As demonstrated by Wilson’s League of Nations, Hitler’s reign, and the start of World War II, America gradually changed its foreign policy from avoiding foreign issues to becoming involved in global affairs, which in fact, was inevitable. During this period of time, many Americans still held an isolationist view. They were too arrogant at the time to not only become more aware but also more active in foreign affairs. With the presidency of Harding and Coolidge, the popular view of the time was the return to “normalcy”. In 1920, Harding made a speech opposing Wilson’s plan for the League of Nations (Doc A).
In order to prevent a union uprising, like those that were happening overseas in Russia, many union leaders received unconstitutional treatment, many who were native born were jailed, while those who were born elsewhere were often deported. By 1920, the political atmosphere in America had become overwhelmingly conservative. In conjunction with red scare fears, the end of the war left a bitter taste in the mouths of many and Americans were looking for a change in
The Ford production line meant that prices could be kept low and this, coupled with a generous credit system, led to huge numbers of cars being sold; in 1929 there was one car for every five Americans. As well as the freedom of travel, this particular industry allowed several other businesses such as service stations to develop creating more jobs and therefore more freedom. As well as this, the development of labour saving devices such as the vacuum cleaner meant that people had more free time. One group that was particularly effected was American women. By 1920, the 19th Amendment had been passed meaning women could vote.
In 1920s America, everything was changing. Wages were increasing, as were the cities and cars were becoming cheaper. People’s lives were becoming easier, as Source 4 says, ‘New consumer goods became available in the 1920s which had a significant effect on people’s daily life’. The housewife saw her ‘labor lightened and shortened’ and the farmer had ‘plenty of time on his hands in which to do other things than run his farm’. On the whole, people embraced this new found freedom from working, and they spent the extra money they were getting from their increased wages on leisure activities and entertainment, something people didn’t have the chance to do beforehand.
In this essay I am going to be answering the question, was 1920’s America a great time to live? After I have presented both arguments for and against the statement, I will come to a conclusion on which argument persuades me to form my opinion. The 1920’s is commonly referred to as the ‘roaring 20’s’ this is because, it was the period of time just after the war and subsequently the countries that won the war went through an economic boom. As normal during big changes in the world, the most extreme changes happened in America. As a result of this I am going to be looking specifically at the changes in America that took place in the 1920’s and how these affected people’s everyday lives.
Xenophobia is the irrational fear of foreigners and the 1920's saw plenty of irrational fear and irrational actions. Immigrants and Immigration During The Twenties - Years of Intolerance Even though the 1920's are often referred to as the "roaring 20's" they were not all lighthearted and good times. The 20's were years of tremendous social and political changes. In Russia the Bolsheviks had overthrown the Czar (King) of Russia. The Bolsheviks were communists.
Conflict and war was an experience he never encountered or embraced before. The realization of war was becoming a reality. When Harold Krebs returned home, victory celebrations had already occurred and the community was trying to return to the normalcy of life. “People seemed to think it was rather ridiculous for Krebs to be getting back so late, years after the war was over...At first Krebs, who had been at Belleau Wood, Soissons, the Champagne, St. Mihiel…. did not want to talk about the war at all.”(Hemingway 187).
Prohibition | Prohibition was the result of Americas Temperance Movement. The longest running social movement the nation has ever been involved in. The supporters of the many temperance organizations that had been established nationwide believed alcohol to be responsible for crime, poverty, social problems, tax burdens and many health problems and were eventually able to persuade the national government that prohibition was the answer. Initially it seemed to work as intended, but by the late 1920’s it was proven to be an unenforceable law that seemed to influence all of the problems it was said to protect the nation from. People found ways to brew alcohol in their own homes and yards, or smuggle it into the country.
In the 1950s, tensions ran high between America and its one-time ally, and fear of the Communists was widespread. Joseph McCarthy, a little known senator from Wisconsin, exploited the fears of the masses in an attempt to gain a popularity and a good reputation. He declared that not only did loyal Americans face the Communist threat overseas, but that America itself harbored Soviet sympathizers and closet “Commies” by the hundreds. McCarthy spearheaded an effort to rid the country of Communism in a mass movement called the Red Scare. During the Scare, thousands of innocent citizens were accused of holding Communist sympathies, accusations which had little or no evidence to support them.
As the communist party gained influence in Vietnam during the late forties and early fifties, at the beginning of the Cold War, the people of the United States were extremely worried about the threat of communism spreading to Southeast Asia. The Cold War agendas of the major world superpowers made Vietnam a major point of conflict because of the widespread hate of Communism in the United States, the pro-communism agenda of the Soviet Union, and both of their interest in Vietnam. As in most colonized places, the Vietnamese people were oppressed and treated as