Essay Sample about Roaring 20's

Glamorous, extravagant, and exciting; although they had just gotten out of WWI, America was having a jubilant time. Filled with scandalous youth, the ‘20s capture a lost generation.  Characterized by a booming economy, innovations like the tin lizzie, rebellious flappers, and historical record-setting, this was a period of change from the previous traditions. The roaring ‘20s is iconic because it strays from the past and evolves into our modern world. 

Daring innovation drove the evolution into the modern world. On October 1, 1908, the Ford Model T was released. While cars had been invented much earlier, they were incredibly expensive and not obtainable for the masses. The Ford  Model T or tin lizzie,  was important because it was cheap enough for the average person to buy. Urbanization, widespread connections, and interstate travel became easier to achieve and were promoted because more people had a car. Furthermore,  the Ford Model T also helped contribute to the growing market in America leading to the invention of skyscrapers. A symbol of prosperity, skyscrapers were tall buildings found in major cities like New York. They were a symbol of the wish of success to America’s posterity.  Pushing the limitations of the past, skyscrapers went beyond previous American architecture styles. It looked as if they were reaching for heaven, towering over the city at ten to twenty stories high. Their steel frame allowed them to sturdily support more floors and reinforced the integrity of the building. More leisurely inventions also include movies with sound. Despite the cinema being around for a while, it wasn’t until the ‘20s that film with sound was created. Introduced to theaters in 1927 The Jazz Singer was the first film to highlight this new creation. It was a musical film, and while by today’s standards it would be problematic, at the time it was the beginning of talkie films. 

Shattering the limits of the past, record-breakers swept the ‘20s. Gertrude Ederle was one of the best-known athletes of her time In only fourteen and a half hours she was able to swim across the English channel. She was the first female ever recorded to make that journey. Enduring twenty-one miles of freezing water and treacherous waves, Ederle broke the record of the fastest man to swim the channel by almost two hours. Next to Ederle on historical athletes was Babe Ruth. Born George Herman Ruth, Babe Ruth was a famous baseball player during his time. He set records for having the most home runs, slugging percentage, and runs batted. Although some of his records have been broken, during his career the records he made were ones that people could not even imagine matching. Due to this, he was a part of the galloping ghost, a collection of athletes from various American sports who were famous for their success. One of the other members was Bobby Jones. Winning thirteen major championships, Bobby Jones was considered one of the greatest amateur golfers in history. 

Liberating and rebellious, the youth of this era challenged societal standards. Tired propriety, some of the women of the ‘20s turned into flappers. Energetic, outrageous, and immoral, they were the opposite of what it meant to be ladylike at the time. They drank alcohol, they swore, they smoked, and they challenged fashion. As a result, beauty standards changed allowing for new styles like the bob. Bobbed hair was a staple in the flapper style. It was considered scandalous and as consequence, it was how many women chose to show social rebellion. Extending their cry for gender equality, some women also wore pants. Pants were considered a more masculine style and taboo for a woman to wear. In this time period men wore pants and older boys were knickers. Knickers were baggier pants accompanied with stockings. Women who wanted to make a statement adopted this style. Some girls and women wore knickers as athletic pants, others wore regular pants. It also wasn’t uncommon for women to pair those fashion items with a shirt and tie. 

Guided by the want for advancement, the ‘20s were a staple in American history. Our modern world is the result of a lost generation’s journey to obtain glory. Their contributions to our entertainment, societal standards, and innovation left a lasting legacy on America today.