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The economic boom of the 1920s
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The economic boom of the 1920s
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Junjie Mooney
1920s paper
English 11
2/28/16
The “Roaring Twenties” or the time period from 1920 to 1929 was a significant time in American history. The culture and lifestyle in the US changed due to an economic boom after World War I. During the roaring twenties, the sale of alcohol was banned, sports became a big part of American life, the economy boomed, and we saw the rise of nativism and the KKK.
The most significant event in the 1920s was the prohibition. Many Protestants pushed by the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment that went into effect on January 16, 1920. The amendment banned the sale, manufacture, or transportation of alcoholic. This act had many people believe that the country would once again have the country follow Protestant moral values. Many cathtolics didn’t agree with the act because it clashed with the use of alcohol in their cultures. Alcohol consumption declined during Prohibition, but it wasn’t completely gone.
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During this economic boom, a majority of americans saw an increase in their personal incomes. Because of this increase of spending money, the nation went on a spending spree, buying cars, radios, and tickets to movies and athletic events. More and more people started Participating in sports then before.
Many people purchased radios during this time which led to people listening to live radio broadcasts of games
World War I significantly helped the American economy. Before the war the United States wasn’t really connected to the European economy yet during the WWI, the U.S. took on the role as a supplier of the allied powers. Because of this, the price of American goods rose, labor was in short supply and wages were kept getting higher. Agricultural exports were in great demand, and farmers prospered like never before. The US government adopted laissez-faire, or "hands off the economy," stances.. This policy allowed American business to grow like never
World War I had placed great strains on the economies of the most European nations that were involved in the conflict. With trade agreements with countries like Britain, France and United Kingdom America’s economy flourished, as they forced these countries to accept goods in exchange for debt. The economy of America soared to new heights. America’s abundant natural resources and technological advances were used to become leaders in manufactured exports. (Encl) Usually the general public would opposed big business owners to partner with government, but as the lifestyles of many Americans elevated these relationships were accepted. By the end of the decade, 1910 to 1919, annual incomes rose from $580 to $1300 setting the stage for the “crazy years” known as the “Roaring Twenties”.
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 1920s were a time of change for the United States. Following the First World War there was a rush of new cultural, social, and artistic dynamism, partly fuelled by the Progressivism movement that was cut short when American entered the Great War. This decade was defined by a change from more rural farm life to industrialism in big cities. The shift from the frugality and traditional family values or previous generations to the happy-go-lucky consumerism and metropolitan life occurred more rapidly than any other social shift in living memory. These swiftly changing tides caused cultural clashes and confrontations throughout the decade as America struggled to define for itself a fresh national identity in the wake of its new position as a world power.
World War I may not have made the world safe for democracy, but it did help to lay the groundwork for a decade of American economic expansion. The war began in Europe in 1914, and the United States entered the fray in 1917. The 1920s saw the growth of the culture of consumerism. A significant reason for United States involvement in the war was the nation’s economic links to the Allied Powers, and especially to Great Britain. American soldiers returned home in May 1919 with the promise of a prosperous decade (Baughman 197).
History is an abundance of movements that demonstrate the changes in societal ideals and beliefs, it also conveys the struggle many people had to maintain conservative ideas. The 1920s was a major time frame when many changes occurred and began, it is the epitome of the struggle between a changing nation and the Conservatives who want it all to stay the same. The power struggle between the Conservatives and the rebellious members of society had been going on for years but it was the passing of the Volstead Act, which had kicked started the Prohibition, that created an explosive change throughout the society. Drinking became fashionable, everyone wanted to do it because it was forbidden. With one law being broken people began to break the societal norms; woman drank and smoked in public, blacks were becoming popular in society, and even the accepted religious facts were called into question. This disregard for the norms caused an uproar throughout society and were the main tensions between old and new ideal; the tension stemmed from the ideals about women, blacks and religion.
