Only Yesterday

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Only Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen (1933)

In the beginning of chapter one of only yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen, he starts his story off by giving the viewers a description of how the United States has been transformed from 1919 to the 1930‘s. Mr. & Mrs. Smith are the characters illustrated in the story, who's live in being portrayed as a couple in 1919. Women were modest during this time in history. The typical women would have long stockings, long hair and usually wore a dress. Preparing and take care of chores around the house, while the men who's role were to be the leaders of the household. The newspapers that were popular and most accurate during this time were the New York Tribune and the Chicago Tribune. Sports were considered to be interesting to men back then as they are today. Baseball and Boxing were the main two. Golf and Tennis were coming along, but wasn't as popular yet. The cost of living, food, vehicles and other accessories in life were going up tremendously, this would become known as the period of inflation. Everybody were looking out for themselves and trying to make a profit wherever they could. They roads for transportation were not that great either during the early 1900's.

Chapter two takes place on November 11th, 1918. The president of the United States, who was Woodrow Wilson would sent a message to fellow Americans relieving them by saying "The war is over". This would be the beginning of the new era, although life would still be centered around the war. The opportunity for people to make money was more obvious. With the soldiers being back from war and parades and everything in celebration, it would soon be over with much of the population looking for work. Strikes, Lay-offs would cause controversy. It was considered to be as evil as the red scare intended to be. Questions were being asked and people wanted answers after the war. Wilson had a lot of power and determined a lot of peoples lives. Henry Cabot Lodge an Intellectual leader of the Republicans who had a seat in the senate had power as well and stated that they were equal with the president in making treaties. Lodge opposed Wilson is most events that they both participated in. Wilson would later veto the senate and get reelected as president of the united states.

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