburg detailed the events of this contradictory decade. The nation was on a dangerous, yet prosperous, road to self-destruction. Those who lived through it surely enjoyed the ride, but suffered the consequences once that road ended. As World War I ended and the troops were brought home, developments in technology continued to change and improve everyday life. By 1920, nearly all major cities and their surrounding areas had access to electricity, giving rise to new household appliances such as the vacuum cleaner, refrigerator and washing machines. These new appliances were possible because of the electric motor, which also began to replace the steam engine as the nation’s primary source of industrial power. Although the new home appliances proved useful, they often increased the expectations of women’s duties in the home. Yet innovations in in the home were not limited to household chores; people in the decade started to communicate more efficiently. By 1930, the number of ho... ... middle of paper ... ...tributed to what would later be deemed The Great Depression. Leuchtenburg broadly blames both the crash and the depression on “The foolhardy assumption that the special interests of business and the national interest were identical” (244). As the economy spiraled downward, so did then President Herbert Hoover’s approval rate. The roaring twenties came to a sudden and dramatic halt in the final months of the decade. The 1920s was an era of excess. The country experienced prosperity of which it had only dreamed. An increase in leisure time lent itself to an explosion of culture in music, movies and sports. Yet its disastrous legislative policies created a time-bomb that could not be stopped. When that bomb finally exploded, it left a cloudy haze over the jubilant memories of the previous decade as Americans looked toward the future and saw nothing but despair.
The 1920s were a time of change for the United States. Following the First World War there was a rush of new cultural, social, and artistic dynamism, partly fuelled by the Progressivism movement that was cut short when American entered the Great War. This decade was defined by a change from more rural farm life to industrialism in big cities. The shift from the frugality and traditional family values or previous generations to the happy-go-lucky consumerism and metropolitan life occurred more rapidly than any other social shift in living memory. These swiftly changing tides caused cultural clashes and confrontations throughout the decade as America struggled to define for itself a fresh national identity in the wake of its new position as a world power.
The “roaring twenties” ended in economic chaos. "Speakeasies of the Prohibition Era." LEGENDS OF AMERICA. 2003. Web. 04 Nov. 2015.
The 1920s was an era of great cultural, technological, and economic expansion. It was a prosperous time for the upper and middle classes. This time period named the “New Era” because the United States seemed to be on the cusp of great change and fortune. The 1920s seemed to be a prosperous time for America but looks can be deceiving.
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.
The 1920s was a time of conservatism and it was a time of great social change. From the world of fashion to the world of politics, forces clashed to produce the most explosive decade of the century. It was the age of prohibition, it was the age of prosperity, and it was the age of downfall.
The Great Depression hit the United States while Hoover was serving his first and only term as president. In the end, the public saw Hoover as a man who began his presidency as a liberal, but who’s beliefs began to resemble those of a conservative towards the end of his term. The Progressive Age had come to an end by 1910 and big business thrived as Harding, Coolidge, an...
The 1920s was a decade of rapid expansion, wealth, envy, and greed. This is a time during which life felt as if it was moving in fast forward. Its basis was money and the extravagances that money could buy. America went under a radical change and social reform. America is becoming more industrialized, more Americans lived in cities than in the countryside. The development of technologies like radios, mo...
“The Roaring Twenties were the period of that Great American Prosperity which was built on shaky foundation”. This quote came from an anonymous person describing the great life in the 20’s. It’s very true because it was a great time of social and economic growth, but it was a very unstable and random way of living, which didn’t end up lasting as long as some had hoped. As time goes by in history, many things make America what it is today. The roaring twenties were the most important years contributing to the change in America. First off, the twenties made such an important impact because this was a time for the economy to boom and reform, also during this time women’s rights became more focused on, and lastly due to the many advancements in technology the twenties was a time of great prosperity and wealth. The twenties made life seem so easy, until reality sets in.
After the heavy stresses of WWI, many young soldiers returned home with a need to feel alive again. With the war over and the American economy growing, many US citizens found themselves with money, time, and new ways of expressing themselves. Over one long, prosperous decade, United States grew and changed drastically. The younger generations turned the societal norms of their forefathers on their heads and women began to take large steps away from their stereotyped lifestyle. There were movements in art, music, writing, and politics, as well as an introduction of new cars and machines. With changes in constitutional laws, public ideas, and everyday ideals, the 1920s are considered some of the most pivotal times in the history of the United States.
In 1918 when World War I ended, American society and culture changed immediately after. World War I resulted in the death of nine million soldiers and twenty one million wounded. Families were left mourning the loss of their relatives and people titled World War I as a “war to end all war.” With the nation going through such tragedy, change was bound to happen. During the 1920s there was a change in consumer culture, art, music and literature. So much changed happened during the 1920s that it’s referred to as the roaring twenties. Entertainment was on a rise and the way that Americans were used to living started to change. Along with that came immigration laws that changed American culture as well.
The Roaring Twenties was America’s golden age. F. Scott Fitzgerald once said,“The parties were bigger, the pace was faster, the shows were broader, the buildings were higher, the morals were looser, and the liquor was cheaper” (“People” PBS). The cultural undertone of the twenties was very different from the times before and during World War I. “ For the first time, more Americans lived in cities than on farms…people from coast to coast bought the same goods…listened to the same music, did the same dances, and even used the same slang” (“Roaring” History). The Twenties was a time of social and cultural change. During this time, things like the automobile and jazz became more popular and mainstream. These things were possible because America
After World War I, America was going through an uplifting time of good fortune and prosperity. This period of freedom, known as The Roaring Twenties was a time for fun and disobeying rules. The 1920s brought new and exciting things to American culture. Music, entertainment, pop culture, and fads were greatly impacted during this time in history. The effects of each of these areas still influences America today.
The 1920s in America, known as the "Roaring Twenties", was a time of celebration after a devastating war. It was a period of time in America characterised by prosperity and optimism. There was a general feeling of discontinuity associated with modernity and a break with traditions.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of production, it was the age of destruction, it was the epoch of nativism, it was the epoch of racism, it was the season of skepticism, it was the season of anti-communism, it was the spring of gain, it was the winter of loss – in short, it was the 1920's. Indeed, the decade of the 1920s was a truly “roaring” and prosperous time, but at the same time, it was a period of chaos and conflict. The events that happened during this decade influenced the world as we know it today. More importantly, the thought that the 1920’s was an era of major change in the United States, both positive and negative, is indeed fascinating and it deserves thorough examination.
Wukovits, John F., ed. America's Decades: The 1920's. San Diego: Greehaven Press Inc., 2000. Print.