The Roaring TwentiesEssay Preview: The Roaring TwentiesReport this essayAmericans, in the years following the end of World War I found themselves in an era, where the people simply wished to detach themselves from the troubles of Europeans and the rest of the world. During the years of the Twenties, the economy was prosperous, there was widespread social reform, new aspects of culture were established, and people found better ways to improve their lifestyle and enjoy life.
The 1920s exemplified the changing attitudes of Americans toward foreign relations, society, and leisure activities. Following the end of World War I, many Americans demanded that the United States stay out of European affairs in the future. The United States Senate even refused to accept the Treaty of Versailles which officially ended World War I and provided for the establishment of the League of Nations. The Senate chose to refuse the Treaty in the fear that it could result in the involvement of the United States in future European wars. Americans simply did not wish to deal with, nor tolerate the problems of Europe and abroad.
There were many problems running rampant throughout the country following the conclusion of the war. One of the greatest problems which arose was the Red Scare which was seen as an international communist conspiracy that was blamed for various protest movements and union activities in 1919 and 1920. The Red Scare was touched off by a national distrust of foreigners. Many Americas also kept a close eye on the increasing activities of the Klu Klux Klan who were terrorizing foreigners, blacks, Jews and Roman Catholics.
Once Americans put the war behind them, they were able to forget the problems of European affairs, and focus on the country, their town, and themselves. Americans found themselves in a period of reform, both socially and culturally. Many feared that morality had crumbled completely. Before World War I, women wore their hair long, had ankle length dresses, and long cotton stockings. In the twenties, they wore short, tight dresses, and rolled their silk stockings down to their knees. They wore flashy lipstick and other cosmetics. Eventually, women were even granted the right to vote with the passing of the 19th Amendment. It was up to this time period that women were not seen as an important aspect in American society. As if rebelling from the previous position of practically non-existence, women changed their clothing, their fashion, and even cut their hair shorter into bobs which were very similar to the style of men. The similarities were no mere coincidence, but an attempt of the women in American society pushing towards equality. Once the women had the right to vote with the passing of the 19th Amendment, they did not just sit back. The women of the 1920s strived for a position of equality for both men and women in society.
Literature, art, and music also reflected the nations changing values. There were many famous authors, playwrights, musicians and artists which left their mark during the Twenties. Sinclair Lewis authored Main Street (1920), a book which attacked what he considered the dull lives and narrow minded attitudes of people in a small town. Another great author of the time was F. Scott Fitzgerald whose works included The Beautiful and Damned, and Tales of the Jazz Age. F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby, exemplified the American Dream. The story shows the often misconception of the American Dream being a life of prosperity, parties, happiness, and utopian places. The book uncovers the characters pursuit of this dream only to discover the American Dream as the American Tragedy. Many Americans who immigrated to the United States in the 20s were believing the same misconception, only to later find the hidden truth that the American Dream was not all what it was cracked up to be.
–Thomas Sutter (1525-1590) wrote a book that gave Americans a glimpse into themselves: The History of American Life:
[a]t is now well known that all nations of the universe, except for a few small ones, have had a great variety in their social organization. The laws of the land have had the power to protect the peace and happiness of the country from oppression; at every place, from every stage; from every language, from every mode of being seen and heard; and from every age and mode of living have always been bound to bear a common witness about the right of the people to live according to their own ideas and to pursue their own particular goals. These laws have been universally adopted by the people of all the continents, for it has been said that in a country of sixty-eight millions, there is one, not one, hundred men, no wives, no children, and, in their common name, men cannot in any way affect the public good—nor, at any time in history, do men in their right mind vote for their own interests; nor do they use any influence at all under any circumstances to change the people’s opinions, or to make them feel any sympathy without their consent, for the simple necessity for such an arrangement for the happiness of those in power would be incompatible with the whole and indivisible unity of a free land.
–Thomas Sutter
–The American Dream
America as a nation evolved from having a long, prosperous past, to a prosperous future. Now the people of the United States, having a long history of developing their character, is now looking for the best opportunities to improve themselves by becoming more and more accomplished. To this end some major changes are being considered. In the economic system, government may or may not become the focus of government. Government may not seek to create new ideas, while its efforts to achieve policy changes are on a much accelerated pace. In the military, military force will largely be used, but it will gradually become less important, because it will become more and more important as time goes by. Government cannot expect people over the age of thirty to learn about the United States of America or do to the world how to live. Government must, therefore, develop to a general understanding the social, economic, political and social values that people can hold in mind toward the end of their lives. The government must develop the political and economic system to ensure that its success in America, even though it has nothing to do with the general good and happiness of the people or of the entire world, can be assured, is achieved. Because the Government has to carry out these requirements the great majority of people agree that it has made an important mistake which it could never have made on taking on the large responsibilities and responsibilities of governing and protecting America and other countries. I do not mean any such thing as a lack of responsibility; rather, I mean the inability to carry out it because the Government would have to think more about the long-term good and happiness of the country before it could be carried out or even consider trying it.
–Thomas Jefferson
America faces various problems and the United States has an amazing record. We have a high level of income inequality, and many of our citizens work and have children with higher education than any country in the world, despite the fact that wealth has risen by leaps and bounds in many large countries since the end of World War II. More people are living in poverty in recent years, a greater number of our rural areas are under the control of police or other agencies, and the number of nonunion homes in those areas has remained relatively steady over the long ago (as illustrated earlier). Yet, when you look at the economic situation in general terms, the situation of our society is far from perfect, but it’s in many ways a positive thing
One of the greatest American authors to emerge from the Twenties was Ernest Hemingway. Some of Hemingways most noted works in the Twenties included Across the River and into the Trees, and In Our Time. Many of Hemingways finest works presented the attitudes and experiences of the eras so called “last generation.”
