Modernizing America In The 1920's

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American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, once wrote, “We must leave this terrifying place to-morrow and go searching for sunshine (Fitzgerald).” At the turn of the 20th century, Americans experienced a rapid change in technology and cultural values. Throughout this period, people strived for a sense of “order” amongst the chaotic change; ultimately, the era was defined by this search; however, it is better understood as people adapting to new technologies and new forms of leisure in their efforts to find stability. Beginning with the new weaponry of the Civil War, technology and media were the primary impetus for “modernizing” America. Modernity, though, is a difficult concept to define, and the definition changes across time period and …show more content…

Amidst whites trying to make some semblance of order in an upset racial hierarchy, black people found order in their new emancipation and search for civil liberties. Additionally, technological changes in agriculture drastically impacted the way Americans made their living and generally lived their lives. Before 1920, most Americans lived and worked on farms in the countryside, and changes in producing and transporting food triggered immense challenges to traditional ways of life (Lecture, January 26, 2017). Railroads experienced another wave of popularity after the Civil War, and were the primary example of overcoming limits of time and space; refrigerated cars allowed meats to be shipped across long distances (Lecture, January 31, 2017). The necessity and establishment of time zones geared Americans toward a shared sense of time and culture (Lecture, February 21, 2017). Organizing time was a way to create order with the rapidly shifting boundaries of

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