Impact of the 1920s on the American Dream - Assignment Example

Impact of the 1920s on the American Dream It is widely held that the 1920s was the turning point in American culture and the culmination of a number of economic, social and economic activities practiced and accepted today as the norm. It is in the 1920s that American life changed, courtesy of new technologies and it was in this decade that Americans started reaping maximum rewards from previous decades of industrial revolution. For example, many term the 1920s as the decade of prosperity, evidenced by the pro-business ethos adopted by the governments of Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. For example, many businesses flourished in the 1920s as subsequent governments adopted the pro-business stance leading to the growth of industries in the manufacturing, aviation, automobile and chemical sectors. In fact, automobile production per year increased threefold, leading to more than 50% of American households owning cars (Foner 610). In my opinion, true American entrepreneurship was born in the 1920s. That is, American entrepreneurship where tenacity, grit, street smarts, education, ambition and opportunity could lead to success on a far wider scale than ever imagined before in a capitalistic system. Many of the entrepreneurs found today have partly modelled their success in accordance to some of the entrepreneurs found in the 1920s. For example, the Prohibition era provided an opportunity for many individuals to become rich. For those who owned establishments such as speakeasies or those responsible for bootlegging, a lot of money was made. The period also witnessed massive rural to urban migration as farmers form the Southern states migrated to cities such as Los Angeles to work in textile and automobile industries, while others found employment opportunities in Hollywood. Indeed, everyone wanted a piece of the American dream (Foner 613). Even though there was far more rampant public corruption in the 1920s as gangs and criminals bribed city officials, the ability to spot an opportunity and utilize it to its maximum, is a trait that is seen today, as companies and multinationals try to exploit every little opportunity for profit. In the 1920s, liquor and prostitution based businesses reaped millions of profits in dollars. However, it was not just illegal business that flourished, even legal ones such as multinationals gained footholds in international markets, marking a shift from Internationalism to Isolationism (Foner 618). The celebrity culture present today also has its roots in the 1920s. As more people began to adopt more lax economic principles, which were concentered on consumerism and leisure rather than frugality and savings, more money began to be spent on entertainment and leisurely activities. By doing so, the entertainment industry grew rapidly, evidenced by the emergence of the Hollywood as the foremost show business industry in the world. As other European nations were recovering from the effects of World War I, the U.S grew economically due to its delayed entry into the war and the fact that the war was not fought on American soil, hence no destruction of infrastructure. For example, celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth and Charles Lindberg were household names due to their exploits in acting, baseball and aviation. It was the first time that individuals began making a lot of money outside conventional jobs like business and other academic related occupations. It can be argued that it was somewhat the zenith of the emergence and possible dominance of the arts in terms of commercial power over the sciences (Foner 611). One of the most distinguishing features of American culture has to be advertising, which has a direct correlation to consumer spending habits and the prevalence of consumerism. It has been argued that the emergence of advertising in America, has its roots in the 1920s. As more households gained access to media sources such as radios, numerous companies began to employ advertising as a psychological tool for shaping the tastes and preferences of Americans and eventually fostering a culture of consumerism. These effects are even seen today. A good example being the advertisement of pharmaceutical products during commercial breaks. However, the foremost example of the effects of consumerism has to be during the Super bowl, when millions of American households are bombarded by numerous commercials of fast foods, household items and other numerous consumer products during commercial breaks. Such modern trends are firmly engrained in the culture of the 1920s. For example, Coca Cola became a national brand due to advertising in this era and according to the sales director of the company at the time, it was utterly impossible for consumers to escape their adverts. Marketing (advertising) is responsible for mass production of goods and services like vacuum cleaners, radios and other household products (Foner 611). The shift from frugality to consumerism is also responsible for the emergence of the modern woman. In fact the first wave of feminism is traced in the 1920s, as women through movements such as the Women Christian Temperance Union and the National Women’s Party, which advocated for equal rights between men and women leading to significant achievements such as women’s right to vote. Other legal efforts were also made such as the Equal Rights Amendment, which sought to ensure that men and women were accorded all the rights that men were afforded and that no law would distinguish the two in terms of opportunity. Even though this amendment did not succeed, it marked the beginning of women empowerment across all spheres- political, social and economic. Nowadays, man and women enjoy the same rights. The 1920s are responsible for subsequent feminist movements in the 60s and 70s. Their efforts can be summarized by the emergence of flappers, who unlike women in the 19th century, were sexually uninhibited, independent and even participated in leisurely activities previously reserved for men-smoking and drinking liquor in bars (Foner 615). As in all scenarios where change is involved, the old always fights the new and the 1920s was no different. Changes in consumer spending habits, attitudes, culture and even opinions resulted in conflicts between the conservatives and the progressives. The tension was fostered by the reluctance of many Christian conservatives fighting the new order of things, both on a social, economic and political front. On the political and legal front, things remained fairly conservative as government was led and backed by majority Christian Baptist conservatives, who opposed minority rights and scientific sentiments such as Darwin’s theory of evolution. The rapidly increasing Liberals, though a minority, started gaining footing in politics, evidenced by the candidature of Robert la Follette, a member from the Progressive Party. Such strides led to the re-emergence of Ku Klux Clan, who opposed such progressive sentiments. Socially, conservatives rebuked the shift in moral culture (women empowerment, alcoholism), deeming it as moral decay, while economically they were against consumerism, which was deemed ungodly (Foner 618-624). Works Cited Foner, Eric. “From Business Culture to Great Depression. “Give Me Liberty: An American History. Seagull (3rd ed.). New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print. Read More