After learning a lot more about the 1920s than what Hollywood and high school English classes have taught me, my perception on the 1920s has changed slightly. While the ideas I knew about prior were still part of the decade, there is a lot more to the 1920s than flappers, bootlegging, big parties, and organized crime.
Airport Of The Ages
While I was researching local history, I discovered that the Newark Metropolitan Airport (now called Newark Liberty International Airport), had its humble beginnings in 1928. As it predated LaGuardia Airport by 11 years, Newark Metropolitan was an aviation milestone. It was also the first airport to feature a paved runway instead of a gravel one, and an air traffic control tower. Both of these allowed pilots to take off and land easier and safer than before. Communication between pilots in the air, in the ground, and air traffic control allowed for more efficient takeoffs/landings. Not knowing much about the 1920s before enrolling in this class, I would not have known any sort of air traffic control technology, even as rudimentary as it was, existed in 1928. To learn that this sort of technology traces all the way back almost 100 years was not only very interesting to me, it actually blew my mind.
An early photo of Newark Metropolitan Airport, circa 1928 (reddit)
Post-War Resolution Solutions
After The Great War ended on 11/11/1918, The Allied Powers had come together to outline a plan for world peace. While Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points were widely accepted by the League of Nations (The United Nations predecessor), the general consensus was that Germany was not punished harshly enough. Throughout the War, the German military engaged in chemical warfare, and even sunk civilian ships – both of which went against the Potsdam Conference guidelines for modern warfare. In the spring of 1919, The Treaty of Versailles was drafted – this treaty essentially put all of the blame on Germany for starting the war, and demanded that the nation pay an impossible amount of financial reparations with harsh consequences for non-payment. On January 10, 1920, The Treaty went into effect, after the required number of countries voted to ratify it. 2/3 of the attendees of the Paris Peace conference were needed to ratify the Treaty; 32 countries attended, and 21 were needed to ratify. Interestingly, 42 countries voted in favor. I personally was not aware the Treaty of Versailles was enacted in 1920! I would have assumed the Treaty would have been put in place as soon as the War was over, considering how harshly the other nations wanted to punish Germany and how much money in reparations was wanted.
A copy of the Treaty of Versailles in English, Auckland Museum
In Conclusion
After learning more about the 1920s than meets the eye, I can say confidently say there was more than just bootlegging, Gatsby-Style parties, organized crime, and flappers. Advancements in the aviation field, and an interesting political climate began brewing. In January 1920, the Treaty of Versailles was enacted after being ratified with over 131% of the amount of countries needed. Although it did not directly cause it, the Treaty did lead to a domino of events that lead to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the beginning of World War II. Towards the end of the decade, The Newark Metropolitan Airport opened – the first commercial airport in the NYC/North Jersey area to feature both a paved runway and an air traffic control tower. I did not even know the technology to operate ATC existed in 1928, so this was very interesting to read and learn about!
Works Cited
Treaty of Versailles, English Version. June 28, 1919. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Treaty_of_Versailles,_English_version.jpg.
u/rollotomasi07071. Newark Airport, Circa 1928. 2021. Reddit. https://i.redd.it/6f639dty5uq71.jpg.
Jacob is a Communication Arts student at Ramapo College. Although creating custom merchandise and promotional products is his passion, he has a soft spot for discovering interesting and obscure history.
