Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties refers to the North American historical period of the 1920s, which has been described as "one of the most colorful decades in American history." The decade encapsulates a fascinating story, beginning with the return of young soldiers from the fronts of the First World War and emergence of a new and confident face of the modern womanhood, and ending with the sad note of the Black Tuesday, harbinger of the Great Depression. The years of the Roaring Twenties are marked by several inventions and discoveries of far reaching consequences; emergence of unprecedented industrial boom and accelerated consumer demand and aspirations, coupled with significant changes in the lifestyle; and a series of events, national as well as the international, which shaped a large part of the history of the 20th century.

Life During the Roaring Twenties

Immigration laws

The United States, and to a lesser degree Canada, became more isolationist during the Roaring Twenties. The American Immigration Act of 1924 limited immigration from countries where two percent of the total U.S. population, per the 1890 census, were immigrants from that country. Thus the massive influx of Europeans that had come to America during the first two decades of the century slowed to a trickle. Asians and citizens of India were prohibited from immigrating altogether. Alien Land Laws such as California's Webb-Haney Act in 1913 prevented aliens ineligible for citizenship from owning land. Similar laws were passed in 11 other states. In Canada, the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 prevented almost all immigration from Asia. Other laws curbed immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Related Topics:
Immigration Act of 1924 - Census - Asians - Citizens of India - Webb-Haney Act - Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 - Southern - Eastern Europe

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Prohibition

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In 1920, the manufacture, sale, import and export of alcohol was prohibited by the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in an attempt to alleviate various social problems; this came to be known as "Prohibition". It was enacted through the Volstead Act. America's continued desire for alcohol under prohibition led to the rise of organized crime, having unforeseen economic bonuses for criminal organizations. In Canada, prohibition was never imposed nationally, but the American liquor laws nonetheless had an important effect, as Canada became the main departure point for alcohol illegally entering the United States.

Related Topics:
Manufacture - Import - Alcohol - Eighteenth Amendment - United States - Constitution - Volstead Act - Organized crime

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Rise of the speakeasy

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Speakeasies became popular and numerous as the Prohibition years progressed, and lead to the rise of figures such as Al Capone. They more commonly began to operate with connections to organized crime. While police and United States Federal Government agents raided such establishments and arrested the owners and patrons, the business of running speakeasies was so lucrative that such establishments continued to flourish throughout the nation. In major cities, speakeasies could often be elaborate, offering food, live bands, and floor shows. Police were notoriously bribed by speakeasy operators to either leave them alone or at least give them advance notice of any planned raid.

Related Topics:
Speakeasies - Al Capone - Organized crime - Bribe

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Literature of the 1920s

The Roaring Twenties was also a period of literary creativity, and works of several authors, including, Sinclair Lewis, Willa Cather, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Carl Sandburg and Ernest Hemingway, appeared during the period. D.H. Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover was a scandal at the time because of its explicit descriptions of sex.

Related Topics:
Sinclair Lewis - Willa Cather - William Faulkner - F. Scott Fitzgerald - Carl Sandburg - Ernest Hemingway - D.H. Lawrence's - Lady Chatterley's Lover

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See 1920s books

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• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has often been described as the epitome of the "Jazz Age" in American literature.
• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque details the horrors of WWI and also the deep detachment from German civilian life felt by many men returning from the front.
• This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald examines the lives and morality of post-World War I youth.
• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway follows a group of expatriate Americans in Europe during the 1920s.