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The culture of the 1920s
Social trends in the 1920s
Social trends in the 1920s
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The 1920’s were a time of growth and innovation. The workforce was getting bigger, women finally had the right to vote, and African Americans started to integrate and migrate from the south to the north looking for jobs. The result was a larger working class and the creation of a new, middle class. Society became more consumer-based, allotting for more leisure time. Times could not get any better. Business was booming, America was turning into a world power, skyscrapers dotted the skylines, and a new music started to sweep the nation. However, not everything was good. There was a huge spike in crime, and the heroes of society were also the biggest criminals. Due to Jazz Age and prohibition, the 1920’s were an intense time period with a newfound drive for innovation, the new woman, and a loss of structure. Jazz and prohibition gave spirit to the air in the 1920’s, and people could not get enough. America was diversifying as African-Americans moved towards the north looking for opportunity. However, they were not the only ones. There was a huge increase to the amount of immigrants that were coming out of foreign countries in search of the same work. There was an aura about the 20’s that gave everyone the sense of opportunity, innovation and excelling. It is representative of the American dream, and the promise that one can obtain all of their wildest dreams. The promise of something new captivates the 20’s, whether it is searching for an identity or the creation of something where no one has gone before. The writers of this time encapsulate this ideology perfectly, “There was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, … an extra-ordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I ne... ... middle of paper ... ...pirit of innovation in the air, women taking on new and exciting roles within society, and a rise of crime and chaos. The movements of Jazz and Prohibition were essential to the formation of the American society at this point in time. With the innovation in writing, dance and music was substantial to the ideals of American life. The new woman fought for what she believed and wanted equal rights. However, for as many who wanted to reform society, there were some on the other side of the spectrum that just wanted to have fun, while disregarding authority. The spike in crime was attributed to two things: the first being the KKK with their terror tactics, and the disdain towards other ethnic groups. The second being bootlegging, creating the alcohol that people were not allow to have. The ideologies from the 20’s stem from the movements of the Jazz Age and Prohibition.
The prohibition laws and gangs of this time fit it quite nicely with a novel published by F. Scott Fitzgerald - “The Great Gatsby,” which constantly mentioned these themes. In this novel, Fitzgerald stressed the consumer culture and fascination with wealth that was overpowering in the 1920’s. Women were also trying to push ahead on the social ladder. They formed the National Women's Party, which called for an amendment for equal rights. Even though there were technological and social advancements during this time, including the assembly line and more rights for women, anxiety and intolerance still dominated the playing field in 1920’s
Did you know that the 1920s has many different names for it such as the Ballyhoo Years, the Roaring Twenties, and the Jazz Age? In the twenties people were listening to the swinging music known as jazz that made the 1920s appear to have a happy, wonderful aura, but not everything was what it seemed to be. Around this time new things were occurring and changes were being made for the better of Americans, but a few of these new occurrences had their downfalls which led to a depressing period as time went on. In spite of this, in the twenties there was jazz music that made the decade brighter during the harder times, for example; Prohibition, the stock market crash, and the beginning the Great Depression.
The first area that will be discussed on this page is the social aspects of the 1920’s. Jen Manno specifically chose the areas of music, theater, youth, and the flappers for her concentration. The social aspects of the 1920’s strongly support autonomy and the ability to make your own decisions. The youth were governed by themselves and the "in" thing was to be independent and expressing your own personal attitudes. In the social realm, no one cared about being responsible, all they wanted to do was have fun and do whatever they had to do in order to achieve that.
By the end of the 1920s, American society had changed beyond recognition in comparison with how it was before World War One. America had grown richer and was the country that everyone looked up to and wanted to live in. Before the war people were saving their money, but after the war, society started spending money as they earned it, and with credit, before they earned it. What changed America so much was the prohibition of 1920 which corrupted society a lot. During prohibition, the manufacture, transportation, export, import, and sale of alcoholic beverages were illegal. The prohibition was a failure for temperance societies, churches, and fanatic evangelists who authored the legislation. Prohibition corrupted society during the 1920s because it was a bad example towards families, it increased the amount of alcoholic beverages that were consumed, and it increased the rate of homicide.
The 1920s was a time of celebration and challenges. People celebrated events such as the passing of the 19th amendment and having more money than ever before. Women were ecstatic that they finally got the chance to vote. Also, people had more money to spend, so there was really no problems during this time. Everything was booming into better and bigger things. However, there was one event that brought the mood of the 1920s down. The event was the increased amount of crime during this time. An example of crime getting worse was the amount of people in the Ku Klux Klan; however, the crime of the century was yet to happen. This crime would start a chain reaction throughout the whole nation.
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.
