America in the 1920's Essay Sample

After World War I, many changes were being made both economically and socially during the 1920s. Most Americans in the country during the 1920s owned cars, radios, and telephones. The United States economy was booming with success in selling products that were consumer-oriented. Mass entertainment and social movements were becoming the center of attention. The 1920s was a decade of many social innovations in the United States through the women's suffrage movement, the idea of a “new women,” and the development of technology such as the radio and refrigerator. 

To begin with, one of the social changes that occurred during the 1920s was the ratification of the 19th amendment, which was passed as one of the achievements of the women's suffrage movement. In the National Archives, the 19th Amendment states “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” (19th Amendment). The 19th Amendment created a new life for many women, and it was a huge milestone that women were finally able to achieve through many hardships and struggles by allowing them to get more respect from men. This event empowered women to pursue a broad range of political interests and to promote human welfare in many ways. To add on, women have petitioned and organized events to help win the right to vote since the 1800s, “1878... the amendment was first introduced in Congress, and August 18, 1920... it was ratified... the campaign for woman suffrage was long, difficult, and sometimes dramatic; yet ratification did not ensure full enfranchisement” (NARA [National Archives and Records Administration]). Hence, the struggle for women's suffrage brought millions of women closer to equality in different aspects in America with job opportunities, fairer wages, and education. Today, the fight for women's suffrage led to equal voting rights and better equality in workplaces between both genders. On the other hand, some might say the women's suffrage movement changed the conservative ways of life by changing the domestic role of a woman, but it helped strengthen human rights and freedom. To summarize, the women's suffrage movement initiated the 19th Amendment during the 1920s of social innovation. 

Furthermore, the roaring decade of the 1920s brought the idea of a “new woman” to America, which paved the way for unique fashion, lifestyle, and ideals. To start off, there are two women in a nightclub from the 1920s in shorter dresses that come just below the knees at a bar, and the caption states “Flappers at the bar of Isa Lanchester´s nightclub in London” (All That's Interesting, image 22). In the second image from the Library of Congress, there is also a woman wearing a sleeveless, short dress in heels and a feather hat, leaning against the wall with the caption stating, “A flapper actress dances the Charleston 1925” (All That's Interesting, image 24). Flappers were a new “breed” of women, and they were more daring and confident. The Flappers also wore shorter dresses and would smoke and drink in public, which contributed to their independence and a new revolution of females. Moreover, women began to seize this opportunity to create a big change, before “[m]arried women were...expected to remain in the domestic sphere[, but] new patterns of consumption gave them more power and… more autonomy, new household technologies and philosophies of marriage and child-rearing increased expectations'' (Lumen Learning). The new evolution of women had led to the ushering of new morality and opportunities, which pushed the barriers of sexual, political, and economical freedom for women. Women were now able to work outside their home, and the numbers of professional women rose in education and nursing. In contrast, they might say that flappers broke social norms with their reckless behavior and attitudes, but flappers changed the way women were perceived and opened many doors to opportunities for women today. On the whole, the unique fashion, lifestyle, and ideals influenced modern day and were paved the way by the roaring decades of the 1920s, which introduced the idea of a “new women”. 

In addition, the 1920s did not only bring social movements, but it also brought many technological advancements to the country. For instance, the development of cars…, taking pictures..., radio and broadcasting..., and telephones (Lovefone). During this time in history, many soldiers were returning home after WWI, and these new technological inventions allowed people to be more connected, provided entertainment, and increased speed in transportation. The 1920s was a time of social innovation because of the significant increase in efficiency and effectiveness of inventions brought to the country. Besides the development of transportation and communication, the inventions of the 1920s helped shape the United States with “[a]dvances in technology [that] led to the age of electricity and many homes in America… Industrialized cities were powered by electricity… [and] provided Americans with the power to… run new labor[,] saving people devices like refrigerators, washing machines, radios, and photographs” (American Historama, Alchin). Adding on to the idea of new women, the technological advancements allowed women to spend less time in their homes by reducing the time it takes to complete domestic tasks. Many domestic inventions helped the citizens of the country find a balance in their life, helping them become more productive and independent. Some people may argue that the technological inventions caused overproduction and underconsumption, but it helped grow and improve businesses through the selling of cheaper goods with mass production of many products. In brief, many technological inventions were brought to the social innovations of the 1920s. 

To sum it up, the United States had many social changes during the 1920s with the women's suffrage movement, the idea of a “new women”, and the development of technology. Today, due to these social innovations in society, women are able to have political, business, and economic positions, and technology has made it easier to modernize and prosper the country globally. Although, there are some social and economic conflicts with technology and women that are still facing discrimination today, the roaring twenties had brought economic growth and cultural change to society.