Why Is America So Important In The 1920s

1447 Words6 Pages
The 1920s is one of the most fascinating decades in American history. There was social change, new music, and new literature at the time. Families often spent quality time around the radio, listening to their favorite shows. Many Americans also enjoyed dancing. There were many inventions that positively influenced American life. The 1920s weren’t all picture perfect though. There was also the dark side of America which consisted of crime and corruption, racial intolerance, hard times for immigrants and farmers, and the 1929 stock market Black Tuesday crash. Not to mention, there wasn't a lot of medicines back then for illness, and troops were sent to protect US lives and property in Nicaragua and China. Was America really as great as everyone…show more content…
In the 1920s a new kind of woman emerged. She was called a flapper. The flapper was a thoroughly modern young woman who was very independent. She had a job and could drive a car. Her dresses were not down to her ankles, and she never wore a corset. She smoked in public and drank at speakeasies. She also danced the Charleston. She read women’s magazines and went to the movies. These told her what to wear and how to behave. Cigarette advertising was now geared toward women as a diet like gimmick. She cut her hair short and wasn’t as ‘Lady Like’ as the early 1900s ladies. Women were able to cut through the ties of being held back, and only being there to be seen and not heard. They were able to gain a new independence, and it wasn’t as frowned upon as before. The flapper of the 1920s represented consumer culture more than it represented the release of…show more content…
Womens house work was drastically decreased. Before World War I, only 20% of American homes had electricity. By the end of the 1920s, 70% did. Mass production produced affordable appliances. The electrical appliance made housework much easier. For the first time, women had electric stoves, refrigerators, and vacuums to make life easier. Another great invention of the time was the radio. The first commercial radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh, was created in the 1920s. Then the first presidential election returns were broadcasted. There was religious broadcasts, boxing matches, the first World Series, and more were played all over the nation. By 1922 there was over 500 radio stations, and in 1926 NBC became the first radio network. Radio was able to conquer distance. And for the first time, the farmers heard the same thing as New York City. There was a new sharing of popular culture. People everywhere heard the same news, music, speeches, stock market reports, and commercials. This quote from 1922 sums up the

More about Why Is America So Important In The 1920s

Open Document