Life_in_the_1920s

Life in the 1920s The 1920s were prosperous times, with new inventions, new enjoyment activities, and a booming economy. This was also a time of new fads, increased pay in the cities, and the beginning of women government officials. However, not everyone was benefitting; for those out in the country, this was a time of extreme poverty. Immigrants and African-Americans were also sorely discriminated against. There were many wonderful accomplishments during the 1920s such as women’s’ voting rights and female government officials. People who lived in the city in the 1920s were being paid better wages and life was generally better, so everyone thought there was nothing but good times ahead. There were new inventions such as radios and movie theaters, which were used during the leisure time inventions such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners created. With much more spare time, sports such as baseball and football were becoming more popular, and many sports stars came to fame. There was also the Harlem Renaissance, a time when African-Americans were becoming recognized and respected. New fads were springing up, such as dance halls and jazz music, both of which were popular with the younger generation, and there were also some stranger trends, such as pole sitting and dance marathons. Young women were becoming more independent, and were doing things such as wearing shorter dresses and showing up to nine inches of their legs. Some were known as flappers. A flapper was a modern woman of the 1920s. She wore a short dress and didn’t mind being seen in public as someone who was daring. She went out with men and didn’t mind being seen as someone who was aggressive. Not everything was good in the 1920s. The price of metal, coal, and grains had fallen to new lows, making food and supplies in the cities cheap, but left miners and farmers very poor. They tried to get laws passed to help them, but were unsuccessful due to Calvin Coolidge using a laissez-fair kind of government. People in the city were overspending, investing in unfit stock, and using too much credit, which later on helped cause the great depression. There was an increase in smoking among the younger people, especially girls. There were also problems when the 18th amendment and the Volstead Act were passed outlawing alcohol, which led to bootlegging and increased crime due to gangs warring with each other over control of alcohol. Immigration was also seen as a problem, so quotas were set, and as a result,cj only a certain number of immigrants were allowed in the country per year. Any extra immigrants were sent back to their country. If the immigrants did make it through, they had to pass a humiliating inspection, and afterwards, they would live in the slums and work for very little pay. Discrimination was common. Sometimes, immigrants were found guilty of crimes they didn’t commit, such as the Sacco & Vanzetti case. African-Americans were also severely mistreated. Literacy tests and Jim Crow laws were passed to keep them from voting, and almost everything was heavily segregated. Americans were nervous with so many people of different races around, and often violently rioted against them. The Klu Klux Klan became popular because it built on and exaggerated people’s fears to where people wanted to take action, and since many people had minimal education, they believed the lies told to them. As you can see, the 1920s could be the best or the worst of times; it just depends on the point of view. On one hand, things were good because people in the city were being paid more, spending more leisure time, and using new inventions such as refrigerators and automobiles: on the other hand, Miners and farmers became very poor, older people thought that society’s morals were taking a turn for the worse, and immigrants were not being tolerated. I will not try to influence your decision, but inn my opinion, the 1920s were not that great, and I personally would not have wanted to live during that time.