The Role Of The Automobile In The 1900's

During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s America was shifting into a new modern era. At this time, there were many changes trying to be arranged by the citizens of the country. Social activism was widespread in this era. This era was created from various developments, events, and individuals. Developments such as the automobile and flight played a major role in the 1900’s.

The automobile created freedom and transportation for many. The automobile was no longer just limited to the wealthy but to anyone who could afford them. Making the automobile more affordable gave individuals the opportunity to move around and travel on their own time. The automobile represented a new outlook on the world. Another way the automobile presented freedom is that

it gave teens the freedom to go out on supervised dates with their parents and grandparents. There were also those who used the automobile to sneak away and get privacy from the older generations which led to the creation of sexual education. Automobiles created the Modern era because it provided more freedom for everyone to do whatever they wanted and to see their surroundings.
In the 1900’s there were many attempts to flight. Many failed at the attempt of flight but there were a few who succeeded. The Wright brothers were one of the first to have a successful flight. They made their modest flight that landed without no crashes. The Wright Brothers changed the history of flight. They built smaller models to determine what would work. Another pioneer in flight was Charles Lindbergh, he flew his Spirit of St. Louis which did not have windows or a seat for 33.5 hours from New York to Paris non-stop. He was most famous person on Earth because of his flight. Although it seemed that flight could only get better there was a major disaster from Zepplins: Hindenburg. Hindenburg caught fire coming to New York. Flight was another part of transportation that created freedom for America.
Many events took place that could be argued that led America into the Modern Era.

Such events like Coney Island and the entertainment culture of the early 1900’s. The entertainment culture was growing rapidly. Jazz from the African Americans had been created and was the dominate form of music. Jazz was a sense of freedom because the musicians played based on the emotion and feelings. Jazz was not liked by the older generations because of men like Jelly Roll Morton, who was to sexualize. People would go as far and say that Jazz music should not be played near schools and hospitals because it was bad music. Although Jazz music was not necessarily welcomed by everyone in America, The Radio was and became a hot commodity. Radio was symbolized as unity for America. Radio brought the American family together. The radio provided America with news, music, entertainment, etc. The radio was in 90% of homes and was building a national culture. Although the radio deemed as positive, it also spread fictional stories and events through the American homes. War of the Worlds was when the radio broadcasters would say that the world is in disaster and would cause chaos in homes across America. Radio transformed America with its entertainment bringing people together coming a focal

point.
The Sexual Revolution of the 1920’s was another event that created the modern era.

This revolution shook America’s society drastically. All the traditional norms that were set by the older generation were being broken by the new generation. The Sexual Revolution involved women changing their attitudes on how they lived their life. The idea of what a woman was supposed to look and act like was changing during the revolution. Women coined the term Flapper for wearing less clothing and having very flashy accessories. They were no longer trying to be modest and conservative about who they are. This revolution made it more accepting for PDA, young people were no longer afraid to flirt, hug, and kiss. The young adults were now more likely to engage in premarital

sex.
There were also some influential people that created this era. Sigmund Freud was a psychologist who expressed emotional and sexual liberation. The problem with Freud is that he wrote in German and no one fully understand what he was saying. Another person was Babe Ruth. He was one of the best baseball players of all time but he was not a good remodel. He was an alcoholic, gambler, and womanizer. Although he displayed these traits he was still portrayed as a hero because of his lifestyle. Showcasing this toxic and unhealthy lifestyle led many to believe that it was alright and even great to live a life such as his.
Though all these various developments, events, and individuals created the modern era, there were many critics of this Modern Era. Older generations tried to stop everything they could but was not successful. Through all the changes made during the time frame of 1880s to the 1930s have shaped the Modern Era in some way of fashion.