1877 To The 1920's Essay

In the turn of the 20th century, an enormous wave of change swept across the nation. As the trend of modernism crashed into the shores of American life, traditional values washed out to sea. However, changing tides also brought sunlight upon modern culture. Rapid urbanization, economic growth, industrial production, invention and innovation in technology contributed to the rise of a new consumer culture. By the second decade, the United States liberated from the restrictions of conservatism. Many positive changes were the result. It became possible for the average American to buy things that were once considered inaccessible, and discoveries in science encouraged people to reassess their moral beliefs and behavior. However, there could be
In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph (The Phonograph). It took the ribbon as the first invention with the ability to not only record sound, but play it back. Not long after, phonographs could play cylinder-shaped records and progressed to playing disc-shaped records. From the 1890’s until the early 1920’s, phonograph records and machines were broadly marketed and sold. Record marketing gave Americans access to music they had never heard before. The 1920’s brought improvements in radio technology, which turned the radio into a new marketed product. As radio ownership increased, so did the number of radio stations. By 1922, there were 600 radio stations around the United States (Radio in the 1920’s). Families used their radio for entertainment and quality time. They gathered around in the evenings to listen to music variety shows, sports and comedies from radio stations all over the nation. Musicians scheduled time slots at local radio stations to play their music, which gave listeners in Arkansas the opportunity to hear local music from New York. The radio allowed local music to be heard nationwide, and encouraged music culture to continue