Roaring Twenties Essay

The Main Features of the Roaring Twenties

By the end of the First World War America was regarded as the most powerful and richest country in the world. In the 1920's the United States economy was booming. This is a period of prosperity, when the country's economy is doing well and the people are sharing in it. This period was known as the 'roaring twenties'. In this period many jobs were made more secure, many families had more to eat, electricity was widespread, many people had more leisure time and most had more money to spend. It changed the way people thought and lived their lives and was a great difference to suffering that World War 1 brought Cities were expanding outwards, and more and more

This imposed a powerful symbol at that time. Many cities wanted to be just like New York to show they were also sharing in Americas boom. Many rural areas did not like this idea. They thought the 'boom' cities were not following the prohibition laws and therefore they were corrupt and full of drink and crime.

Entertainment played a huge roll for many people at the time. Workers wages increased and the average number of hours worked a week dropped. This meant there was a lot of people with extra spare time which was channelled into the entertainment industry, benefiting the industry in 2 ways; creating more jobs which is what people from urban areas were looking for, and creating a good profit for themselves This was a key feature in influencing people into starting new business with new ideas and thoughts being used and also attracted people into the cities with an idea that they would be a huge fortune for themselves. Radio was among a favourite. Most households now owned one. In one-year (1921) radio stations grew from 1 to 508. NBC were

To add to this, previously many people thought that saving their money for a 'rainy day' but belief that spending their money on consumer goods was seen as for more of an attractive idea.

During the 1920's, women were still being paid less than men even if they had the same job. Women's employment increased but only because they were seen as cheaper to employ and in some cases could match the job of a man. Before the 20's, women were seen to be polite and wear respectable clothes, but now there were also a percentage of women known as 'flappers', brought about at the time. Flappers were known to smoke cigarettes in public, to wear short skirts, backless gowns and anything else that would shock parents and other older people. After world war one, women just wanted to enjoy the time of the boom, and Anti-Flirt leagues designed to stop the behaviour of flappers did not succeed.

Overall, the roaring twenties can be seen as a time of freedom for many people and time when people could express their thoughts. It provided many great opportunities for companies to make money,