The 1920s was a period of major growth and social change in the United States. Expression through music and dance became popular, sports and nightclubs were where most young adults spent their time. People started moving from rural farm areas to big cities, and the nation’s total wealth doubled between 1920 and 1920.
Jazz music became very popular during this time period and the twenties was known as the “Jazz Age”. Originating in New Orleans, Jazz music was a form of expression through music. Although Jazz music first started in the South, Jazz musicians migrated North to major cities such as Chicago and New York where many more were exposed to the music. African Americans are credited with the birth of Jazz, but white artists eventually …show more content…
The law was very difficult to enforce and many crimes were being committed just so people could get alcohol. To help enforce this law the Volstead Act was passed that closed every bar or tavern in the United States. After the government passed these restrictions people had to sneak their alcohol around and some even made it in their homes. Alcohol that was made during prohibition was referred to as “bathtub gin”. It could be any type of poor-quality alcohol that people made by mixing cheap grain alcohol with water and flavoring. It got the name bathtub gin because the bottles they filled this alcohol with were too tall to be topped off with water from a sink, so they used a bathtub tap. Because the sale of alcohol was illegal many people would start taking their business underground. These underground bars were known as speakeasies which were controlled by bootleggers or other organized crime figures such as Al Capone. He was the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit, an Italian-American organized crime, and part of their work was the illegal distribution of alcohol. Speakeasies were also a place for people to go at night and drink, dance, and listen to bands. These bars played a huge role in culture in the twenties, although alcohol wasn’t even allowed to be shown on the big screen, people still continued to show it because they said it showed the true American
Jazz music became very popular during this time period and the twenties was known as the “Jazz Age”. Originating in New Orleans, Jazz music was a form of expression through music. Although Jazz music first started in the South, Jazz musicians migrated North to major cities such as Chicago and New York where many more were exposed to the music. African Americans are credited with the birth of Jazz, but white artists eventually …show more content…
The law was very difficult to enforce and many crimes were being committed just so people could get alcohol. To help enforce this law the Volstead Act was passed that closed every bar or tavern in the United States. After the government passed these restrictions people had to sneak their alcohol around and some even made it in their homes. Alcohol that was made during prohibition was referred to as “bathtub gin”. It could be any type of poor-quality alcohol that people made by mixing cheap grain alcohol with water and flavoring. It got the name bathtub gin because the bottles they filled this alcohol with were too tall to be topped off with water from a sink, so they used a bathtub tap. Because the sale of alcohol was illegal many people would start taking their business underground. These underground bars were known as speakeasies which were controlled by bootleggers or other organized crime figures such as Al Capone. He was the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit, an Italian-American organized crime, and part of their work was the illegal distribution of alcohol. Speakeasies were also a place for people to go at night and drink, dance, and listen to bands. These bars played a huge role in culture in the twenties, although alcohol wasn’t even allowed to be shown on the big screen, people still continued to show it because they said it showed the true American