Throughout the 1920s, life for the average American was extraordinary. Almost everyone was living rather well off and society significantly grew fairly quickly. However, prosperity does not last forever and often times is followed by great hardship. The prosperity of the 1920s was misleading due to highly luxurious living, rapid industrial expansion, and culture wars that predicted economic problems in the near future. The Roaring Twenties just screamed richness, making people believe they were living an unending prosperity. Young women referred to as flappers, wore fashionable flashy wardrobes and enjoyed themselves very much during this time period. They were known for being women who “danced, smoked, and drank in obvious self-absorption”
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These conflicts are what divided groups socially. The 18th amendment, a nationwide ban on everything to do with alcohol, was a brought up a huge ordeal that caused groups to disagree with each other. Those in favor of prohibition believe it “reduces crime and promotes social stability”, while those opposed believe it “increases crime and restricts liberty” (702). However, the amendment provided a loophole for medicinal and industrial purposes. This allowed bootleggers to carry on with their operations regularly. Their increasing profits caused organized crime to concentrate on the competition of the liquor distribution markets. A famous gangster named Al Capone “killed hundreds” with his army of men in order to enforce or attack their enemies (705). The actions of organized crime highly corrupted city governments and police power. This really scared people who favored prohibition enough for them to change their minds because organized crime hyped it up to the extreme. Weak enforcement later prompted the 18th amendment to be repealed in 1933. Other events such as the Klu Klux Klan’s white supremacy movements and The Scopes Trial regarding religion and evolution further emphasized the reality that anticipated economic problems would soon hit the nation. This all led up to the stock market crash of 1929 when investors
These conflicts are what divided groups socially. The 18th amendment, a nationwide ban on everything to do with alcohol, was a brought up a huge ordeal that caused groups to disagree with each other. Those in favor of prohibition believe it “reduces crime and promotes social stability”, while those opposed believe it “increases crime and restricts liberty” (702). However, the amendment provided a loophole for medicinal and industrial purposes. This allowed bootleggers to carry on with their operations regularly. Their increasing profits caused organized crime to concentrate on the competition of the liquor distribution markets. A famous gangster named Al Capone “killed hundreds” with his army of men in order to enforce or attack their enemies (705). The actions of organized crime highly corrupted city governments and police power. This really scared people who favored prohibition enough for them to change their minds because organized crime hyped it up to the extreme. Weak enforcement later prompted the 18th amendment to be repealed in 1933. Other events such as the Klu Klux Klan’s white supremacy movements and The Scopes Trial regarding religion and evolution further emphasized the reality that anticipated economic problems would soon hit the nation. This all led up to the stock market crash of 1929 when investors