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1920's Decade

Decent Essays

The “Roaring Twenties”, the “Jazz Age”, the decade that went from “Boom to Bust”, whatever you call it, the 1920s is known as a time of prosperity, optimism, and opportunity. At a glance the twenties could easily be considered the most influential decade in history. From the newly modified fashion trends and the developing music industry, to the life changing scientific and technological advancements, the 1920s was a time of constant change. Government rulings, like the 18th and 19th Amendments and the Prohibition Act, worked to quickly dictate the direction society was headed. The production of developments in the big cities like the Yankee Stadium, Sears store, and Wrigley Building founded ideas of a promising future (people). New figures, …show more content…

Once the war ended, the men returned and life began to assume it’s original responsibilities. But, women decided they were no longer content to go back to living life as it was before, acting only as family caretakers. After a period of fighting back against the ways of the past, women across the nation were able to rejoice with the passing of the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920 (people). This document granted women suffrage. And that was only the very beginning. Soon women found themselves in a whole new world. With their new empowerment, females across the nation set out on a mission to redefine the role of a woman ("The 1920s." gale). In 1925, Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first female governor in the U.S. (people). But, despite many women’s efforts to be seen as equal, discrimination was still very prevalent. The female population was only offered a belittling number of jobs; and in most cases men were still getting a higher pay ("The 1920s." gale). Yet, in spite of these conditions, women were making a new name for themselves by proving they were worth more than what they were being given credit for.
Along with these two new societal changes, they was also a lot changing economically. Large northern cities played a huge role in making the 1920s the big booming era it is seen as today. Business skyrocketed throughout the decade. With the …show more content…

She was given the name ‘Flapper’. Flappers were the new and improved version of the independent, futuristic woman. But, rather subversively, many from the 20s would disagree; saying they were more accurately known as the downfall of mankind. Either way, flappers had unique look, characterized by their short dresses, bobbed hair, long necklaces, silk stocking, and excessiveness in every other aspect of fashion ("The 1920s." gale). Often times, they were even seen smoking cigarettes, which were renamed "torches of freedom" to symbolize the new beginning women were creating for themselves (Digital History). As they passed the time of their debut, flappers became commonly known for reputing all orthodox norms originally associated with their gender. Prior to the flapper movement women wore ankle length skirts and dresses, gloves on Sundays, and hats covering their long hair. Now, even the old swimsuits were being replaced by the new one piece swimsuit. An excerpt from a 1922 newspaper article titled Flappers Upheld By This Minister states, “The short dresses of the young girls commonly called flappers have almost become the usual thing now, and have lost much of the suggestiveness they were said to have at first. The practice has lost much of the element of newness which offends our naturally conservative selves. That is where most of our horror at

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