Roaring Twenties In America

The Roaring Twenties was America’s golden age. F. Scott Fitzgerald once said,“The parties were bigger, the pace was faster, the shows were broader, the buildings were higher, the morals were looser, and the liquor was cheaper” (“People” PBS). The cultural undertone of the twenties was very different from the times before and during World War I. “ For the first time, more Americans lived in cities than on farms…people from coast to coast bought the same goods…listened to the same music, did the same dances, and even used the same slang” (“Roaring” History). The Twenties was a time of social and cultural change. During this time, things like the automobile and jazz became more popular and mainstream. These things were possible because America

was the supreme country, economically speaking (Winter). Americans had excess money to spend. Because of the Allies victory in World War I, fortunate Americans were able to enjoy the new era. The outcome of World War I impacted the Roaring Twenties by boosting the economy. This lead to the Great Migration, major lifestyle changes, and Prohibition in the United States.

Prior to the Roaring Twenties, there was a Great War that shaped the rest of the century. World War I was the product of tensions in Eastern Europe. The big cause of this tension was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Archduke was the heir to the throne in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (“Outbreak”). The US government did not want to get involved unless they absolutely had too. On April 2, 1927, President Woodrow Wilson declared war against Germany after the Germans had broken a pledge they took that stated that Germany could not have submarines in specific territories (“US Entry”). It was the only possible way of handling the situation. For the most part, the war was dominant towards the Allies. The outcome of the war was the most favorable for the United States. At the end of the war, the US was the only country that had no physical destruction. This was important because Americans did not have to rebuild while European countries did. This made the United States the most supreme country in the world (Winter). The outcome of the war also gave Americans a new feeling of hope, freedom, and success. Americans experienced a victorious atmosphere back home in the States when the soldiers returned adding to the success felt by African Americans and women who had labored successfully in factories and industries supporting the war.

Prior to and at the beginning of the war, the oppressive economic conditions and the Jim Crow laws in the South were so bad for the African Americans that they eventually had to meet together and decide a solution for the African Americans.

The solution ended up being the Great Migration. The main pull factors of this migration was the fact that there were opportunities in the North and that African Americans received better treatment in the North. The push factors consisted of the unfair working conditions that the African Americans had to deal with. Even though slavery had been banished, the African Americans were not getting treated with the respect they wanted. African Americans wanted to migrate north because of the way southerners were treating them. The African Americans needed a fresh start. The Great Migration started when the demand for workers in the north was high and African Americans were getting tired of getting treated poorly. It was estimated that a total of 1,254,000 African Americans migrated out of the South from World War I to the end of the TwentiesThe demand was high because former workers got drafted to war and business owners needed new workers because America needed to produce the supplies for war. The business owners were in such a need for workers that they would pay the cost of moving for African Americans (“Great Migration” Blackpast). During and after the war, the African Americans worked in the factories boosting the economy. The US economy

would not have been in the place it was in the Roaring Twenties without the Great Migration.

Once the African Americans moved north, they realized that there was little room in the cities. African Americans already lived in their own communities, so they decided to create new cities which helped the economy by creating new stores and restaurants(“Great Migration”History). Most of the cities where industrial cities. The most famous of these all-black towns is Harlem. Harlem was very big in the introduction to the new era. New York City was exposed to this new culture and adapted it into their own (“Great Migration” History). The new culture influenced dance and music which shaped the cities and changed the way people lived and spent their spare time.

Lifestyle before and after the war was very different in America. African Americans taking over some factory jobs due to young, white men being drafted was only one of the changes experienced during this time. Another significant change to the workforce in America was women laborers. When all of the men left for war, the women had to step up and take the jobs (“Labor” Boundless). During the war, women were a huge help in production of products. Women felt this new pride in themselves because of how they helped America. Once the men returned, the Sex Disqualification Act of 1919 made it illegal to exclude women from working (“WWI Woman” BBC). The women who wanted to continue working could still work as could the African American men as both groups had become an important part of the booming economy.

