The roaring twenties and the end of traditional American life

Roaring Twenties

The 1920s was a decade marked by dynamic change and upheaval in nearly every facet of American life. The catalyst for many of these changes was the effects of World War I and sharp and steady rise in technological mastery. A particularly fascinating aspect of the decade is the fact that just as nearly facet of life was significantly impacted, the impact of the change on American society ran the spectrum from extremely negative for many to extremely positive for some. As a result, the decade really did roar for all, just in drastically different ways.

The moniker "The Roaring Twenties" is commonly misunderstood. Most conjure images of men and women drinking alcohol at speakeasies, dancing the Charleston while wearing fancy new clothes or following the exploits of Charles Lindberg on their new radios. While, these images do, in fact, accurately reflect life in 1920s America, the real lasting legacy of the decade, and its historical significance to today's America, is that the dramatic levels of change in the American lifestyle, and the fierce resistance to much of that change by many, marked the end of the traditional way of life and ushered in the modern world that American's recognize today.

To best understand the causes, nature, scope and impact of the changing forces of the decade, it is helpful to examine the many facets of society that experienced major upheaval. A close examination of the facets reveals many paradoxical movements and many dichotomies. Often the meanings and significance of one movement stood in direct contrast with the meaning and significance of another movement. World and national politics, gender roles, social mores, business and the workplace, transportation and communication, and entertainment all transformed significantly during the decade, and in turn significantly transformed life in America.

World and National Politics

World Politics and the Post-War Effect

After World War I ended, society at large felt a huge weight lifted off its collective shoulders. The United States invested heavily in the victory of the allies, sending more than a million troops to turn the tide on the battlefield, as well as producing arms and other war material at a tremendously high clip. Further, prevailing sentiment in this country was that the United States was essentially drawn into the war that resulted from European nations' entering into alliances and competing for imperial dominance. Thus, the American role in the world during the 1920s was foreshadowed by Congress' refusal to ratify the Treaty of Versailles or to enter into the League of Nations, and the imposition of high tariffs (Schultz, Prosperity 1). The tariffs and isolationism was all part of the Harding administration's 'Return to Normalcy' platform.

The United States entered into a period of political isolation which reverted its foreign policy to the days of the 19th century. The policy would not change until the German advances on weaker European countries in the mid-1930s signaled the imminence of World War II (and even then, president Roosevelt tried to avoid any official involvement in European affairs into the 1940s). This isolationism mirrors a degree of provincialism that was felt throughout the rest of society during the decades.

National and Domestic Politics

Harding and his Return to Normalcy also saw the government take steps backward as far as many were concerned. His rejection of the government involvement and activism that marked the pre-War progressive era returned the government to a laissez faire style of national economics for the first time in years (Ibid 2). Further, his administration was rocked by significant scandals while he was in office (most notably, the teapot dome scandal which involved illegal kickbacks paid to one of Harding's cabinet members).

Presidents Coolidge and Hoover continued the trends started by Harding. Progressive candidate Robert La Follette was soundly defeated in 1924 in Coolidge, signaling the end of the Progressive era as it had existed before the War (Ibid 3). Coolidge imposed additional tariffs and federal tax cuts and Hoover vetoed a veterans bonus and signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff which created a record high U.S. tariff. It is clear that nation's foreign and domestic policy was one grounded in isolationism and fiscal conservatism.

The impact of the Roaring Twenties politics is not that felt directly by its policies, but rather from the policies put in place as result of the backlash of the Twenties, the Great Depression (Shultz, Frustration 6). Roosevelt's antidote for the Depression was to increase government spending and activism exponentially, as well as return the United States to free trade practices. The onset of World War II has forever since eliminated isolation as a viable policy option as the United States has taken a lead role in the post-War march to globalization and interdependence.

Gender Roles

The fundamental change of women's role society in the Twenties was that the 19th Amendment had been ratifies by all of the states as of 1920. Thus, women enjoyed universal suffrage (subject to the same Jim Crow legislation as the men) for the first time. Suffrage was a major catalyst in a decade of change for women. This change was not only marked by stark contrast, it also laid the foundations of modern feminism.

According to the prevailing research in this area, women underwent a sexual liberation in the 1920s that was sparked by the work of Sigmund Freud and others, which made it acceptable for women to embrace their sexuality (Best 4). As a result, the 1920s saw women wearing more risque clothing (by the standards of that day), sporting sexier haircuts and engaging in frequenting the dance halls until the early morning hours (these women were termed 'flappers'). This, in a sense, was an extension of the female embrace of the capitalism of the era, where women for the first time had the opportunity to live life on their terms (Simmons 17).

Many women began attending colleges and universities for the first time. This was changed was considered paradoxical as it is believed that many women went to college with the intention of finding of husband. Whether or not this is true, women now faced the choice of forging their own career or fitting into society's model of a good housewife as a stay at home mom and serving as the CEO of the nuclear family (Simmons 20). This choice brought out conflicting emotions among many young women, as it has continued to do ever since.

Social Mores and Values

National Business and Capitalism

The 1920s were in fact an economic boom time for some and there was a chance for upward mobility greater than in previous generations. Tremendous consumer demand and increased factory productivity created industry captains, while the rise in finance and insurance industries created new wealth for others. The rise of big cities and big skyscrapers in New York and Chicago conjured the image of what was the 'Roaring Twenties' for many.

