ipl-logo

Negatives Of The 1920s Research Paper

686 Words3 Pages

Paradise on the Earth? Ah, the 1920s, the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age, the Golden Twenties, or so they thought. Is it paradise on earth? What about all the contradictions, the troubles, and the crimes? Many people think the 1920s were all sunshine and rainbows, but it was far from it. Although there were numerous positives during this decade, there were still several negatives. Some of the primary conflicts of the 1920s were prohibition and nativism. Prohibition was a contradictory move made by the federal government to ban the manufacture, trade, and sale of alcohol, which would lead to many other benefits for domestic life. This move occurred as a result of the religious revivals of the 1820s and 30s that called alcohol a “national curse.” …show more content…

As a result of this legislation, people have found more ways to buy and sell alcohol illegally. The term became known as “bootlegging.” Throughout the 1920s, crime rates increased dramatically as a consequence of the ratification of the 18th Amendment. According to history.com, “A growing number of Americans came to blame prohibition for this widespread moral decay and disorder.” The purpose of the prohibition movement was to stop the effects of drunkenness and unethical behavior of that time. The ban on alcohol was hypocritical in correcting the issues in domestic and civilian life. The amendment was supposed to lower crime rates and improve people’s financial struggles, but it had adverse effects. This contradiction implied that during this time it was, in fact, not paradise on Earth. Famous mafia bosses amassed great fortunes with the sale of illegal substances. The most well-known mafia leader was Al …show more content…

They were Jewish or Catholic, not Protestant like most Americans (Schimmel). Consequently, this led to the rise of nativism in the United States. Nativism is, according to encyclopedia.com, “favoring inhabitants already living in the country over immigrants coming to the country.” Life is altering for Americans with the soaring numbers of immigrants coming into the United States. Americans were being introduced to new cultures and values. David Morrison from ENotes states, “Nativism was their response to what they perceived as the prevailing social and cultural malaise.” Before, in the late nineteenth century, immigrants were taken into the United States with open arms. The United States was supposed to be home to refugees and anyone who needed to escape their homelands. Now immigrants are facing poverty, prejudice, and mistreatment by their fellow Americans for their backgrounds and religious diversity. It is a contradiction because before, immigrants could come into and live happily in the country, and now they were being forced out and persecuted for their differences. Nativism is just another contradiction that justifies that the United States is not paradise on

Show More
Related
952 Words | 4 Pages

While America welcomed these immigrants with open arms, Americans rejected them. These new immigrants brought with them new ideas that conflicted with the old ideology causing some masses to question and change their religious life and others

Read More
876 Words | 4 Pages

The 1920s, also known as the “Roaring Twenties”, was an exhilarating time full of significant social, economic, and political change. For most Americans, it was full of the prosperity and peace that followed World War I. Middle-class life was full of leisure and class. For others, this time period was filled with hardships and challenges. Many immigrants and African-Americans faced discrimination and segregation from the rest of the United States. One notable, positive aspect of the 1920s was its booming economy.

Read More
555 Words | 3 Pages

Passed on December 18th, 1917 the United States passed the 18th Amendment, Prohibition. Prohibition was the reason for the large increase in crime in the United States during the 1920s. Prohibition was the restriction of manufacturing, selling, or transporting alcohol or liquor. Disliked by a large majority of the country, specifically upper class. The upper class created hidden bars and clubs called speakeasies.

Read More
1154 Words | 5 Pages

One of the ways that immigrants received training in Americanization through the consumer society, particularly through efforts that encouraged foreigners to own, furnish, and maintain and inhabit homes in keeping with American ideas cleanliness, decoration, nutrition, recreation, and so forth. Nativism got its name from Native American parties of the 1840s and 1850s. Native although does not mean “home grown” or American Indian. The Nativist came out in 1854 when they formed the ‘American Party’ which was especially captive to the immigration of Irish Catholics and campaigned for laws to make longer wait time between immigration and naturalization. In 1917-1918 a wave of nativists led to the abolishment of German cultural activities in the United States.

Read More
466 Words | 2 Pages

The 1920’s in America is often considered as “The Roaring Twenties. World War I was over, women got suffrage, fashion changed immensely, prohibition was put into place, and jazz filled the air. The Roaring ‘20s was a decade of play and prosperity. Unemployment was low and Americans were better off financially. After World War I, America wanted to return to normal.