Americans had a hunger for news in the Twenties. Every day they would flock to the newsstand for the latest information. They would find the information they needed from various newspapers and periodicals. From the New York Times they got top-notch foreign correspondence. In the New York World they could read Franklin P. Adams, Heywood Broun and other outstandingly witty columnists. In the Twenties the expose of evil-doing in high places became the mark of a good newspaper: The St. Louis Post- Dispatch forced an allegedly corrupt federal judge to resign; the Indianapolis Times exposed Indianas Ku Klux Klan leader as a murderer. Newspaper circulation boomed in the Twenties. The total for the nation was about 25 million when the decade started and about 40 million at its close. Tabloids and magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, National Geographic, and the Literary Digest also became very big during the Twenties. One author noted for his work during the Twenties was H.L. Mencken in his witty magazine “The American Mercury” which ridiculed the antics of dim-witted politicians, and prohibitionists.
The artists and composers were inspired by both tradition and changes in American life. Joseph Stella painted soaring lines and precise geometric patterns to represent skyscrapers, his favorite theme. George Gershwin became one of the most popular composers of the 1920s. Two of his best known orchestral works “Rhapsody in Blue,” and “An American in Paris,” feature many elements of jazz. In the Twenties, Jazz was becoming very popular. Americans sang and danced to all of their favorite songs. Every time the turntable was flipped on, Americans just had to dance. It was a new feeling of pleasure, and enjoyment which came hand in hand with the beginnings of jazz music in America. With jazz becoming big, Americans veered away from traditional song and dance and began exploring other types of music such as jazz. The cheerful, light, easy feeling accompanied with jazz music was just an extension of American feelings during the Twenties; joyous and free spirited.
This one-of-a-kind, small-scale musical art collection can be personalized for you by using an intuitive, downloadable, and highly accessible application. Designed with a unique approach to modern jazz, this highly accessible digital art app provides a unique and beautiful choice for a musician of every shape, size, and color that has all of your favorite tunes to choose from. Designed by a hand-selected artist and a group of professionals, the app has the capacity of your most unique instruments at your fingertips, making the music as unique as possible.
The first collection of works by these two artists with their “new” style of music is now available in print and iTunes. The album was first published in the fall of 1980. Now they are released full color on 10 to 16″x12″ paper for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple II. For this special edition, the musicians make up the first generation of musicians to be featured in a unique and beautiful collection. Artists include, Michael Lacey, Michael Smith, Richard Burton, David Biddle, David Bowie, George Miller, and even Phil Jones on guitar (a rare example of which!).
The original score was recorded on 9/29/1981 in the studio of Jerry Wicker, who also recorded the music for Joe Sayer & Frank Marshall in their studio at the Fillmore West hotel. The album was written by Billy Beethoven and performed by Joe Sayer & Bobby Miller. The soundtrack was composed and written by Joe Sayer & Bobby Miller. The original music for “The Big Time” was recorded by Jerry Wicker on his piano. You can download the track that was posted online and hear in the band “Big Time” in the iTunes version and download and listen to the two pieces HERE http://i.imgur.com/Ld8eY2u.jpg The original score was recorded on 9/29/1981 in the studio of Jerry Wicker, who also recorded the music for Joe Sayer & Bobby Miller. The album was written by Billy Beethoven and performed by Joe Sayer & Bobby Miller. The original music for “The Big Time” was recorded by Jerry Wicker on his piano. You can download the track that was posted online and hear in the band “Big Time” in the iTunes version and download and listen to the two pieces HERE
This one-of-a-kind, small-scale musical art collection can be personalized for you by using an intuitive, downloadable, and highly accessible application. Designed with a unique approach to modern jazz, this highly accessible digital art app provides a unique and beautiful choice for a musician of every shape, size, and color that has all of your favorite tunes to choose from. Designed by a hand-selected artist and a group of professionals, the app has the capacity of your most unique instruments at your fingertips, making the music as unique as possible.
The first collection of works by these two artists with their “new” style of music is now available in print and iTunes. The album was first published in the fall of 1980. Now they are released full color on 10 to 16″x12″ paper for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple II. For this special edition, the musicians make up the first generation of musicians to be featured in a unique and beautiful collection. Artists include, Michael Lacey, Michael Smith, Richard Burton, David Biddle, David Bowie, George Miller, and even Phil Jones on guitar (a rare example of which!).
The original score was recorded on 9/29/1981 in the studio of Jerry Wicker, who also recorded the music for Joe Sayer & Frank Marshall in their studio at the Fillmore West hotel. The album was written by Billy Beethoven and performed by Joe Sayer & Bobby Miller. The soundtrack was composed and written by Joe Sayer & Bobby Miller. The original music for “The Big Time” was recorded by Jerry Wicker on his piano. You can download the track that was posted online and hear in the band “Big Time” in the iTunes version and download and listen to the two pieces HERE http://i.imgur.com/Ld8eY2u.jpg The original score was recorded on 9/29/1981 in the studio of Jerry Wicker, who also recorded the music for Joe Sayer & Bobby Miller. The album was written by Billy Beethoven and performed by Joe Sayer & Bobby Miller. The original music for “The Big Time” was recorded by Jerry Wicker on his piano. You can download the track that was posted online and hear in the band “Big Time” in the iTunes version and download and listen to the two pieces HERE
Americans found many ways to entertain themselves in the 1920s. They flocked to the theaters to see such stars as Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Rudolph Valentino. Other Americans swarmed to baseball stadiums to watch such top athletes as home run slugger Babe Ruth and boxing champion Jack Dempsey.
Radio also opened the doors for new entertainment such as nightly shows for audiences to listen to. Parents and their children would sit around the radio listening to such nightly comedy shows as “Amos and Andy”. Families across the United States would