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The american dream in the 1920s
Prosperity america 1920s
The american dream in the 1920s
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In America, the popular dream is to be happy and to be surrounded by loved ones. Back in the 1920’s though, things were very different. The main focus of the American Dream was to have a big house, an abundance of money, and to be high up on the social ladder. This oftentimes causes a deprivation of happiness, but back then it did not seem to matter. It was not of concern to them.
“The American Dream” was the lifestyle that everyone wanted to have. Starting in the 1920s’ “The American Dream” changed the way most Americans lived their lives. America went from being all about having fun and being free to all about how rich you are and how much money you have. The things people cared about was who could through the bigger better party, who had the nicest house and car, and who had the richest most beautiful women not about loyalty, hope, peace, and happiness.
The Roaring Twenties was a time of drastic reform; both in social regards and many others. One of the many things that had been born from the twenties is undoubtedly the American Experience. To people at the time, the term American Experience meant a plethora of things. It was a term that was unique to each individual, and stood for their goal, or maybe the lack thereof, or perhaps it stood for their own character and defined their whole life. Regardless, the American Experience was entirely adaptable; writing from the many authors that stemmed from this time had proved that to be true.
The economy of the United States in the 1920s was a mere facade. It started off strong, but ended disastrously. Though there were plenty of inventions, all the prosperity was on the front because a stock crash put it all to an end. This uncovered the truth that was hiding behind the prosperity, the economy crumbling. When the Second Industrial Revolution began at the end of the nineteenth century, it lasted into the early twentieth century, profoundly transforming the American economy.
Life in the 1920’s was far from bland. It was filled with color and excitement, modernism and flappers, carefree living and prosperity. There seems to be no better way than the “American Way”. The economy was thriving, republicanism was making its way back to the top, cultures were being intertwined, and the introduction of Jazz music would have an impact on society that will forever be unforgettable. The 1920s was an era of economic, political, cultural, and musical change.
The 1830’s was full of hopes and dreams, according to John Downe America in his letter to his wife. Downe explains to his wife what it's like to be living the American Dream. He portrays America as a place of “equality” and “liberty”. He reassures his wife that it is a safe place, as he is the one experiencing the United States himself. Downe also attempts to convince his wife by assuring her of the most basic need, food for herself and her kids.
In short, the American Dream of attaining fortune and happiness was the central idea in the mind of most Americans of the 1920s. The influence of the industrial revolution motivated people to fulfil their ambition, either honesty or dishonesty. In so
According to The Balance, the American Dream is defined as “the ideal that the government should protect each person's opportunity to pursue their own idea of happiness.” The United States Declaration of Independence supports this definition by saying, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. " This means that the country was founded on the idea of pursuing happiness.
The United States of America has often been recognized as the place to live if you are seeking the iconic American Dream. To this end, generations of Americans, like Keith Yarborough, have grown up in a country where democracy and the tenets of self determination are the primary aspects of life. Thousands of immigrants have fled repression and flocked to the United States for just this reason. Each American has the right and opportunity to become successful, which is why the nation boasts many famous entrepreneurs.
America of the 1920s was that of a country that had emerged successfully and wealthy from the first biggest war the world had ever seen. Their economy had become rich making and selling war time goods, ands the country was booming. The factory’s that had been the backbone of the war effort became the backbone of the new commercial America. Instead of war goods such as guns and ammunition things such as cars and kitchen convenience appliances were produced. America modernized overnight, the appearance of jazz, electricity, film and a new independence for women as they were granted the right to vote.
1920’s New York “The Big Apple”, “The City That Never Sleeps”, “The Capital Of The World”, all of these name to the one and only, New York City but, how did New York reach such fame in the world? It’s foundation founded upon the search for the “American Dream” in the 1920’s, from the millions of speakeasies it housed, to the Jazz Age boom, to the millions of immigrants who built it from the ground up. Beginning with the influence of the Jazz Age onto American culture with the aid of African American culture, many gained opportunity to perform on stage with the rise of speakeasies such as The Cotton Club, “one of the most famous jazz clubs in New York City during this era”(History of New York City) where famous musician Duke Ellington performed with his
America is known as “The Land of Opportunity” and it established the concept of the American Dream in the 1900’s. The fight for this dream was prevalent even before it was given a name in 1930. The founding fathers wrote this belief into the constitution with the words “All Americans are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” .Some Americans believe that the American Dream can still be obtained in the 21st Century with hard work and perservance ; however, a majority of the American population among race gender and class has a different point of view on what America still provides to their citizens because economic insta8bility and lack of equal opportunity.
What is the American dream? America always had that impact in other countries, as the land of dreams, opportunity, freedom of speech, and the list goes on and on. The American dream is about working hard to get were you want to be, make ours children lives better then what we had as child. Fitzgeral explains in his book, in 1920’s
The American dream is an illusion that is deeply implanted in the minds of the people, it sets a bar for life achievement and offers hope to work hard to achieve their dreams. As for Americans, they are raised in a society to where they are expected to make lots money and to have a healthy family. After all in our society success is largely based off positions of power and financial stability. For example, in The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there were multiple interpretations of the ideal American dream in the 1920s. In the 1920s, due to the growth of materialism, people advertised and fancied the power of money to fulfilling their dreams.
Throughout generations, the American dream’s definition has changed dramatically. It started out as having stability, a security blanket, being content with the smalls things in life and not worrying about the what if’s. As society grows, so does the American dream. One can say the more you have the less content one is. The American dream today can be define as a soul sucking, unrealistic and having a basic need for purchasing unnecessary products, kind of like an addiction.