When people think of the 1920s, they usually first think about the defining features and characteristics of the decade that have earned it the name, the “Roaring Twenties”. Speakeasies, flappers, Prohibition, the rise of jazz music, and the Great Gatsby all contribute to the idea that the 1920s was a time of excitement, wealth, and carefree lifestyles. However, the decade was much more than just one big party.
Flappers, while important for helping break stereotypes against women, were not the only source of female empowerment. During the 1920s, women held more jobs than ever before and the passing of the 19th Amendment finally gave women the right to vote, a huge step towards gender equality in America. While women were becoming a more prominent part of American society, so was consumer culture. Following the end of World War I, Americans began to have extra money, which they spent on products that made everyday life easier, such as home appliances, cars, and radios. The radio, in particular, was widely successful and it revolutionized people’s ways of life. News, information, and entertainment could be broadcasted to a large population and as a result, knowledge spread rapidly throughout the United States. Another important occurrence of the 1920s that people often forget is the first Red Scare at the start of the decade. Being that the United States had been built on democracy and capitalism, the rise of Communism in Europe scared many Americans. Thus, the first Red Scare led to mass hysteria, an anti-immigrant sentiment, and a tremendous amount of distrust. While the 1920s was a period of excitement, it was also a period of social movements, innovation, cultural changes, and shifts in politics.
Upon searching for images of “the 1920s” in Google, the images that come up confirm my initial belief that many people only know the decade as the “Roaring Twenties”. Many of the pictures depict women in the latest fashion, people dancing together, and new cars. If someone who knew nothing about the decade were to look at these photos, they would probably assume that life in the 1920s was a party. Yet, while the pictures are arguably the “surface level” of the 1920s, they still provide insight into the era. For example, one picture depicts assembly line workers working at the Ford Motor Company. Cars greatly improved people’s quality of life because they could reach new job opportunities, visit friends and family more often, and travel to places they had never been before. The popularity of automobiles also created jobs because companies needed workers for their car factories, as well as workers in the industries from which the automobile materials came from. In the same Google search, there are many images that portray what Prohibition was like. Prohibition, the nationwide ban on alcohol, greatly influenced American culture because it led to the creation of speakeasies, one of the highlights of the “Roaring Twenties”. As previously stated, the images that come up on an initial search of the 1920s make the period seem rich, exciting, and vibrant. While it was all of that and more for some, the “Roaring Twenties” proved to be trying times for most.
Bibliography
- Amadeo, Kimberly. “1920s Economy: What Made the Twenties Roar.” The Balance. Updated April 13, 2020.
- Schild, Darcy. “50 Nostalgic Photos of What the World Looked like in the 1920s.” Insider. January 17, 2020.
Rachel is a junior at Ramapo College of New Jersey taking Discovering Digital History in the Spring of 2021. She is studying History and Education and is looking forward to becoming a teacher after graduating.
