The Roaring Twenties: 1920-1930

The Roaring Twenties: 1920-1930

American Civilization 1700

April 23, 2013

Julia Foley

The 1920s was a decade of great political, economic, and social changes culminating in an era known now as the Roaring Twenties. It was full of controversy and prosperity. Legends were born. Men like Babe Ruth and Charles Lindberg defied limits. It was the beginning of jazz, radio, and full length talking films. Women were finally recognized and given the right to vote. As they entered the work force, they were also introduced to new fashions and more freedom with their bodies. They went from courting to dating. They showed the public they were equal to men in their openness with drinking and smoking in public and also with the way they dressed. John Scopes introduced evolution to school aged children in a small town in Tennessee and challenged America’s way of thinking. The 20s were also known for many problems of the times, such as prohibition, gangsters, immigration and living outside one’s means on credit. This decade, filled with so much hope and success, ended in 1929 with the devastating stock market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression. This decade is the most significant decade because America moved more into the modern times with new inventions in industry, new roles for women, and new cultural phenomenon’s such as radio, jazz, and movies.

On January 17th, 1920 the Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the production, transport and sale of alcohol, was put into effect. The Volstead Act set down the standards of enforcing and defining the amendment. The Eighteenth Amendment was the result of decades of effort by the temperance movement in the United States and at the time was generally considered a progressive amendment. Suddenly the police and courts were filled with new criminals and organized crime had control in major cities. Police were often corrupt and owned by these gangsters. The passing of the 18th Amendment was significant because it was...