the 'Roaring Twenties'
The Roaring Twenties is a term sometimes used to refer to the 1920s in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe, characterising the decade's distinctive cultural edge in New York City, Chicago, Paris, Berlin, London, Los Angeles and many other major cities during a period of sustained economic prosperity. French speakers called it the "années folles" ("Crazy Years") emphasising the era's social, artistic, and cultural flair.
This decade has often been described as a carefree time when people put the gloom of the war years behind them. The wealth that some people had and the influence of jazz music, new dance crazes, motion pictures (movies), motorcars, new technologies and mass production all contributed to the decade being called the 'Roaring Twenties'. However, while for some Americans it was an age of prosperity, confidence and fun, for many others, and for most people around the world, the 1920's was anything but 'roaring'.
Changing Values:
The spirit of the Roaring Twenties was marked by a general feeling of changing values and a break with traditions. The world had now broken free of the shackles of World War One and were living their lives like there was no tomorrow. In most major countries women even won the right to vote and to work, signalling a major shift in overall attitude of society. Women were gaining more freedom and indepependence, and some women, called 'flappers', shocked conservatives by wearing short dresses, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Jazz and dancing rose in popularity, in opposition to the mood associated with World War I. As such, the period is also often referred to as the Jazz Age.
Prohibition in the US:
The United States had introduced prohibition in 1920 and it remained illegal to sell alcohol in the country until 1933. Millions of Americans defied this law by drinking in illegal bars called 'speakeasies' that were often operated by gangsters, a defiance that is typical of the period. Those criminals that distributed alcohol illegally were called boot-leggers, and were romanticised by much of the media and public during this period.
Manufacturing and mass consumption:
Everything now seemed to be feasible through modern technology. New technologies, especially automobiles, moving pictures spread 'modernity' to a large part of the population that formerly did not ever see such things. New technologies also created new consumer good as mass consumption gripped most of the developed world. In the 1920s manufacturing was stimulated by the post-war demand for goods such as telephones, household appliances and cars. The greatest growth occurred in the United States, where industrial growth output doubled between 1921 and 1929. Henry Ford has introduced the assembly line to manufacture his Model T automobile. Assembly lines made manufacturing much cheaper and led to big increases in production and sales. Mass-produced goods had to find mass markets so advertising was used to encourage consumption. Also, the introduction of hire purchase encouraged people to buy new goods because they no longer had to save up their full price before purchasing. By 1929, there was almost 1 car for every 5 Americans. Manufacturing also grew in Australia as British and American companies set up Australian branches. Ford opened motor vehicle plants in Australia in the mid-1920s. The consumer age had arrived in Australia.
This decade has often been described as a carefree time when people put the gloom of the war years behind them. The wealth that some people had and the influence of jazz music, new dance crazes, motion pictures (movies), motorcars, new technologies and mass production all contributed to the decade being called the 'Roaring Twenties'. However, while for some Americans it was an age of prosperity, confidence and fun, for many others, and for most people around the world, the 1920's was anything but 'roaring'.
Changing Values:
The spirit of the Roaring Twenties was marked by a general feeling of changing values and a break with traditions. The world had now broken free of the shackles of World War One and were living their lives like there was no tomorrow. In most major countries women even won the right to vote and to work, signalling a major shift in overall attitude of society. Women were gaining more freedom and indepependence, and some women, called 'flappers', shocked conservatives by wearing short dresses, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Jazz and dancing rose in popularity, in opposition to the mood associated with World War I. As such, the period is also often referred to as the Jazz Age.
Prohibition in the US:
The United States had introduced prohibition in 1920 and it remained illegal to sell alcohol in the country until 1933. Millions of Americans defied this law by drinking in illegal bars called 'speakeasies' that were often operated by gangsters, a defiance that is typical of the period. Those criminals that distributed alcohol illegally were called boot-leggers, and were romanticised by much of the media and public during this period.
Manufacturing and mass consumption:
Everything now seemed to be feasible through modern technology. New technologies, especially automobiles, moving pictures spread 'modernity' to a large part of the population that formerly did not ever see such things. New technologies also created new consumer good as mass consumption gripped most of the developed world. In the 1920s manufacturing was stimulated by the post-war demand for goods such as telephones, household appliances and cars. The greatest growth occurred in the United States, where industrial growth output doubled between 1921 and 1929. Henry Ford has introduced the assembly line to manufacture his Model T automobile. Assembly lines made manufacturing much cheaper and led to big increases in production and sales. Mass-produced goods had to find mass markets so advertising was used to encourage consumption. Also, the introduction of hire purchase encouraged people to buy new goods because they no longer had to save up their full price before purchasing. By 1929, there was almost 1 car for every 5 Americans. Manufacturing also grew in Australia as British and American companies set up Australian branches. Ford opened motor vehicle plants in Australia in the mid-1920s. The consumer age had arrived in Australia.
QUESTIONS
1) Explain what the following terms mean:
a) conservatives
b) prohibition
c) mass consumption
2) What was the impact on the United States of mass production and mass consumption?
3) What social changes led to the 1920s being called the 'Roaring Twenties'?
4) Closely examine [Source 1].
a) What 'changes' are visible in this image?
b) Compare and contrast an image of Times Square today
c) What can the source tell us about the developing culture, new technologies, mass production, marketing and consumers in the 1920s?
1) Explain what the following terms mean:
a) conservatives
b) prohibition
c) mass consumption
2) What was the impact on the United States of mass production and mass consumption?
3) What social changes led to the 1920s being called the 'Roaring Twenties'?
4) Closely examine [Source 1].
a) What 'changes' are visible in this image?
b) Compare and contrast an image of Times Square today
c) What can the source tell us about the developing culture, new technologies, mass production, marketing and consumers in the 1920s?