Social And Cultural Changes In The 1920s

The 1920’s, or “The Roaring 20’s”, was a decade that witnessed exciting social changes. It was a time of prosperity and dissipation, bootleggers and jazz dancers, and most importantly, it was a decade of The Prohibition Era. The Prohibition Era is basically an era which banned the manufacture, transportation, import and export, and the sale of alcoholic beverages. It was meant to reduce crime, corruption, and social problems and increase the overall hygiene of America. However, this social and political experiment failed.

The 1920s was a time of great change. From fashion to politics, this period is known as one of the most explosive decades in American history. After WWI, America became one of the world’s most formidable superpowers. The rise to power prompted the 1920s to become a decade of evolution for women’s rights, African American’s rights, and consumerism. In the early twentieth century, women’s status in society was continuously evolving.

Women’s rights and the way they live has changed greatly over the course of time. Back in the day, women did not have equal rights to men and they had to face many challenges in order to receive the jobs they wanted. Nowadays, women can get the same jobs as men and their power is much more appreciated. The 1930’s affected women in a positive way over time as they tried to work their way up in government positions, obtain more profitable jobs, and help provide for their families; but they still had a long ways to go getting equal rights to men.

“Like all other women I thought that there couldn’t be much improvement in the same old task of washing dishes.” This quote by Christine Frederick in 1912 speaks so much truth about the way women lived before the 1920s. Many women had believed that they were sought out to stay at home and be the regular housewife that the American people portrayed them to be. None of them probably believed that they would soon get the privilege to vote, have a job, or to even dress a little less modestly. They would soon come to the realization that their way of life would be changed when the 1920s came rushing in.

The 1920’s was an uprising decade known as “the roaring twenties”. Big changes came with the 1920’s, new fashions, new technologies. Women began to have more rights, and Prohibition. Many People called the 1920’s the “age of excess” because American people could afford and buy anything they wanted. The 1920’s made america what it is today. The success in the 1920’s was a decade of economic progress, women had more rights, and the 18th Amendment was ratified.

The 1920s were an era of exciting social reforms and deep cultural struggles. During this decade, time became progressive for women in America. Women were allowed to experience freedom on a more personal level. This didn’t hold back all the sexism that caused quite the controversy. Women from rural parts of the country started moving to the urban areas in search of jobs.

The 1920s carried much change in society. Some of these changes were more rights for women, jazz music, and prohibition. The people of the 1920s were disillusioned by society lacking in idealism and vision, sense of personal alienation, and Americans were obsessed with materialism and outmoded moral values (The Roaring Twenties).Cultural changes were strongly influenced by the destruction of World War I ending 1918. America needed to recover and with it youth rebelled against the norms of the older generations.

The 1920s to late 1930s were a very controversial. A lot changed and flipped back and forth. The 1920s were full of cultural change. We were very conservative and people wanted change. After the stock market crash the government want to help bring Americans out of the gutter with the bad economy. To do this they created things like the welfare system and Social Security to try and make a change. New people came to light to help end The Great Depression.

The 1920s also known as the “Roaring Twenties” is best remembered by a time period of change and rebirth throughout America. Before World War 1, the 1800s had been a time period of disagreements and conflicts, but also an industrialisation period of prosperity and growth. Towards the late 1800s the economy grew, wages and production rapidly increased. The opportunities that were available in America caused many to cross the seas in search for jobs and political and religious freedom. From 1861 to 1865 the United States was destroyed by the bloody Civil War which led to more than 600,000 deaths. The next decade was considered a ‘reconstruction’ period and some of the outcomes where the ‘Jim Crow’ laws and the ‘Ku Klux Klan’ which further on

Women’s rights and the way they live has changed greatly over the course of time. Back in the day, women did not have equal rights to men and they had to face many challenges in order to receive the jobs they wanted. Nowadays, women can get the same jobs as men and their power is much more appreciated. The 1930’s affected women in a positive way over time as they tried to work their way up in government positions, obtain more profitable jobs, and help provide for their families; but they still had a long ways to go getting equal rights to men.

The most crucial change that occurred in the 1920s was the passing of the 19th Amendment. The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. Continuing the chain reaction, women found more opportunities for employment. For example, advertisers exploited sexual allure to sell everything, which many “old-timers” regarded as a veritable errotic eruption. Although a women’s lifestyle took a giant leap forward, African Americans were still in the same spot.

American women in the late 1800’s received unequal treatment, even more so than in today’s society. Not only were they treated unfairly, they could not even vote until 1920. Moreover, they were unable to obtain certain jobs, and if they did get a job it was from the home. Furthermore, women had little to no say in their decisions. They often had their husbands either picked for them, or mutually agreed upon.

In the 1920s women succeeded well but not without some struggles. Along the way with 19th amendment being so hard for them gaining the right to vote, women’s roles seeing that there not good enough for other than housework and the fashion or style movement with being able not to express yourself the way you should. The 19th Amendment better known as the women’s suffrage era 1920 of the united states

The years beginning just after the Civil War and continuing through the first decade of the twentieth century witnessed a marked change in the social role of white, middle- class American women. This change was characterized by a movement away from a relatively restricted and clearly defined role, toward a much more ambiguous role associated with an expanded sphere of activity. A review of the relevant literature, including both primary and secondary sources, indicates that evidence of women's role change over this period may be grouped into the following general categories: higher education for women; organizational activities of women, including women's clubs, settlement work, and the suffrage movement; women's advancement in the professions;

In the decade of the 1920s, there was enormous social and economic change. In this change, great numbers of women went to work and earned their own income. With income comes taxation and in United States of America as James Otis U.S. politician once said, “Taxation without representation is tyranny” (Ratcliffe, 2014). Therefore, what followed was the right of women to vote; with this, the voice of women where now represented in public office changing forever the political life of the nation. This new independence marked a big step to social equality.