The most influential decade on contemporary was the 1920s because of the contribution in transportation technology, the advantage of credit, and the change in women’s freedom.
The 1920s was a changing time in America. There we so many new concepts brought to the day to day lives of citizens in America and with that said the 1920s were the more important to America. The advancement in transportation technology, credit, and women's freedom gave people the self independence they needed.
Flapper girls in the 1920s were women who changed the way they dressed by wearing shorter skirts, changed they way they lived by partying more often, and by taking these actions changed the way women were viewed in America.To some people in the 1920s the opinion they had on flappers was the “Flappers are a disgrace to society because they are lazy pleasure-seekers who are only interested in drinking, partying, and flirting”(Issues and Controversies in American History, 1). Negative opinions formed towards them because changing so drastically in such a short amount of time was threatening to society.
Although flapper girls were not appreciated by all, many of their brave choices influenced the way American women live today and the way they are viewed. Flapper girls were so important to America's history because it opened so many doors for women. Flapper girls took a stand for women and wanted to be treat equally to men. They began to dress as they wanted by wearing their short skirts and bright shiny jewelry to stand out. They cut their hair short to give themselves a more masculine appearance to contrast their sex appealing attire. To the human eye Flapper girls simply looked different to the way women had always looked.
It was more than just the way ...
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...bt as a percentage of personal income doubled from 4.2 per cent in 1918-20 to more than 9 per cent in 1929” (The 1920s Credit Bubble, 1). People began spending so much money without thinking that the credit they were spending on luxurious fancy items. All these items that were bought did have to be paid off some day.
The concept of debt was now in play in America and cause a stress for the next years to come. The introduction of debt was so important to America's history because its was what caused the great depression for Americans. There was no more money in peoples pockets to keep their families on their feet. So in a way the chance that Americans could lose everything they had by overspending, humbled citizens in America now. Its not easy to speak for everyone but it taught people that spending too much when you don't have enough is not the logical thing to do.
Flappers were not just spunky young rebellious woman who tried to defy there mother’s traditions and cause an uproar in society. Her bluntness about sexuality created a new emotional and sexual culture for women. It also created a new foundation for male and female courtship. They showed women around the world that being submissive could only harm the remarkable female. The flappers created a new youth identity.
The 1920s was a decade of rapid expansion, wealth, envy, and greed. This is a time during which life felt as if it was moving in fast forward. Its basis was money and the extravagances that money could buy. America went under a radical change and social reform. America is becoming more industrialized, more Americans lived in cities than in the countryside. The development of technologies like radios, mo...
... They provided the accepting of women to do want they want including: dressing to their own style, living on their own, acting the way they want and working for any job they want. Flappers may have caused issues in the past, but without these ladies women would still be stuck in the past with long clothes, household jobs, taking care of children and sexist views from men.
In the 1920s it was an era where we see throughout history in the United States, many events that had an major impact to the society, people and financial. For example many events that had an impact that had created biggest changes to society are the business of America, business and government, the women’s freedom, and the birth of civil liberties. Referring to the book “Give Me Liberty by Eric Foner in the Chapter 20 from business culture to great depression (1920-1932)”, these are the events that had a biggest change in the 1920s.
Historians have debated over what the word “flapper” really meant. Some people thought the word was derived from the concept of a baby bird that is learning to fly for the first time. The word “flapper” came from the way a the baby bird flapped its wings as it flew from the nest. The women during this era were brave in the sense that they dared to step outside of boundaries that no American woman had stepped before. This change in history could be compared to a baby bird in the sense that the first jump from the nest was a symbol for the risks that women were taking during the 1920s. Furthermore, women ultimately benefitted from the popularization of flappers
in Cleve 1). Flappers believed that they were not seen as pretty when dressing restrictively and they finally wanted to dress for themselves. The style change was seen as a terrible thing for society back then, but they would never know what kind of effect it had on the future. Modern day style has been shaped around the Flappers in a way. Nowadays, women are always wearing short skirts or somewhat revealing clothing.
Some women of the 1920s rebelled against being traditional. These women became known as flappers and impacted the post-war society. People in the 1920’s couldn’t make up their minds about flappers. Some were against them and some were with them. Therefore, some people in the 1920’s loved and idolized flappers, I on the other hand, believed that they were a disgrace to society. These women broke many rules leading young women to rebel against their families.
