To What Extent Was There a Moral Crisis in America in the 1920's?
To what extent was there a moral crisis in America in the 1920’s.
During the 1920’s, there most certainly was moral revolutions in America and traditional values were most certainly being challenged by the newer generation. Of course, for example, with the introduction of Hollywood, reforming attitudes that were towards and adopted to women and the economic boom of the 1920’s this was most certainly going to have an effect of the general American public’s moral values. Whilst these changing attitudes may be perceived by traditionalists to be shaping a moral crisis at the time, this essay looks to explore on whether or not there was actually a moral crisis in America in the 1920’s or whether the USA marked society in moral change rather than in entering into a moral crisis, which is defined as a crisis in which you are torn between what you know to be the wrong thing and the right thing, which it is often criticised of by the older generations at the time.
The first issue in America which arguably sparked off a moral crisis in America was prohibition as this had illegalised alcohol in the United States and due to the nature of the market which the government was illegalising which had such a high demand for consumers, it meant that consumers were torn between obeying the law and their increasing desires for alcohol. In fact, prohibition had made people drink more alcohol by buying it illegally where it was available in the black market. The prohibition act had, therefore, really challenged American moral values as arguably most consumers in the US drank alcohol as part of normality in their daily lives and so by the government illegalising it, it had only meant that consumers had to fulfil their habits by other means. However, although most Americans were forced to resort to other measures in terms of fulfilling their alcoholic desires, this was not a moral crisis but rather it challenged their moral values whilst the introduction of organised crime as a result
During the 1920’s, there most certainly was moral revolutions in America and traditional values were most certainly being challenged by the newer generation. Of course, for example, with the introduction of Hollywood, reforming attitudes that were towards and adopted to women and the economic boom of the 1920’s this was most certainly going to have an effect of the general American public’s moral values. Whilst these changing attitudes may be perceived by traditionalists to be shaping a moral crisis at the time, this essay looks to explore on whether or not there was actually a moral crisis in America in the 1920’s or whether the USA marked society in moral change rather than in entering into a moral crisis, which is defined as a crisis in which you are torn between what you know to be the wrong thing and the right thing, which it is often criticised of by the older generations at the time.
The first issue in America which arguably sparked off a moral crisis in America was prohibition as this had illegalised alcohol in the United States and due to the nature of the market which the government was illegalising which had such a high demand for consumers, it meant that consumers were torn between obeying the law and their increasing desires for alcohol. In fact, prohibition had made people drink more alcohol by buying it illegally where it was available in the black market. The prohibition act had, therefore, really challenged American moral values as arguably most consumers in the US drank alcohol as part of normality in their daily lives and so by the government illegalising it, it had only meant that consumers had to fulfil their habits by other means. However, although most Americans were forced to resort to other measures in terms of fulfilling their alcoholic desires, this was not a moral crisis but rather it challenged their moral values whilst the introduction of organised crime as a result