Honors History Essay #3

The Roaring 20's ushered in many new changes for American society, culture, the US economy, technology and more. Describe the most significant changes during the 1920's. Support your essay with direct evidence (quotes, statistics, etc.) from relevant history texts such as Nation of Nations and A People's History of the US.

The roaring 20’s was a period that brought new dramatic changes to American society, economical and cultural. The 1920’s are also known as the “Lost Generation” for its nonstop party’s and moral lost. World War one seemed to have destroyed the idea that if you acted virtuously, good things would happen. It was a decade were materialisms was the only thing that matter. This brought a new change to America’s society, the starting of the auto industry, a new liberal woman was born and prohibition started America’s endless war on crime and drug dealing. From 1922 to 1929 the national income in the United States went from $60.7 billion annually to $87.2 billion, its was a time were mostly everyone enjoyed the economical prosperity resulting in a materialistic life.

The automobile industry had a huge impact on American’s economy. The mass production, drove prices down and made them more affordable. In 1918, only 1 in 13 families owned a car but 2 years later, during 1920’s the materialistic era it dramatically changed to 4 out of 5 families had a car. In 1908 Henry Ford began thinking of way to reduce the cost of the Model T. He wanted to make affordable and durable but still sold for $825. He began with the idea of using international parts, instead of a single worker producing a car from begging to end, have each worker be trained to perform a single task this help reduce the cost and manufacture the cars faster. By 1914 he had reduce the cost to $490 and 1920’s the Model T cost only $310 affordable for a middle class family. At first, a buyer had to purchase the car in cash, banks were did not want to lend money because a car could be moved from place to place, unlike a house or land. But in 1920 general motor introduce buying a car on credit; they formed the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC). By 1926, 75% of all car buyers were in the credit purchase agreements. The number of cars on the road increased from 8 million to 23 million. Thanks to the great majority of materialistic people in the 1920 that wanted to own a car the auto industry developed productive ideas to sale and manufacture a that we still have today.

Women have always been fighting for rights in society, but between the 19oo to the 1920 the roles of women dramatically changed in the united stated. From being a house mom and depending on a men for a living to becoming active and independent. The 19th amendment ratified on August 18, 1920 prohibiting each state and federal government from denying any citizen the right to vote because of that citizen's sex. The amendment gave women freedom. They drank, smoke, danced, vote, they cut her hair, drove automobiles, wore excessive makeup, and went to petting parties “wild parties”. They were known as flappers. Having the opportunity of working gave then extra money of their own, free to buy things that had before been traditionally made at home, such as clothes making them materialistic. They started become more involved with fashion from dressing as a Gibson girl wearing a long straight skirt and a shirt with a high collar to becoming a flapper. A flapper was known as the “new breed” of young woman who wear short skirts, bobbed their hair, and listened to jazz. During this time women started modeling and carrying more about their appearance. In 1921, the first Miss America Pageant took place with a total of eight contestants in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The winner, a 16-year old girl from Washington, D.C., was Margaret Gorman. This began the model and brand industry in United States such as Coco Channel, Christian Dior, Jean Patou, Lanvin and Gucci this were all founded during the 1920’s and are still extremely popular and well know all over the world.

With the incredible materialistic industry of cars and clothes, people wanted more money they wanted better stuff. With the birth of materialism also came ways to make money fast. The 1920 started the begging of the endless war on crime and Bootlegging in the Untied States. Many intelligent people like John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Lester “baby face nelson” Gills and Al Capone took at advantage of the Prohibition Era that prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcohol in the U.S. They all came from a middle or lower class family and wanted a more money. They become a nightmare to the American government, starting the organize crime that US had never seen before. United states was not prepare for crime like this yet, but during this time the FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation was formed and rapidly became powerful and productive. Al Capone was an Italian immigrant how became the boss of a criminal organization known as the Chicago outfit. He was known as an “American Gangster” a bootlegger that smuggled liquor. John Dillinger was a very famous American bank robber born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was considered to most dangerous criminal of the time, but by others he was a modern day Robin Hood. Dillinger was involved in the deaths of many police officers, robbed at least dozen banks, 4 police stations, got more the $300,000.00 during his bank robbery time, and escape from jail twice. Although he spent a lot of time in jail, he always found a way out to continue their criminal “career”. The first time he was sent to jail for stealing a car he said, “I will be the meanest bastard you ever saw when I get out of here." And it become true, the United States were giving 10,000.00$ for his capture. Luckily the prohibition ended in 1933 but change “prepared” America for crime building FBI.

In conclusion, the 1920’s was not so much as the “Lost Generation” a lot of new important things came out that are still here today in our modern America because the materialism of the people. The auto industry grew and became stronger, women become independent and gain voting right, and Prohibition started and prepared America’s endless war on crime and drug dealing. I do agree that it was the roaring20’s a lot of stuff was going on that dramatically changed America in 10 years.

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