Nightlife In The 1930s Essay

The Progressive era of the 1920s was setting up for the devastation that would come in the next decade. The United States continued to become bigger, more efficient, and more modern each year. “Get-rich-quick” and “buy now pay later” were new concepts that Americans were consuming in large scales. Then the stock market crashed in October of 1929, banks failed, purchasing reduced, and unemployment rose which inevitably began the 10-year Depression. Many people would think that culture could not flourish during these times, but that is not the case. During the great Depression, culture grew within many different ethnic groups in America. Nightlife in the 1930s went through some substantial changes. In the 1920s and early 1930s nightclubs were

For those who disagreed with Prohibition, it appeared to be the national government imposing religious morals and values onto American society through legislation. As a result, speakeasies were invented as nightclubs that sold liquor in violation of Prohibition. The owners of speakeasies and those who supplied illegal alcohol called “bootleggers” gained large profits during Prohibition. However, once the Depression hit, many nightclubs were running out of business and it appeared that the nightlife culture was collapsing. In December of 1933 the industry was saved by the 21st amendment which repealed prohibition. The economy was still in shambles, but the return of alcohol gave new life to New York’s nightclubs. It was during this time that nightlife became legitimized into American culture. By 1935 the industry was beginning to return with the help of New Deal policies and repeal, with the hope that liquor sales would help regrow the economy. New York returned as the amusement center of America, but the culture began to spread and soon places like Chicago,

Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1893, and quickly became a popular sport in the country. A Japanese colony in Livingston, California called Yamato Colony created their own baseball team in the 1920s called the Livingston Peppers. Then as the players grew older the team disappeared, but the Nisei (American born children of Japanese immigrants) formed a new team called the Livingston Dodgers. From the 1934 to 1941 the Central Valley Japanese League had 8 teams that were sponsored by local churches and merchants. Teams were so close that they even helped each other on their farms so everyone could make games. Sports was a way for these people to forget about what was happening in the world around them for a few hours and enjoy healthy competition. It became a huge part of the culture within the Japanese colony and a way to find acceptance within American society. Then Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the Japanese in Yamato Colony knew they were going to be targeted. Executive Order 9066 was passed in 1942 and over 110,000 Japanese-Americans were distributed into ten different internment camps in desolate parts of the country. Many players from the Livingston Dodgers, Cortez Wildcats, and other communities found themselves placed together in Merced Assembly Center. Many players had brought with them their uniforms and equipment, so the organization