1920 Women
6. The role of women in western society has changed drastically over the past three hundred years, and like most paradigm shifts, it happened in bursts. The 1920’s were one such time of great cultural change. Teenagers, as is common, felt the greatest amount of change in this time. For example, smoking and drinking among women became common in this period. What, a few years prior, simply didn’t happen, became a norm among the young. Fashion is another prime example. Young women, no longer forced to maintain somewhat prudish styles of dress, saw the skirt rise from the ankle to the knee. Short hair was also in vogue, the bob being the most popular at the time. Both of these showed a preference for more utilitarian styles, as well as an increase
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in the recognition of female sexuality. This focus on sexuality in style was also evident in the use of cosmetics and diets. As for activities of a somewhat sexual nature, dancing also become common during this period. Dating also became popular during this period, rather than the courting of the previous time. Moving away from veiled sexuality and towards the actual, “petting” became acceptable and even expected among peers during this time. This activity included passionate kissing, light fondling, and so on. Even premarital sexual relations became somewhat common among those who were engaged. As we can see, young women during this time lived in a changing world.
7. Seeing the information stated above, Paula S. Pass asks the question, “Did the young use sex and morals as a basis for conscious generational revolt?” She finds the answer to be in the negative. She finds that while it was seen as rebellious by the older generation, nothing was done to express anger or contempt. Rather, she finds that it was done in the nature of good fun and style. While it does not seem that these changes came in conscious opposition to the past, Mrs. Pass seems to have gone a bit too far in simply saying that the young just wanted to have fun. However, revolt would also be a serious misnomer. Rather than an attempt to change society at it’s core, as in a social revolution, this is much more of a simple evolution, albeit, an evolution that happened quickly enough to intimidate the older generation. Indeed, unlike the Free Love movement, this evolution still offered many social restrictions on lovers. Every change, whether it be dating, necking, or premarital sex, was done under the assumption that marriage would occur between that couple. Indeed premarital sex was still often not done, as that would be quite a bit too revolutionary.
8. Hate groups have been an unfortunate part of American life for quite a time. Though we have many that chose this country as their motherland, Ku Klux Klan is probably the most recognizably American Hate Organization. However, many do not realize that the KKK was not originally what it is today. The first iteration was little more than the military hand of the democratic party. It threatened and lynched African-Americans for attempting to vote, it stole and stuffed ballot boxes, it even led sieges of cities. However, after it’s founding in 1865, it would quickly go into remission during the 1870’s. Sadly, a recurrence would occur in 1915 and not go into remission until 1944. This group was much more similar to what is seen today. By the 1920’s it had more than three-million members and had metastasized to the north and west. Indeed, it would become the largest private organization in Indiana and would control their state officials for a time. Large marches and other appearances would make the clan visible, entirely unlike the first Klan. Indeed, with its increased membership, it was able to broaden its agenda of hate to more people than ever before. Instead of simple disdain for African-Americans, The Second Klan would hate anyone who threatened American civilization, as well as, “individual liberty”. This included, unions, socialists, feminists, catholics, jews, immigrants and many others. In the end, this clan would enter remission in 1944 only to return in 1946 with a new agenda of fascism in addition to general hate.
9. The term “illegal alien” has been a hot button topic over the past few decades.
However, though immigration control has always been a political topic in the United States, this has not always been a term that has seen use. Foner claims that it was created by two laws, one in 1790 and another in 1924. The first was the Naturalization Act. This law stated that naturalization was only available to, “any alien, being a free white person.” In essence, this created the term of alien to begin with, and in doing so restricted naturalization to ethnic Asians and ethnic Africans, the ban being lifted on the former in 1870. This created the concept that people could be excluded from entering the country on the bases of harming the citizenry. As such, beginning in 1875, people with contagious diseases, prostitutes, the mentally handicapped, and others were excluded as well. The Immigration Act of 1924 went one step further. No longer satisfied with barring people from citizenship, it disallowed anyone who could not become a citizen from entering the country. This created the concept of an “Illegal Alien” as this essentially made their existence here illegal for the first time. As such, a Border Patrol had to be established to enforce this new category of crime,
10.
The Great Depression was a terrible chapter in U.S. history. Though it was, perhaps, the greatest economic disaster in world history, as with anything in the realm of economics, the reason is not clear. This is because there are many possible causes and they are all connected to each other. Many people will point towards the the Black Tuesday stock market crash, though this is mostly a matter of convenience. The signs of the depression had existed for at least three years before the crash, though this is when the downward spiral began its acceleration. Real estate bubbles had been forming and popping, incredible income inequality in rural america had reduced purchasing power, European demand had dropped off, and sales of cars and houses stagnated starting in 1926. The crash exacerbated these issues by reducing consumer and investor confidence, and because of this, 26,000 businesses would fail in 1930 alone. Indeed many banks would fail due to this reduction in confidence, perhaps, causing the most issues of all. Those who remained working would see their wages and hours cut drastically, without any savings that they may have possibly had. Hoover was ill equipped to deal with the problem at hand. He was rich, and was counseled by the rich, and there was little understanding of the new consumer economy between every mind in government, let alone in his office. As such, he tried to encourage businesses to support their workers, a god’s task, and charities to pick up the slack. Further, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, which Hoover signed in 1930, made the situation worse. This encouraged tariffs globally causing world trade to grind to a halt. In 1932, he would even raise taxes further reducing Americans’ buying power. Later in this year, realizing that these plans were an utter failure, he would take the sensible course of action, and intervene. He signed laws creating the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to loan money to failing banks and businesses, and the Federal
Home Loan Bank System, which offered aid to homeowners facing foreclosure. Finally, he would approve the spending of nearly two billion dollars on infrastructure spending, in order to create jobs and to help find local relief.
in the recognition of female sexuality. This focus on sexuality in style was also evident in the use of cosmetics and diets. As for activities of a somewhat sexual nature, dancing also become common during this period. Dating also became popular during this period, rather than the courting of the previous time. Moving away from veiled sexuality and towards the actual, “petting” became acceptable and even expected among peers during this time. This activity included passionate kissing, light fondling, and so on. Even premarital sexual relations became somewhat common among those who were engaged. As we can see, young women during this time lived in a changing world.
