After completing this class I now have a more well rounded idea of the 1920s that is not primarily focused on glamorous lifestyles. This course forced me to think outside of the United States during the 1920s. I learned about Russian revolutions and the country’s political and economic instability that led to the rise of people such as Stalin and Putin. Even events that took place in America had global impacts that I did not consider prior to taking this class. I learned how commercializing airlines reshaped the global economy. One of the first companies to utilize airplanes was Delta who created crop dusters, commercial, and passenger planes during the 1920s. I learned about Mussolini’s rise to power in 1922 when he and his supporters marched on Rome which would allow Mussolini to take control of the country. This event is significant to the modern day United States January 6th attempted coup where supporters of a politician were urged to upset a democratic process and install said politician. Throughout this class I also learned about the Greco-Turkish war which resulted in a genocide that remains disputed by the Greeks modern day. The war was also significant because it signaled instability with countries and the soon to be World War II. Aside from major global events I learned about numerous historical figures varying in significance. I learned about the famous actor Charlie Chaplin who pioneered the comedy film industry. While Chaplin was a positive influence on another figure, Albert Wiggin played a large role in the end of the century stock market crash because of his trading methods. Overall this course taught me a lot about the 1920s.
Ramapo College senior majoring in history. My concentration is in the 1920s machine politics in major cities. In particular the unsustainability of the machine politic model.
