Discuss how the 1920's represented social, economis, and cultural discord among Americans.

The period between the end of World War I and the fall of the nation's economy in the 1920's was spoke of as the "Roaring Twenties". Despite experiencing debt, the 1920's witnessed many cultural transformations that would ultimately affect America civilization. Although contradictions had been made such as the constancy of subordination of women, blacks, and the burst of cultural development. The new decade would be a time of change for everyone even if it was not always meant to be a satisfying one. The close of World War I saw the United States to a horrible stance, President Wilson's efforts, the Senate refuse to ratify the Versailles Peace Treaty that ended World War I, and the U.S. failing to join the League of Nations. Elected president in 1920, Harding promoted a "return to normalcy," which was used as a reassurance of nativism, isolationism, and rejection of the Progressive Era (which became unwanted by the people since all the demands had been fulfilled already ). Harding's policies reflected a conservative attitude, his administration was controlled by scandals, but most of them did not surface or unfold until the following his death of a stroke in office. Coolidge was Harding's vice president. When the presidency fell with Harding's death, he moved swiftly to sew up the nomination and mend the effects of the administration's scandals. Coolidge administration policies included various of ideas such as high tariffs, federal tax cuts which were generally approved of during his four years, and also his do little plan in office. Hoover was elected to the presidency in 1928, his personal popularity suffered, however with his "do nothing" plan. Hoover had been in office just a few years when the Great Depression began to carve into the nation's economy. His early relief efforts were generally viewed to be inadequate. With all the tension going on in the 1920's, it still remained a lively decade full of inventions, new ages, dances, amendments, laws, just a decade full of cultural innovations. The 1920's represented a social, economic and cultural discord among Americans with the different religious and science views, traditions, rural and urban disputes, and the red scare the fear of Communism.


After WWI it seemed to those who lived in rural areas of America, the nation's cities represented vice and sin. Even though the nation was to enter into the decade of sale, distribution, and consumption of alcohol drinks (which was outlawed by the eighteenth amendment). The Constitution had prohibited the manufacture, transport and sale of intoxicating liquor. Prohibitionists anticipated that Prohibition would elevate social problems and riots in the economy. However, many people disliked the law and turned to unlawful nightclubs called speakeasies. Gangsters took control of bootlegging (illegal spread of liquor) and violent lawlessness erupted. Lacking public support, the federal government was unable to enforce Prohibition. Rurals viewed the lifestyle as something exceedingly stimulating. Yet the attitude of urban women was represented by their clothing and behavior. Women began smoking, wearing cosmetics, and even having higher hemlines. Youthful "Flapper" were what women were know as who provoked older people with brief skirts and bobbed hair.


The United States was converting from a wartime to peacetime economy. When weapons for World War I were no longer needed, there was a temporary stall in the economy. After a few years, the country did prospered. In this decade, America became the richest nation on Earth and a culture of consumerism was born. It was the time of the $5 workday, good worker pay for those days. People spent money for better roads, tourism, and holiday resorts. Until the unsuspected stock market crash. Consequently causing a huge amount of debt which had not even existed until then. The market was giving to much money and not receiving enough and eventually it crashed, devastating millions leading to the Great Depression.


Though Darwin's ideas on evolution were no longer new in the 1920's, the evolutionary theory was well-established in public schools. Fundamentalists launched campaigns in several states to abolish what they considered to be false and teaching which was whatever was not in harmony with the Bible. Yet in Tennessee a teacher was arrested in1925 for teaching on the subject of Darwin's theory of evolution against the states rule. The case provided the fundamentalist the opportunity to check who ever questioned the theory of creation in the book of Genesis. Then it pitted the ideals and ideas of Urban's against religious fundamentalism of rural protestant America. The teacher dd lose the case yet, the verdict was overturned.


The end of the fighting in Europe did not bring peace and security to the United States. Hatred was quickly replaced by a fear of governmental control, communists and immigrants. Following the triumph of the Bolsheviks in Russia (Russian Revolution) and the establishment of the Soviet Union, efforts were made by communist to promote revolution in Western Europe and the United States. Various events of the1920's were the first of a series of “red scares” in American history. Bombs exploded outside the home of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, killing 38 people. These attacks were blamed on by communists known as the "red scare".


While some ways a lively decade was portrayed in the 1920's and other included discords among social, economic and cultural Americans it was represented as a era of innovation. Various tensions arose during this decade such as the Scopes Monkey Trial, "red scare", urban gangs, scandals in office and countless more. Rural America continued to represent tradition and stability. While urban areas were culturally different, and rural were not yet they were religiously. The era embodied the beginning of modern America. Numerous Americans felt uplifted following World War I. America had survived a deadly worldwide war and now can come home to a new beginning. The new decade would be a time of change for everyone.