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The 1920's are considered
roaring because of the freedoms and opportunities the American public
gained because of an improving economy. They took advantage of these opportunities
in ways that were wild and exciting giving this period its name. New inventions
changed lifestyles and everything moved at a faster pace.
The entertainment craze was a large influence on the country’s rising
prosperity, for it boosted morale throughout the nation. New music like
jazz was popular and sent the younger generations into a frenzy. Soon
nightclubs sprang up, where they could go to dance and show off the latest
steps such as the Charleston. Hollywood also began to renovate themselves
with silent movies, and later with talking movies which they called "talkies"
that captivated audiences all over. As F. Scott Fitzgerald said in Echoes
of the Jazz Age: "the parties were bigger, the pace was faster, the
shows were broader". Americans, at least those with a lot of free
time, like Alvin 'Shipwreck' Kelly began to express their happiness with
strange pastimes like flagpole sitting.
Another activity that became popular was going to sports competitions.
Baseball became the national sport, which everybody loved. Other well-liked
sports included basketball, boxing, and American football. Harold 'Red'
Grange gave "a show that set spectators screaming with excitement."
according to the New York Times.
Charles Lindbergh was the first man to fly solo across the entire Atlantic
Ocean, with the help of his plane, The Spirit of St. Louis in May 1927.
This man was a national hero, not only because of his flying capabilities,
but because he was an ideal citizen, by putting his beliefs before any
desire for wealth, as noted in the New York Times. His flight added to
the feeling that the world had changed forever and anything was possible.
The stock market just made an entrance in the twenties, and became extremely
popular. It was one of the easiest ways to make a lot of money, and anybody
could do it. There was nothing to stop the public from getting richer.
They had all the freedoms they had fought for, and they finally got to
loosen up and slack off. Women also played the market: "The number
of women speculators has increased from 2 per cent to 35 per cent of the
huge army that daily gambles on the stock market" says the New American
Review. Speculators are people who assume which company is going to do
well, in order to buy stock in a company and make money. It seemed it
would never go down.
Not only were the men successful, women had just gotten the vote, and
were just getting started in new ways of life. During and after World
War One, many women had to make a living for themselves, and they loved
it. They had newly found responsibilities and a great feeling of freedom.
These independant women were called flappers. They changed their style
to be more modern, to be able to enjoy contemporary fads, with short dresses
and bobbed hair.
Loads of technological breakthroughs had been made during this time, increasing
consumption, and making more job opportunities. This cycle was essential
to the twenties, for everybody's lives were dependent on it. Factories
began producing radios, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, wristwatches,
cigarette lighters, hand cameras, and most importantly the car. Machines
reduced the labor needed for everyday chores, while Henry Ford's invention
sent the economy booming. People could get around easier, take vacations,
and be freer. Thanks to the car, other businesses also popped up such
as motels, service stations, road-side restaurants, and road building.
In 1920 Congress passed an Amendment making alcohol illegal. Prohibition
gave rise to gangsters like Al Capone, Dion O'Banion, John Torrio, and
Bugs Moran would bootlegged all the nation’s booze during these times.
They would stop at nothing to drive off competitors, like the St. Valentine’s
Day Massacre where Capone killed a dozen members of Moran’s gang.
The number of illegal taverns had doubled since prohibition, and more
and more gangsters were making millions of dollars a year. Capone's "army"
also forcefully took over the small suburban town of Cicero and obligated
the citizens to vote for Capone’s candidates in the election. In
order to not get caught, some gangs like Capone's bribed the Mayor or
the police with money, and in return they never turned them in.
With new jobs the public made more money (with which they played the market
to make even more money) to buy consumer goods like washing machines and
vacuum cleaners to cut down on the time spent at home. With this extra
time and a new car people could go to nightclubs to celebrate, go out
to dinner to relax, go to ball games or just the movie theatre. This lively
cycle was necessary for people to live happily, and naturally it began
to speed up with more modernization. These times were roaring because
of the loud echo it made in other countries, and the wild fun it was in
America.
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