Read More
506 Words | 3 Pages

Although their religions may not have been directly prejudiced against, the immigrants’ values were often challenged by American ones. Many of these cultural values differed in an economic manner, as most immigrants were not prepared for the American mindset of getting ahead in business. Other distinctions between these cultures applied to the treatment of immigrants. Many nativist Americans regarded the immigrants with disdain and were not interested in giving them equal rights, whereas those who shared similar cultures often banded together in order to cope with these injustices.

Read More
215 Words | 1 Pages

Nativism is described as “the political idea that people who were born in a country are more important than immigrants”( "Nativism Definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary"). Nativism was most seen during the 1870’s through the 1920’s. Nativism was a major cause in middle-class disputes since middle-class workers feared that the immigrant workers would drop wage prices and that they “...threatened social stability”(The Many Faces of Immigration). Many Catholic immigrants were blamed for the overflow of immigrants in the poverty sections of cities.

Read More
1070 Words | 5 Pages

In the 1920s, people were spending their money, prohibition started, and the arts became popular. By the 1930s, the stock market crashed, farmers started losing farms, and the Dust Bowl began. The prohibition era began with the 18th amendment which banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol when it was ratified. The ban on alcohol was started in order to save families from drunk

Read More
550 Words | 3 Pages

Instead of lowering crimes, prohibition led to a rise of organized crime. Prohibition was hard to enforce. People turned to bootlegged alcohol , the bootlegging turned into avery lucrative business as American continued to want their alcohol. Alcohol sales were controlled by street gangs and the mafia. The illegal liquor sales brought in huge profits to the gangs selling.

Read More
930 Words | 4 Pages

Although towards the end of the decade, there was a great depression, it brought positive effects that stabilized the economy and laws (Chapter 2: The 1920s and the Start of the Depression 1921-1933, 2003). This, in the end, led to an economic cycle that created more and more prosperity and a more relaxing lifestyle for commoners. With the relaxation of living, people were able to develop culture instead of being chased by survival. The 1920s is also referred to as the “roaring twenties.” The American government banned drinking pubs to prevent crime or the negatives, but people continued to open illegal shops and because they were drawn to things that were not allowed to do, it soon became a craze.

Read More
758 Words | 4 Pages

In 1920, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. cConstitution was authorized. A ramification of this act was Prohibition, which banned the production, travel and sale of alcohol. Prohibition was unfavorable and wearisome to enforce. The federal and local government could not handle it; the IRS was first given the job to enforce Prohibition, but it was later transferred to the Justice Department. An increase of support to ending the Prohibition occurred when illegal manufacturing and vending of alcohol started, known as bootlegging, the popularity of speakeasies soared, and violence and crimes increased to numbers never seen before.

Read More
558 Words | 3 Pages

Immigrants were put through many challenges when they first came to America, like discrimination, Americanization, and being blind to how America worked. As previously stated, immigrants who immigrated to America in the Gilded Age/ Progressive Era faced many difficulties adjusting to the foreign land. Immigrants faced such discrimination just for not being purebred Americans. Nativists were Americans who were against immigration.

Read More
1537 Words | 7 Pages

Societies grew that were separated based on the customs, language, and religion because of the strong nativism that prevented assimilation. But some reformist groups attempted to meld foreigners into society. Horace Kallen stressed America’s need to allow foreigners to keep their cultures and pushed for the protection of the racial and ethnic uniqueness. Randolph Bourne, although he opposed Kallen’s views, pushed for assimilation through cross-breeding of all ethnicities to make people believe that all are equal. But as a whole, immigrants were not truly welcome during the Roaring Twenties due to the growth of strong nativism and its influence in the legislature.

Read More
462 Words | 2 Pages

Prohibition led to the rise of organized crime and failed as a policy due to many loopholes and large numbers of corrupt officials. Though started with good intentions it was not a good policy because it destroyed jobs and attempted to destroy an industry. These reasons lead to Prohibition’s failure and the repealing of the 18th Amendment in

Read More
1428 Words | 6 Pages

Introduction Abortion is one of many controversial issues. It is a topic that is widely debate among many people. Abortion is a difficult topic of discussion, when the baby is a product or rape, or has Down syndrome or deformities. Topic #4 explains a story about Susan who struggles with the idea of keeping or aborting her fetus. Ethical Dilemma: Susan, a career driven woman has been waiting for many years to have a baby.

Read More

More about Negatives Of The 1920s Research Paper

Open Document