America in the 1920s
Which were the more typical of 1920s of America: Prohibition and intolerance or the Jazz Age and increasing social freedom?
The 1920’s were seen as a prosperous time for America, judging by the increasing economic strength, the development of new industries and new methods of production and, by the time of rebellion and liberation that came with it. The 1920’s are often reffered to as the ‘Roaring Twenties’ or the Jazz Age, a period of great fun and enjoyment. However, not everyone agreed with the statement that the 1920’s were completely successful, highlighting some major problems that America had to face at that time, specifically intolerance and prohibition.
From an economic point of view, the USA entered an era of unparalleled prosperity. The most of it was due to increase in productivity as a result of technological innovation. The electricity industry was becoming more successful because the electricity consumption more than doubled during the decade as electrical appliances came into general use. What benefited more the American economy was the invention of the car by Henry Ford. By 1925 he was producing a car every ten seconds, by 1929 there was one car for every five Americans. The working conditions were improving too: hours of work declined, wages substantially increased and the unemployment rate fell. Because of the increase in people’s leisure time and disposable income, the entertainment industry blossomed in the 1920’s. Almost everyone in the USA listened to the radio. The choices of radio channels grew quickly. The radio gave easier access to music and as a result, music became more popular. The Jazz music became an obsession among young people. Along with it appeared new dances such as Charleston and new styles of behavior which were disapproved by the older generation. In Los Angeles, Hollywood a major film industry was developing. New stars like Charlie Chaplin rose to fame by making the audiences laugh.
Furthermore, the 1920’s were
The 1920’s were seen as a prosperous time for America, judging by the increasing economic strength, the development of new industries and new methods of production and, by the time of rebellion and liberation that came with it. The 1920’s are often reffered to as the ‘Roaring Twenties’ or the Jazz Age, a period of great fun and enjoyment. However, not everyone agreed with the statement that the 1920’s were completely successful, highlighting some major problems that America had to face at that time, specifically intolerance and prohibition.
From an economic point of view, the USA entered an era of unparalleled prosperity. The most of it was due to increase in productivity as a result of technological innovation. The electricity industry was becoming more successful because the electricity consumption more than doubled during the decade as electrical appliances came into general use. What benefited more the American economy was the invention of the car by Henry Ford. By 1925 he was producing a car every ten seconds, by 1929 there was one car for every five Americans. The working conditions were improving too: hours of work declined, wages substantially increased and the unemployment rate fell. Because of the increase in people’s leisure time and disposable income, the entertainment industry blossomed in the 1920’s. Almost everyone in the USA listened to the radio. The choices of radio channels grew quickly. The radio gave easier access to music and as a result, music became more popular. The Jazz music became an obsession among young people. Along with it appeared new dances such as Charleston and new styles of behavior which were disapproved by the older generation. In Los Angeles, Hollywood a major film industry was developing. New stars like Charlie Chaplin rose to fame by making the audiences laugh.
Furthermore, the 1920’s were