The Roaring Twenties, also known as the Jazz Age, was a period of significant social, economic, and cultural change in the United States. Here are some key points about this era:
The Roaring Twenties was characterized by economic prosperity, rapid social and cultural change, and a mood of exuberant optimism.
For the first time, more Americans lived in cities than on farms. The nation’s total wealth more than doubled between 1920 and 1929, and gross national product (GNP) expanded by 40 percent from 1922 to 1929.
This economic engine swept many Americans into an affluent “consumer culture” in which people nationwide saw the same advertisements, bought the same goods, listened to the same music and did the same dances.
The decade is often associated with outrageousness3. It was a time of change as America recovered from World War I and embraced new ways of behaving and thinking.
Perhaps the most familiar symbol of the “Roaring Twenties” is probably the flapper: a young woman with bobbed hair and short skirts who drank, smoked and said “unladylike” things, in addition to being more sexually “free” than previous generations.
The 1920s saw the growth of the automobile industry, the advent of the radio, and the rise of advertising and consumer goods.
However, the Roaring Twenties also saw the rise of organized crime, particularly during the era of Prohibition when the sale, production, and transportation of alcohol were banned.
This period of American history had a profound impact on the nation and continues to influence it today.