7. Seeing the information stated above, Paula S. Pass asks the question, “Did the young use sex and morals as a basis for conscious generational revolt?” She finds the answer to be in the negative. She finds that while it was seen as rebellious by the older generation, nothing was done to express anger or contempt. Rather, she finds that it was done in the nature of good fun and style. While it does not seem that these changes came in conscious opposition to the past, Mrs. Pass seems to have gone a bit too far in simply saying that the young just wanted to have fun. However, revolt would also be a serious misnomer. Rather than an attempt to change society at it’s core, as in a social revolution, this is much more of a simple evolution, albeit, an evolution that happened quickly enough to intimidate the older generation. Indeed, unlike the Free Love movement, this evolution still offered many social restrictions on lovers. Every change, whether it be dating, necking, or premarital sex, was done under the assumption that marriage would occur between that couple. Indeed premarital sex was still often not done, as that would be quite a bit too revolutionary.
8. Hate groups have been an unfortunate part of American life for quite a time. Though we have many that chose this country as their motherland, Ku Klux Klan is probably the most recognizably American Hate Organization. However, many do not realize that the KKK was not originally what it is today. The first iteration was little more than the military hand of the democratic party. It threatened and lynched African-Americans for attempting to vote, it stole and stuffed ballot boxes, it even led sieges of cities. However, after it’s founding in 1865, it would quickly go into remission during the 1870’s. Sadly, a recurrence would occur in 1915 and not go into remission until 1944. This group was much more similar to what is seen today. By the 1920’s it had more than three-million members and had metastasized to the north and west. Indeed, it would become the largest private organization in Indiana and would control their state officials for a time. Large marches and other appearances would make the clan visible, entirely unlike the first Klan. Indeed, with its increased membership, it was able to broaden its agenda of hate to more people than ever before. Instead of simple disdain for African-Americans, The Second Klan would hate anyone who threatened American civilization, as well as, “individual liberty”. This included, unions, socialists, feminists, catholics, jews, immigrants and many others. In the end, this clan would enter remission in 1944 only to return in 1946 with a new agenda of fascism in addition to general hate.
9. The term “illegal alien” has been a hot button topic over the past few decades.
However, though immigration control has always been a political topic in the United States, this has not always been a term that has seen use. Foner claims that it was created by two laws, one in 1790 and another in 1924. The first was the Naturalization Act. This law stated that naturalization was only available to, “any alien, being a free white person.” In essence, this created the term of alien to begin with, and in doing so restricted naturalization to ethnic Asians and ethnic Africans, the ban being lifted on the former in 1870. This created the concept that people could be excluded from entering the country on the bases of harming the citizenry. As such, beginning in 1875, people with contagious diseases, prostitutes, the mentally handicapped, and others were excluded as well. The Immigration Act of 1924 went one step further. No longer satisfied with barring people from citizenship, it disallowed anyone who could not become a citizen from entering the country. This created the concept of an “Illegal Alien” as this essentially made their existence here illegal for the first time. As such, a Border Patrol had to be established to enforce this new category of crime,
10.
The Great Depression was a terrible chapter in U.S. history. Though it was, perhaps, the greatest economic disaster in world history, as with anything in the realm of economics, the reason is not clear. This is because there are many possible causes and they are all connected to each other. Many people will point towards the the Black Tuesday stock market crash, though this is mostly a matter of convenience. The signs of the depression had existed for at least three years before the crash, though this is when the downward spiral began its acceleration. Real estate bubbles had been forming and popping, incredible income inequality in rural america had reduced purchasing power, European demand had dropped off, and sales of cars and houses stagnated starting in 1926. The crash exacerbated these issues by reducing consumer and investor confidence, and because of this, 26,000 businesses would fail in 1930 alone. Indeed many banks would fail due to this reduction in confidence, perhaps, causing the most issues of all. Those who remained working would see their wages and hours cut drastically, without any savings that they may have possibly had. Hoover was ill equipped to deal with the problem at hand. He was rich, and was counseled by the rich, and there was little understanding of the new consumer economy between every mind in government, let alone in his office. As such, he tried to encourage businesses to support their workers, a god’s task, and charities to pick up the slack. Further, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, which Hoover signed in 1930, made the situation worse. This encouraged tariffs globally causing world trade to grind to a halt. In 1932, he would even raise taxes further reducing Americans’ buying power. Later in this year, realizing that these plans were an utter failure, he would take the sensible course of action, and intervene. He signed laws creating the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to loan money to failing banks and businesses, and the Federal
Home Loan Bank System, which offered aid to homeowners facing foreclosure. Finally, he would approve the spending of nearly two billion dollars on infrastructure spending, in order to create jobs and to help find local relief.