Contradictions In The 1920's

The 1920s' in America was a decade full of contradictions, characterized by both optimism, youth, and prosperity, and a growing conservative trend, isolation, and intolerance. I will examine two of these contradictions and explore how they contributed to the development of America during the 1920's and further on. Overlooking the era's overall sense of optimism, driven by economic growth and a youthful spirit, the presence of conservative values and beliefs shaped the nation's approach and had lasting effects on society. Also, this statement the contradictions of optimism and conservatism in the 1920's played a significant role in shaping America's development, leaving a lasting effect on its economic, social, and political landscape.

The Roaring Twenties was a prime era for women. Because of the toils of many strong women, ideals were flipped on their head, to America’s benefit. In the late 1800’s, two women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, quickly realized that women would not be able to share their political views unless given the right to vote. Because of the fact that women had basically no other societal roles besides housework, they were not respected during this time period.

The Eighteenth Amendment which instituted prohibition in America and its territories was an interesting attempt at using the constitutional amendment process to shape social and moral behavior in America. Until the Twenty-First Amendment which repealed prohibition, the road to prohibition in America dates back to colonial days. Although the amendment did not last as it was reversed by the Twenty-First Amendment less than 15 years later, along the way, the battleground for prohibition grew from local organizations to a national political party and set new interpretations for the Constitutional amendment process and played an important role in in American history. The Eighteenth Amendment was the high-water mark for what is often referred to

December 17, 1917, the United States House of Representatives approve the 18th Amendment (which prohibit the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages of any sort in the United States) with a vote of 382 to 128.A day later, the US Senate agreed on the Amendment with a vote of 47 to 8. A year after, over three-quarters of the fifty states ratified the Amendment. The 18th Amendment officially went into effect somewhere in the early 1920s. America became known as the dry country. The 18th Amendment lasted for 13 years until both the Senate and the House voted to remove the Amendment.

Temporary fun with lifelong consequences; alcohol. In 1919 the 18th amendment was ratified, this amendment declared it illegal to manufacture, transport and sell alcoholic beverages. America repealed Prohibition due to the crime rate increasing, failure of enforcement and no money being made off of alcohol. Due to the crime rate increasing majorly during Prohibition America had second thoughts on it. The US Census and FBI Uniform Crime Reports in Drug War Facts shows us a graph representing the homicide rate before, during and after the years of Prohibition.

This would lead to illegal activities such as bootlegging and speakeasies. The most dreadful thing it would lead to was the rise of the famous mobster Al Capone. Al Capone was a famous mobster during the prohibition because he controlled the trafficking of alcohol in Chicago during this time. Capone made $60 million dollars a year from bootlegging illegal alcohol. The reason he made so much money was because he spent $75 million bribing the police throughout 1925-1931.

In 1920 The United States congress passed an amendment that banned the production of alcohol for recreational use but not for private use. The Prohibition Act or 18th Amendment was written to ban the selling, production, and transportation of alcohol. Famous mobsters like Al Capone and others decided to fill the void and America saw an increase in the consumption of alcohol. Rather than stopping crime in America the Prohibition Act actually created more crime with the creation of bootlegging and illegal saloons and pubs were formed.

Just think, no wine.no beer,no whiskey. This is prohibition. The leaders of the prohibition movement were alarmed at the drinking behavior of Americans. The law was ratified by the Federal and state government In January,1919.Prohibition in the United States was a measure designed to reduce drinking by eliminating the businesses that manufactured, distributed, and sold alcoholic beverages. The Eighteenth Amendment (prohibition law) to the United States Constitution took away license to do business from the brewers, distillers, vintners, and the wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages.

However, the law made the sale, manufacture, and use of all alcohol illegal. Prohibition failed because it was not easily enforced, it destroyed businesses and jobs, and lead to the rise of organized crime. It was a nice day on January 16th, 1919 when the 18th Amendment was ratified in congress and many celebrated the outlawing of alcohol. It didn’t take long however for people to find ways to break the law without getting caught which flourished the illegal alcohol trade. Speak-easies were popular during the 1920s and would be

Jim Crow laws were still prevalent and continued to restrict their freedom (Doc D). During the 1920s, the American economy took a giant step forward. Economic prosperity put the “roar” into the twenties. A new

In life, there are few things as organic as jazz music. With its raw sound and scrappy roots, one cannot help but feel life head-on whilst witnessing players produce such a sound right before their eyes. Its origins and arch are a product of the United States’ national culture and identity. Jazz exists not only as a deeply rooted form of art but as a cultural marker, particularly during its commercial peak in the first half of the 20th century. Its impact transcends borders, and it is one of the most beloved musical genres worldwide.

Gangsters were given a medium to fully exercise their territorial influence with the ban of alcohol. In the article "7 Chicago Gangsters Slain by Firing Squad of Rivals, Some in Police Uniforms” Gale explains the significance of the newspaper written by the New York Times about the St. Valentine's Day Massacre 1929. In the article it states, “Capone's notoriety reached its zenith on February 14, 1929, when seven members of a rival gang were killed in what came to be known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Capone was widely believed to have ordered the killings, although he was in Florida at the time. The massacre, which

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.

During the 1920s, Word War I had just ended and people were ready to celebrate. Although 1920 had its good times and perks, some bad things were going on, like cultural clashes. The first major cultural clash was the Great Migration. The Great Migration is known as the relocation of more than 6 million African Americans from the rural south to the urban north cities. The second major cultural clash was the national origins act.

Throughout the 1920s, or the Roaring 20s, there were many cultural clashes that that stemmed from debates and disagreements over modern values. Politically, America turned away from the past progressive values and began a more conservative approach. Religiously, there was a strong clash between Fundamentalists and Modernists about how significant the bible should impact daily life. Most significantly, society turned away from the past Fundamentalist views.