During the Twenties, spending was a natural instinct because of the expanded (increased) workforce.

The additional incomes for families caused the living standard to rise for the wealthy. “From 1922 to 1929, the national income increased more than 40 percent, from $60.7 billion annually to $87.2 billion” (“The Roaring Twenties” Worldbook). The reason for this is because products were being made faster and cheaper. The items being made were household items and cars (“The Roaring Twenties”History). A lot of people could not actually afford these products on their salaries, but a new idea of credit came up. Buying on credit is when someone pays for an item over time. This was good short term, but an evil long term solution (Mr. Martin). Radios were a big hit during the Twenties because for the first time ever, families could get together and sit around the table. With this, came advertisement. Advertisement really helped businesses because it would get their product out into the public. Advertisement was actually present before the Twenties, it just was not as big as in the Twenties. The reason for the advertisement boom was because companies were competing with each other and took it too far. These companies were using new techniques that made the victim think the he/s/ needs that product (“Consumer”UShistory).

The most prominent lifestyle change from before the war to after the war was women's fashion. Women's fashion befor the Great War was more reserved and modest. After

the war, women's fashion was more looser. This was because women had just got the right to vote and got the new feeling (Mee). They could also dress looser because of the new type of dance, jazz. Women could wear tassels that flap around when you dance, and that is how the term flapper came up (“Roaring Twenties”History). Women definitely got the message out to the world that they had a new identity.

Prohibition was impacted by World War 1 because of the way people thought of America. Prohibition was the act of making alcohol illegal to sell, buy or consume. After the War, America had this new image of greatness. Some people thought that alcohol poisoned the US image. Some politicians were willing to give up alcohol (“Prohibition”World Book). Other reasons why Prohibition was wanted was because it was thought that with Prohibition, crime would reduce.”Social reformers blamed alcohol for poverty, health problems, and the neglect by husbands of their wives and children. Political reformers saw saloons as the backbone of corrupt urban political organizations. Employers felt that drunkenness reduced their workers' safety and productivity”(“Prohibition”Worldbook).

A lot of people dealt with Prohibition differently. Those who were against prohibition actually did nothing but break the law. Once Prohibition was put into American society, people still found a way to get what the wanted. In the country, moonshine was made with stills that were hidden in forest.. Moonshine is homemade liquor(“Prohibition”World Book). Cities would often have illegal bars that sold liquor. These bars were called speakeasies. Speakeasies had guards at the front door for extra safety. Most people were supplied by bootleggers who sold their beverage to bars and people. Bootlegging was a job that made a lot of people well off. This job was taken by mostly young men. The need for liquor was high which meant the prices would go up because the people would pay nearly any price for their boozes. (“Prohibition”World Book).

The overall goal of Prohibition did fail because the crime rate did go up and the economy was impacted. Prohibition did indeed affect the economy. Once the government legalized alcohol, the economy did go up. Also, with prohibition, gangs were formed and fights were often in the big cities. Al Capone rose during this era(“Roaring Twenties”History).

Prohibition brought on one of the most famous American traditions today, NASCAR. NASCAR was founded in the 1940’s but the idea started during Prohibition. The idea of fast cars started during the late twenties and early thirties. the goal of the fat car was to outrun the cops when they found out you were selling moonshine. The person with the fastest car could sell for longer.
The Great War was a great victory for the United States and the victory brought upon this new age. The victory gave America a new identity. The Roaring Twenties was the economical and social change in the United States through the new workforce of women and African Americans from the Great Migration. The life style changes afforded by the extra money in the economy were only to be enjoyed for a short ten years. Following the Roaring Twenties was the Great Depression which was caused by the stock market crash of 1929 and the abusive use of credit. This eventually lead to one of the darkest times in US history, the Great Depression. The Great Depression was the result of Americans misusing money that was not even there. This draws a question; was the Roaring Twenties worth it?