Workers, Farmers and Other Destitute Groups

For a far greater number of people, slice of the pie did not increase significantly. Labor Unions took a major step back during the 1920s. Unions suffered a number defeats in major strikes that left them dramatically weakened (Zinn Chapter 15). Also, because unions were long associated with radical, socialist and communist ideology, unions and labor leaders grew increasingly unpopular after World War I, as the country longed for its 'return to normalcy' and embraced a collective capitalist and laissez faire doctrine (Ibid.). As a result, the working class lost much of its economic clout gained during the Progressive era.

American farmers were perhaps the hardest hit economically in the 1920s. Advances in machinery decreased the demand for manual laborers at the same time that food prices dropped (McDean 79). Thus the farm laborer found his services were not needed or profitable and many were lured to the industrial boom towns. Without labor or the capital needed to purchase the new farming equipment, the small independent farmer was not to compete with larger farms. Small farms could no longer remain independent and many farmers were forced to merge into cooperatives in order to remain viable (Ibid 82). Also, President Coolidge declined to sign a bill which would have granted relief to thousands of farmers (Ibid 85). During the 1920s while this transition was taking place, many small farmers suffered enormous hardship.

While women did make gains in terms of acceptance in the workplace, many lost their factory and industry jobs to returning soldiers after the war. African-American women were particularly hard hit, finding employment opportunities mostly limited to the areas of field work and domestic servant work. The one really bright spot for women, and all working class laborers, was that there were plenty of jobs available as a result of the industrial growth.

Transportation and Communications

The United States became a smaller place as automobiles and telephones became readily available for many Americans in the 1920s. While not found in every household, these items were no longer limited to only the wealthiest as in previous years. Henry Ford's assembly line production in his Detroit plant paved the way for American production for the remainder of the century. As the automobile and telephone increased in popularity and availability, the modern day United States infrastructure began to develop. As highways and Interstate highways and telephone lines connected the country to both coasts, electrical lines, indoor plumbing and sewer systems brought the American lifestyle firmly into the 20th century.

One new innovation that roared during the Twenties was that of air flight. While invented prior to the start of the decade, passenger travel became a reality through the skies during the Twenties. The world hailed Charles Lindbergh as he completed the first solo-transatlantic flight from New York to Paris. Robert Goddard discovered rocket propulsion which laid the foundation for the space program in the 1950s.

Entertainment and Culture

Entertainment saw one of the bigger transformations in American life. As much as aspect of society, the entertainment world incorporated all of the changes enveloping society. The Entertainment world of the Twenties also gave birth to the modern world of entertainment that we know today. Movies, music and sports provided the lifeblood of our society's entertainment culture, just as they do today.

While 'movies' were introduced prior to the 1920s, the introduction of movies with sound, called 'talkies,' took the country by storm. Sports were the forum for larger than life personalities Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey and football began to develop an enormous following, as well, though the college game was the popular version and professional football was quite fledgling in the 1920s. Jazz, a purely American style of music became popular in the 1920s as a form of entertainment available to nearly everyone via commercial radio stations, another invention of the decade (Brown 3).

The entertainment and cultural changes in society were profound and its impact on society tells the story of the Roaring Twenties from the positive perspective. Talking pictures, commercial radio stations, Jazz, Babe Ruth and Charles Lindberg were larger than life achievements and/or figures that were 100% American (Ibid.). While Americans took pride in the accomplishments of their countrymen to be sure, these achievements and people proved that to Americans, absolutely nothing was impossible (Ibid.). This sense of unbridled optimism, partnered with a booming economy and the end of the World War (and the end of the world-wide Influenza epidemic of 1919), did make many Americans roar with life, vitality and prosperity.

Conclusion

The Roaring Twenties were a distinct period in United States (and world) history. Some portions of the population declared 'Full Speed Ahead!' At the breakneck pace and massive scope of the changes taking place within society. Others pulled on the brake level and held on for dear life. The changes that came about, and the further changes that were heralded for the near future, pitted society against itself. Those who embraced the change struggled with those who resisted it. Those who resisted the change perhaps had more to lose, for once change sweeps through society, the old landscape does not return and this is the crossroads that the Roaring Twenties presented.

It is difficult to say the Twenties roared because of the financial boom, when it only boomed for a small percentage of the population. It is difficult to say that the Twenties roared because of the gains made by women and other minority groups given the popularity of the Ku Klux Klan and the anti-immigrant exclusionary laws. Likewise, how can a decade roar due to its scientific achievement, when state governments are prosecuting school teachers for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution? Even further, entertainment hit new heights and even more people got to enjoy theatre, spectator sports and the arts, but much of the nation supported the 18th amendment which took away society's right to drink. Finally, Americans conquered the skies spanning the globe while deciding that nothing worthwhile was happening beyond its own borders.

The Roaring Twenties roared because Americans faced overwhelming change and accomplishment and an equally overwhelming resistance to that change and accomplishment. The United States became as disjointed as it has ever been. This was not due to civil war or any singular polarizing issue such as slavery or World War, but due to an overall indecisiveness of where American society was heading. As the modernization of the world and society became more inevitable and each year brought more new choices and issues that did not exist previously, America struggled loudly to collectively make these choices and sort through the issues. This was the roar that was heard throughout the Twenties. In this sense, America has been roaring ever since.