The 1920s: An Overview

In the 1920s, America's lifestyle changed so drastically and so many new ideas came into play. Some major amendments were made that would change the face of modern living for years to come, such as the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the sale, distribution, and consumption of any alcoholic beverages.



Prohibition changed the lives of Americans. Many evangelists jumped with joy with their efforts to make alcohol illegal. Something obviously worked. Although many thought that taking away liquor would, in turn, reduce the growing amount of violence that was seen throughout the twenties, but in fact, it increased the amount of violence. This violence was not just any type, it was organized crime, which leads me to talk about gangsters in the twenties.



Gangs were a part of the twenties. Once prohibition came into play, gangsters ran the streets of big cities such as New York, and Chicago, for instance. The most infamous gangster of all time is Al Capone. His drug, crime, and moonshine industry grew by the day. He made on average $60 million every year. And on the standards of the 1920s, that would be much more money today than it was then.



Something in the 1920s was starting to arouse like a small flame. The KKK began their reign over America in the 20s. They used clever names for their group members, such as Wizard and Dragon. They used these names, possibly to show they have power, or maybe to get attention. But whatever way possible, they would gain members by getting as much attention as possible. The KKK looked down upon Catholics, Jews, African Americans, and other people who were against their organization. They were even against any immigrants that came to the United States. They were nativists down to the core. As their power grew, so did their violence. Many lynchings and murders tok place and they were to blame. The KKK struck fear in many people.


So many things were new in America in the twenties. So many things changed and so many things were new altogether. No matter what one thing anyone thinks about the 1920s, that decade will always be known to everyone as the roaring twenties.

During the 1920s, Jazz was a major part in the lives of many people. It was the new style of music that was also very controversial, such as rap may be today. Many people thought of Jazz as an evil form of music just because it was wild and didn't follow the standard style of music that people were used to. Here, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong is depicted with his trumpet.

Here is a picture of a KKK rally. It was not uncommon to see huge rallies of large scale, like this one, to take place in public.

Here is a picture of a magazine cover that shows a 1920s "flapper" as they are referred to. These progressive women were very different from the traditional styles of women of the late 1800s.

The Eighteenth Amendment made sale, consumption, and distribution illegal. Here, men empty huge barrels full of beer.