The 1920’s was a period of extremely economic growth and personal wealth. America was a striving nation and the American people had the potential to access products never manufactured before. Automobile were being made on an assembly line and were priced so that not just the rich had access to these vehicles, as well as, payment plans were made which gave the American people to purchase over time if they couldn't pay it all up front. Women during the First World War went to work in place of the men who went off to fight. When the men return the women did not give up their positions in the work force.
In the 1920s, a new woman was born. She smoked, drank, danced, and voted. She cut her hair, wore make-up, and went to petting parties. She was giddy and took risks. She was a flapper.
In the 1920's the term flapper referred to a "new breed" of women. They wore short skirts and dresses which were straight and very loose. The arms were left bare and the waistline was dropped to the hips. By 1927 the length of the skirts had rose just below the knee which when they danced would be shown. The chests appeared to look very small and women would tape themselves to look even smaller. Bras were also sold to make them appear very small. Their hairstyles were cut very short and were known as a bob, another popular style that was later introduced was the "Eaton" or "Shingle". These styles had slicked the hair back and covered the ears with curls. Women started wearing "kiss proof" lipstick in shades of red, their eyes were ringed a dark black color, and their skin was powered to look very pale. One of the big things with the flappers were that they smoked cigarettes through long holders and drank alcohol openly in public now. They also started dating freely and danced all night long very provocatively. Jazz music was rising in population and the flappers brought it out even more. Not all women changed into becoming a flapper, yet the little numbers impacted the 1920's in a huge way.
Flappers in the 1920s were the result of changes in the industrialization and economic culture and consumerism; flappers helped establish new feminine standards that counter against previous standards followed before World War 1 and embodied the current social changes during the 1920s.
Through out the 1920’s many inventions were created that altered human civilization. Transportation was successfully mastered. Radio communication was becoming more common and medicine was saving more and more lives every day.
In the early 20th century a flapper was a woman who was urban, young, single and middle to upper class. “Flappers” partook in the trend of shorter hemlines and colourful dresses with stockings. And along with shorter dresses they typically wore a hairstyle called a bob, which is a sporty cheek-length haircut. “Flappers” wore bright lipstick and make up, which was previously only worn by prostitutes. “Flappers” pushed boundaries for the early 20th century; they would ride bikes, drive cars and play sports. The person in this novel who best represents a “flapper” is Jordan Baker. She is an independent woman for the time and the description of her clothes are similar to one of a “flapper,” “I had on a new plaid skirt also that blew a little in the wind and whenever this happened the red, white, and blue banners in front of all the houses stretched out stiff and said
According to the book Flappers: a Guide to an American Subculture written by Kelly Boyer Sagert, “Early in the 1920s, flappers epitomized the battle for freedom in terms of self-expression, female equality, and indulgence in pleasures.” The first of these three components of this fight for autonomy was conveyed through fashion and beauty choices highly popularized by flappers, such as bobbed hair, bold makeup, short skirts, and rolled stockings; all of which redefining the perception of the feminine form and silhouette. Significant gains were also made towards the battle for gender equality when women were granted suffrage, therefore permitting their opinions and ideologies to be present in political decisions and allowing women to be more involved in local, state, and national affairs. In addition, flappers went against societal norms for women and began indulging in pleasurable activities, such as attending speakeasies, dancing the Charleston with numerous male suitors at jazz clubs, and engaging in casual sex as opposed to remaining reserved and modest as women in earlier generations had (Sagert, 2010). As said by author Jonathan Zeitz in his book Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern, “They believed that life should be lived moment to moment, not according to
“Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry, especially when one is tired, hurt and bewildered.” embraces Clara Bow (4). Women’s roles as citizens, changed tremendously during this era. As of 1891, women were given the paramount right to vote. From rescuing slaves to nursing the wounded in wars, women have carried some of the the nation’s weight on their backs. Back in the day, they were expected to stay at home, cook, clean, and take care of their kids; not having much entertainment or leisure. They found happiness in their kids and husbands. “This moderation transformed as the flapper era commenced. Exuding a combination of exoticism and eroticism, Josephine Baker catapulted to international fame,” (5). Women started wearing short skirts,