The Pros And Cons Of The 1920's

The 1920’s in America can be considered the best and the worst of times. It was the decade that roared. Industries were booming, soldiers were coming home from war, and the Nineteenth Amendment was passed, allowing women’s freedom. According to the on-line article “The Decade That Roared, “young Americans were looking to cut loose and have a good time” (1). On that note, the Eighteenth Amendment passed prohibition, banning alcohol. This led to gangs and bootleggers. “The 20’s flamed out when unchecked speculation led to the stock market crash of 1929. Bank failures, prices deflation and ultimately the Great Depression followed”, stated an on-line article, “The Roaring Twenties” (2). “Jazz Age” is also a known nickname for this era. The Harlem

There is a reason it is called “The Roaring Twenties”, and that reason is the partying. Alcohol was prohibited, but that was not stopping anyone. The way people dressed, danced, and even talked became provocative. Because of credit, Americans had extra money to spend and nothing to spend it on. In October of 1929, America crashed from her highest moments and the Great Depression began. It is said that the depression started because of over production. People slowed down their spending which led to businesses not making any money. According to Barrett Silverstein, author of his on-line article “The 1920s: A Decade of Change, “America’s invested wealth suddenly lost twenty-six billion dollars in value. Prosperity had ended” (5). Due to all the changes, life in homes were different than ever before. Men were still gone working and so were women. Children were often home alone to tend to the house. Women’s freedom was, and still is, a great thing, but some took it too far. Women cut their hair into a “bobbed’ style and wore revealing clothing. Some women became “flappers”. Flappers are female dancers that danced at clubs. Women started to smoke and drink, something only men did. A lot of women lost their morals with the