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Social trends in the 1920s
Women role in 1920's
Social trends in the 1920s
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The 1920’s, wedged in between WW1 and the Great Depression exemplified an era of much progression but a lingering of traditionalism; nonetheless the period sparked a dramatic cultural change. With a combination of positive and negative forces, the events that characterized the era reflected American society and it’s heavy diversity. Positive forces were characterized by the economy and consumerism, women’s new sexual and political freedom, the New Negro, morality of Prohibition, while negative forces included the wealth gap, women’s traditional gender roles with bondage to child rearing sparking their support of prohibition, and the fear of the other: exercised by the Red Scare, KKK, and anti-immigrant policy.
Because of modern technological breakthroughs, a significant economic boom and ideology was made possible, yet the birth of corporations and concentration of corporate wealth eventually led to a huge wealth gap among citizens. Regarding economic growth from about 1923 to 1929, the national income rose by 150%, productivity rose by more than 60%, and corporate profits rose by more than 60%. The idea of big business was heavily intensified as Calvin Coolidge advocated “the business of America is business” ideology; because of this Americans also celebrated business as the embodiment of the highest American ideals. Pro business writer Edward Purinton in Big Ideas From Business: Try Them Out for Yourself! declared that American also stood for business, but among other things was really the salvation of the world. He writes, “What is the finest game? Business. The soundest science? Business. The truest art? Business. The fullest education? Business. The fairest opportunity? Business. The cleanest philanthropy? Business. The sa...
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...reedoms were destroyed. In turn, the 1920’s revealed progress; the word progress is important to use as it shows change in a positive direction but not to completion.
P.S. The footnotes made my paper exceed 8 pages.
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After World War I America became the world’s center for trade. The economic center of the world moved from London, England to New York City, New York, United States of America, and more specifically Wall Street (Buhle, Mari J, Czitzrom, Armitage 848). Due to women, the 1920’s marked economic and social change in America. Women took over men’s jobs during the war while their husbands were overseas, and once the men came home the women wanted to keep their positions. To show gratitude to these women Congress passed the 19th Amendment on August 18th, 1920 which prohibited any United States citizen from having the right to vote based on sex. This change in women’s social status led to more workers in the factories, which were usi...
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During the years between 1920 and 1960, America saw change in many aspects of life. The United States was a part of two major wars and a crash of the banking system that crippled the economy greater than ever seen in this country’s history. Also the country had new insecurities to tackle such as immigration and poor treatment of workers. These events led to the change of America lives socially, economically, and politically. The people of America changed their ideas of what the country’s place in the world should be. The issues challenging America led the country to change from isolation to war, depression to prosperity, and social change. The threats to American way of life, foreign and domestic, were the changing forces to the country in the twenties to the sixties.
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.
Wukovits, John F., ed. America's Decades: The 1920's. San Diego: Greehaven Press Inc., 2000. Print.
Roark, James L. The American Promise: A Compact History. 4th. ed. Volume 1: 1877. New York: BEDFORD/ST. MARTIN'S, 2010. Print.