The Boom of US Economy in the 1920's In the 1920s, most countries involved in World War one were poverty-stricken and working hard to try and pay off debts from the war. However, America had only joined in the war near the end, and hadn't had to pay as much money towards the war as other countries had. Also, America had lent money to other countries, which they were beginning to get back. They were making profits from the now poor countries because they had provided Europe with guns and weapons in the war.
The Prohibition of alcohol was probably the most senseless Amendment in the history of the United States of America. Everyday people were forced to change their penchants of drinking alcoholic beverages. But only a minority really quit drinking, all the others became criminals. Any violator of the liquor law had the fear of getting caught. And some of them were arrested and convicted just for drinking alcohol.
Danzer, Gerald A. "Chapter 21 The Roaring Life of the 1920s." The Americans. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. 640-45. Print.
Change. It is a natural process that occurs in society over time. However, in the 1920s, it occurred at a much faster pace and affected society in a much larger way than other decades. America began welcoming more and more immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, which often frightened white Americans. In addition, African-Americans began to develop their own identity within America and formed groups like the NAACP and the UNIA to advocate for change in society. Finally, women and gender roles began to change as well-informed women began ignoring the societal preconceptions of the “woman.” Immigration, African-American culture, and flapper girls were all great areas of change in the 1920s, all receiving a wide variety of reactions from
The 1920's was a time of major change in every area of life for people in the United States. America's once conservative society started to become more and more liberal as political and economic changes were being made. The dramatic switch from one way of living to another caused most people to experience what felt like culture shock, while some people celebrated the new ways. The types of music, dancing, and other forms of entertainment were much different than what they had ever been. The major shifts in economics, politics, and social norms were revolutionary. American's had a difficult time adjusting to the new ways, causing an eruption of chaos and conflict and only some conformity.
The Roaring 20s as it is sometimes gone by was a time were many things became popular. For example, sports began to become a big part of people’s lives. The fashion in the 20s also began to not be as strict and there was a larger variety. For entertainment there was the radio, there was the first movie theaters, and sports heroes. As well there was many important historical events. There were also many new inventions that are used today. Overall the 1920s was very important because of all of the things that was achieved over this decade.
The 1920s was an era in which major cultural and political changes collided into a contrast of conflict and celebration. The mixture of adventurous young adults and cultural tension marked this decade as anything but normal. The “flapper” was the symbol of the twenties with her bob-cut, bright lips, and flappy skirt, this image encompassed the freedom and eccentricity that the young adults of the age embraced. Yet this decade, however party-filled it may have been, didn’t slide by untouched by conflict and hardship. Although American culture was making significant strides, many immigrants – specifically African-Americans – were receiving the back-hand of cultural discrimination.
The 1920’s dramatically changed America in a heartbeat. For the first time in history, more people were living in larger cities than deep in towns. The United States was also richer than ever before. One of the first movie theaters opened in 1915 in New York City. Historians estimate that by the end of the decade, three-quarters of the American population visited a movie theater every week. This period of time was when the Eighteenth Amendment was in force and alcoholic beverages could not legally be manufactured, transported, or sold in the United States. Prohibition gave criminals a way to illegally make money. The most notorious gangster in American history was Al Capone in Chicago. In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. By the end of
America’s economy drastically went up and the employment rate was high after winning WW1. New technology was being developed. Things like the electric blow dryer, pop up toasters, and electric blenders, and irons were being used by
American culture went through a lot of changes in the 1920’s most notably being the new rich upper class, the lucky ones that had achieved the “American Dream”, but there also being a different change, the change in the morals and values of the people in the 1920’s. There are many ways that this corruption of morals and focus on material wealth can be seen, sports being one of them. Instead of competitive women golfing being who a competition of who is the best, “play excluded minority and most middle-class women” (Source C Turner). Golf tournaments became a competition of which rich or influential woman was better at golf instead who was actually better at the sport. This alone should be enough to see into the shift of culture in the 1920’s