The Roaring Twenties In The 1920's

women over 30 the vote at the end of the war cannot have been as a

The era of the Roaring Twenties, was a time of great societal change. Many of these changes were greatly influenced by jazz music. During this time, the country was coming out of World War I and the attitude of most people was dark and dismal. Dance and music clubs became tremendously popular in an effort to improve the quality of life for many people.

In the time of the 1920s, a group of women decided that they were done being shown around like dolls and given no respect. These women wanted rights and to have independence, and to not constantly have to rely on a man to get the job done. They decided to get and hold onto steady jobs and became single, young, middle class women. These women were called flappers. They were ones who went to jazz clubs, vaudeville shows, and danced the Charleston. You could also find them smoking and drinking just like any other man would. Flappers extinguished any social double standards about women that was out there in that time. The look of that time was one that has stood out in history since it was first worn. Bobbed, shoulder length hair, loads of makeup,

F. Scott Fitzgerald once stated,“The parties were bigger, the pace was faster, the shows were broader, the buildings were higher, the morals were looser, and the liquor was cheaper” (“30 Famous The Great Gatsby Quotes”). The time after the war known as the Roaring Twenties harbored change for not only the economy but for the people also. Credit materialized, becoming available for citizens to use on new products such as the vacuum cleaner and the washing machine which allotted more time for the people to have to themselves. The 1920s, a time of celebration and prosperity, eventually ended as a result of a sudden economic crash, because of the effects from the times.

An event that happened in America in the decade of the 1920s there was a large creative movement that affected or encouraged change in the United States history. According to the online Openstax textbook called U.S. History published by P. Scott Corbett, Volker Janssen, John M. Lund, Todd Pfannenstiel and Paul Vickery states “This mixture of social, political, economic, and cultural change and conflict gave the decade the nickname the “Roaring Twenties” or the “Jazz Age”.” A widespread of economic prosperity, social change and a form of expression made a way for society to begin to walk down the path of the modern age. Especially for women, African Americans, and the youth generation. Thereby, redefining the nation for the youth to forget about the post-world war one era and embrace the new morality, for African American to showcase their intellectual contributions and link their struggle to the world, for women to expand their human rights and be liberated from society standards, and for American to begin their new lives because of invention in medicine and technology. So, how did the Roaring Twenties and or the Jazz Age affect the decade of the 1920s in the United States history?

Another reason why women got acknowledged and got their right to vote was because of the Women Conference. “It wasn’t until 1848 that the issue of women’s rights was forced into the open, thanks to the Women’s Rights Convention” The women’s right convention made sure that the men would not be able to look away from what they have always wanted. The Women’s right convention is viewed as the beginning of the fight for the women’s right. The Conference was the turning point in the fight for equality in women’s right to vote, work, etc. Two of the many women that led the movement Were Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady. “Anthony’s decades of crusading—including casting a ballot in the presidential election of 1872, which led to her arrest and trial—made her a hero of the fight for equal rights for women in America.” This was also a turning point because one of the women who led the movement of women’s right to vote took it into her own hands and went to vote. It showed that women were not backing down and that they wanted/deserved the right to vote.

The style and cut of women's clothing during the 1920's changed drastically. Waistlines dropped dramatically while hemlines rose scandalously. Turned-down hose were no longer black, but beige. Rouged knees, bobbed hair, and figureless figures characterized the "radical flappers". These women violated many of the rules dictating appropriate clothing and behavior for women. The

The 1920’s are commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties. Many factors during the time played significant roles in earning the decade this name. Economic conditions and developments in the arts and entertainment were some of the most impacting among these factors. Economic conditions and developments in the arts and entertainment helped create the reputation of the 1920’s as the Roaring Twenties. Economic conditions gave people a feeling of economic prosperity. They also allowed people to buy a lot of things on credit. Developments in the arts and entertainment created a culture of free expression by granting women the ability to express their opinions more clearly than they were able to in years prior and encouraging jazz and dancing.