The 1920's was a time of great social change with new prosperity, new ideas but most importantly a time of heroes. These so called heroes defined the era and were the role models for the people of this time period. They brought on hope and enlightenment after the horrific times that they had gone through with the depression and the war. The role of women changed, sports and entertainment stars were celebrated and modern technology changed America's landscape. The twenties were a time when people laughed more often than cried, partied more often than worked, and dreamed more often than faced reality.
The 1920’s were a prosperous time for America’s economy and society. After America had won the war, the country had major debt so taxes were reduced to stimulate the economy. This helped the economy and America pay back their debts. The more the country and it’s economy were changing, the more society changed. Young women were cutting their hair short, wearing excessive amounts of jewelry and shorter, more revealing clothing. It was a time of rebellion and a major change in the expectations of women and of the American people. Also, alcohol was prohibited during this time so many people were selling it and consuming it illegally. Literature was also affected, as people began documenting and writing about this new era. A notable writer
Bootleggers made fortunes off the Habits of our nation. Women changed their looks to stand out against people who didn’t want them to vote. This decade has nicknames such as “The Jazz Age”, “The Lawless Age”, and “The Era of Wonderful Nonsense”. Many things in this era of prodigiousness express what and how we are the nation we are today. Business in the 1920s grew epidemically. In the 1920s, many things occurred, the Prohibition commenced, sports transcended, and the Nineteenth Amendment allowed women to vote.
The 1920s were known as the ‘Roaring 20s’. It was a time of high life and elation. That was until Congress passed the 18th amendment on January 17, 1920. Until the termination of this amendment, many other issues grew due to the “no-alcohol rule.” This period in history is known as the Prohibition Era. Along with causing many Americans to rebel and become convicts of the law, this era caused brutal downfall of businesses, such as breweries and saloons. Prohibition also created a conflict between the state and federal government, which provoked an enforcement problem within the country and an increased crime rate. With all the distractions, several people didn’t realize that America was going to experience a drastic change.
One instance of this was the introduction of “The Flapper” and women’s new, rebellious attitudes. While women of the past were quiet, conservative, and polite, flappers wore scandalous clothing, openly discussed and participated in relationships, and went to speakeasies, where they danced, smoked, and drank. Similarly, the younger generation of African-Americans, the “New Negro”, broke tradition and openly promoted their culture. They developed new varieties of literature and created jazz music, a style that brought lots of different people together, even those of different races, but was viewed as modern and offensive by many. The 20’s saw groups of people freeing themselves from old rules, causing a major shift in society. Another significant development during this time was Prohibition, an experiment that had been pushed for by reformers who thought that abolishing alcohol would rid the country of corruption, greed, abuse, and other social ills. However, despite having some benefits at first, it quickly led to smuggling and resentment from Americans who were unwilling to give up liquor. Additionally, the Scope’s Trial, and the growing disagreement between religious fundamentalism and scientific evolution, was a prominent issue in America. Both of these changes represented more of society's deviation and questioning of its previous standards. In many ways, the time after the war was one when the nation, especially the younger generation, began to rethink its morals, and this defiance of everything that had been considered “right” was very
The 1920’s were a time of dramatic change socially and politically. In the 1920’s people began to explore different ways of life even if it meant being looked down on. With the 1920’s as one of the most influential times in history, many aspects of this time changed the way of life forever. Even though the 1920’s were a time of discovering new things, many people felt as though the new “mass culture,” was just something that shouldn’t be celebrated. However, more people than not celebrated the new way of life. Many of the new cultural aspects people discovered in the 1920’s were flappers, new genres of music, prohibition, and most importantly new technology. Technology was probably one of the biggest changes in the 1920’s only because without
The 1920’s is a period when alcohol was prohibited, when men and women’s lifestyles and roles started to change, and it is also the period when automobiles came into place. The prohibition of alcohol and change of men and women caused them to start creating illegal businesses.
During the 1920's a dramatic change occurred in American Society. American people experienced a period in their life that would not only affect the economy but even their own personal lives. African Americans had little to celebrate in this period except for the cultural movements such as Harlem Renaissance, which they introduced themselves. The 1920's were a period that reached both blacks and whites and forced everyone to pay attention. Racial incidents still took place throughout the United States before the 1920's. In 1920 the women?s suffrage was finally achieved with the nineteenth amendment. This was also a change because it left the women's movement confused and uncertain about its goals and its future strategies.
The Roaring Twenties was the most transformative decade of United States history. It was an explosive time of great change when traditional ways clashed against innovative mindsets. It was an era where the youth crossed the line in everything and the thing to do on Friday nights was swing dancing to Jazz artists like Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington. The 1920’s was an age of prohibition, prosperity, and eventually downfall. How did the social revolution of the Roaring Twenties drive social, economic, and political change in the 20th century?