History Essay Sample: The Roaring Twenties and the Not so Roaring Twenties

The roaring twenties was a period after World War one had occurred. It was during this time that Americans embraced change and decided to reform in different ways. During this era, they took a new path in terms of lifestyle and began enjoying the prosperity they had achieved in the recent past. This period preceded the emergence of the Great Depression that was in 1929. The technology was advanced at this age and people had come up with new inventions that were tailored to save on labor. These inventions resulted to an increased number of people opting to use automobiles, radios, telephones, and electricity. Traditional ideas that were accustomed to the past took a back seat in this era. The term roaring twenties was used to express the exuberant span that was characterized by a lot of automobiles that roared around the city, crowding the streets. The noises that were being generated from the factories which had adopted mass production methods coupled with the music typically jazz coming from the radios played a major part in the era being termed as the roaring twenties.

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The period of the roaring twenties had both negative and positive sides of things. Firstly, the period brought about huge social changes including; women were given the chance to participate and express their democratic rights through voting. Before the nineteenth amendment was passed, groups of feminists were of the view that they could not undertake various career opportunities available and raise a family. Women began enrolling into schools during this period. Opportunities for work at the various manufacturing companies were also available as a result of the expanding economy. Another positive effect of this period was the birth of jazz music. The younger generation adopted and embraced this new genre of music despite the criticism that came from the older generation who termed jazz music as vulgar. This period became known as The Jazz Age. This age of jazz music also saw the birth of a number of famous dance routines including the Charleston, flea hop, black bottom and cake walk. Household appliances increased in number due to the availability of electricity. A broad number of inventions such as the telephone and radios also eased the means of communication making it easier and pleasant.

On the negative side of things, the roaring twenties period registered a significant increase in crime due to the prohibition of alcohol. The prohibition was a measure that was put in place to control the quantity of alcohol that an individual could buy and consume. This, however, brought about a rise in criminal activities as people would organize themselves into gangs and carry out unlawful acts.

This period was also characterized by racism, anti-radicalism, anti-intellectualism and increased isolationism. The whites in this era lynched black people as a way of making examples out of them and keeping them in their place. Most black people were victims of false accusations and ended up being killed. The Harlem Renaissance also came to life with the main agenda of counteracting racism that was on the rise. People from the black race were not allowed to own houses especially in areas where the whites were living. Borderlines were drawn to bring a separation between the whites and the Negroes but with time, such border lines receded. White landlords also signed agreements that restricted them from renting their apartments to black people. Furthermore, restrictions were also put in place to curb the number of Negros that could be employed as either bellboy, janitors, laundresses and servants to serve in homes owned by the whites. Everyone is entitled to equal opportunities and should work to show that they are deserving of the same. Favors should not be handed out cheaply, instead, they should be earned.