The 1920s, or better known as the roaring twenties changed the lives of women in America politically, physically and mentally. Women were granted more freedom, the right to vote, changed their physical appearance, and focused on materialistic goals instead of moral values. Before World War I, women would wear a high collar, long straight skirts below the knee and long hair that was tied loosely. The roaring twenties brought along swing dancing and jazz which changed the way women dressed and danced. Not only did the roaring twenties bring along flourishing taste in music, but flappers came into play. Flappers were women who wore short sparkly dresses, cut their hair into a bob, wore heavy make-up, drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes and partied all night.

One of the most interesting and influential time frames in the history of America was the 1920’s, or the Roaring Twenties. The Roaring Twenties was in the decade of the 20’s (1920 to 1929) and was called the “Roaring Twenties” because people in America just boomed. World War I just ended and people prospered because of it. The society was like a well-oiled machine, with everyone dancing and using similar slang, and a lot of people enjoyed it. Not everything was great, because this was also the time where prohibition of alcohol came into play, and the Ku Klux Klan gained popularity as a result. Even though all of these were prevalent at the time, how did the Twenties affect history as a whole?

The first reason “The Roaring Twenties” became a title for the 1920s is because of the progression in politics. Just coming out of World War I the United States needed to be turned around. In the early parts of the 1920s the United States was going through a process called demobilization, which is “The process… or transition from wartime to peacetime production level and employment levels”. When 4.5 million men coming back from war and seeking employment and putting the recently employed women back out of work and with the start of numerous riots, America was in desperate need of a president who could lead them out of the turmoil. In the election of 1920, Warren G. Harding was elected president. “Harding ran a pro-business platform that promised tax revision, higher tariffs, limits on immigration, and some aid to farmers.” Harding also promised that America would return to normal during his presidency which captured the attention of the distraught Americans. Harding did many great things for America such as merging companies which brought “greater efficiency and high profits” to businesses. Towards the end of Harding’s presidency

The Roaring Twenties were a time of new behaviors, attitudes, and freedoms which were all presented during the Prohibition. The Roaring Twenties were an era of social, political, and dramatic change. During this age, freedoms were expanded yet, in some cases, they were diminished. Prohibition was an enormous part of this era. Prohibition was ratified as the 18th Amendment in 1919, banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol. The three main contributions from Prohibition were: bootlegging, organized crime, and the failure of Prohibition. Prohibition very much contributed to the atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties in a detrimental way to society by creating a period of time in which even the average citizen broke the law.

There is a controversial debate about the 1920s, whether it was “roaring” or whether is was destitute. In the perspective of some historians, the 1920s brought a rapid increase in urbanization and boom in the economy, however, these historians fail to see the evident terrors that the 1920s brought. The positive uproar on the 1920s did not stand a chance against the rising negative roar of residential schools, the Stock Market Crash, and credit debt. Due to these tragic events, 1920s was brought a dark and negative atmosphere rather than one of contentment.

Thanks to Coco Chanel, the iconic flapper image most closely associated with the roaring twenties came about. The flapper and flapper image didn’t actually come to be until around 1926 and even then was only in style for about three years. Typical flappers were women who appeared to have a bold attitude and were independent women who didn’t adhere to the previously innocent housewife image. A flapper usually had a bob haircut, a shorter than average dress, a flat chest, wore tons of make-up, drank illegal alcohol, smoked with a long cigarette holder, exposed her limbs and danced the Charleston. This was a drastic change from the typical American housewife to the reckless rebel. The flapper dresses stressed above the knee hemlines and construed straight, sleek shapes. This was the first time in centuries women’s legs were being seen in a garment. (1920s Fashion 1) Flappers loved to jazz up their costume and even their image. Many flappers’ dresses were adorned with jewels and intricate beading. The main object of the flapper image was to appear almost boyish rather than looking feminine. (1920s clothing 1)

After World War 1, America had to demobilize and revert back to a peace time economy. During the 1920’s, it was viewed as a prosperous economy since there was a new labor force due to demobilization, new inventions, and a new infrastructure. Also moral spirits were high since America along with the Allied Powers defeated Germany and the Great War was finally over. However, America began making many economic policies and decisions that will eventually lead up to the Great Depression.