The 1920s in the United States - Assignment Example

The 1920s was a unique decade because America was fundamentally changing in so many ways.  One of these ways was the unprecedented economic prosperity that the increasingly urban population enjoyed.  Speculation in stocks and real estate elevated many people from the middle to upper classes.  Conspicuous consumption became the rule of the day.  Wild parties, visits to the speakeasy, and the enjoyment of wild jazz music were the rage with this newly affluent set.

  There was a sense that anything could be done and that the world was there for the conquering.  For these reasons, the 1920s became known as the Roaring ’20s and the Jazz age. American’s loved and admired Charles Lindbergh because he epitomized the daring spirit that the nation had adopted during the 1920s.  Lindbergh was a self-made man.  He dropped out of school to teach himself about machinery and to become a pilot.  His mechanical innovation and courage enabled him to make the first transatlantic flight in history.

  He became an instant hero, admired by millions for displaying attributes that America admired in the 1920’s Prohibition was indeed a great social experiment.  Unfortunately, it was an experiment that failed. Prohibition was a great social experiment because it was a democratically instituted social institution.  If it had been enacted by a totalitarian regime, then it would have been little more than a ruling by a dictator.  But because the temperance movement worked democratically to obtain its objectives, it is a moment in American history to be proud of.

  Prohibition as a demonstration of the democratic process was a success.  Unfortunately, it produced many unintended social problems the supporters in the temperance movements could not foresee.