Cultural Changes In The 1920s Essay

The 1920s carried much change in society. Some of these changes were more rights for women, jazz music, and prohibition. The people of the 1920s were disillusioned by society lacking in idealism and vision, sense of personal alienation, and Americans were obsessed with materialism and outmoded moral values (The Roaring Twenties).Cultural changes were strongly influenced by the destruction of World War I ending 1918. America needed to recover and with it youth rebelled against the norms of the older generations. The prohibition outlawed alcohol to try and diminish the crime rate. This led to a higher consumption of alcohol and illicit speakeasies. As fast as the police closed down one venue, more would spring up in its place (Prohibition in the United States). Government intrusion with the Volstead Act of 1919 outlawed beverages over 0.5 alcohol volume

Women began working outside of the home rebelling Victorian principles. Flappers were not politically motivated. This culture was more about rebelling authority and free spirit. This lifestyle strangely empowered the women’s movement leading to a woman’s right to vote. Such unrest, change, and free spirit only lasted a decade. The Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression of 1930 ensured that the hedonism and excess of flappers were abruptly and instantly snuffed out (Flappers and the Roaring 20s). It was also a time of new inventions. The most significant was the automobile. The automobile in particular revolutionized the way that American youth socialized, bestowing youth both “mobility and privacy” (How the Youth Culture of the 1920s Reinvigorated America). Youth were able to get out of the house away from the older generation. Dating became popular. Mobility brought access to movies and media which influenced attitudes, dress, and fostered the idea of