1920s: A Time of Intolerance and reppressing hedonism
Throughout history, our society has undergone many social and economic changes. Over the years, new ways of thinking have taken over our society. The general public was unhappy with the progressive way of thinking and wanted to reform everything they had set forth. Even President Harding called for a "return to normalcy." During the 1920s, people were filled with apprehension and intolerance. But at the same time, they perused the decadent lifestyle and liberal ways of thinking that steadily gained support by the populace. Two extremely polar movements that existed in the 1920s were the uprising of the Ku Klux Klan and the Harlem Renaissance. The Ku Klux Klan, or KKK, was a social reaction toward what was happening in the American culture. The KKK were the ultra conservatives who were anti-black, anti-Jewish, anti-foreign, anti-Catholic, anti-pacifist, anti-Communist, anti-evolutionist, anti-bootlegger, anti-gambling, and anti-Internationalist . They basically were rising up against diversity or modernity of any kind. Also, they were very intolerant and did not approve of the popular behavior at the time, such as speakeasies and women's rights, or the rising impact of jazz music on the American public. One important event in
Overall, when people think of the twenties they think of secret drinking, flamboyant women, jazz, and the birth or organized crime. These were the highlights of the twenties, but there was also much opposition happening as well. The KKK and other ultra conservatives, tried to put an end to all of society’s partying and liberal ways of viewing the world. They wanted to ensure that things would stay the same and never change. But, change can be good and is often very much needed. The twenties were a time of oppression but at the same time an ever-evolving cycle of self-indulgence and liberalism. One of the most extreme laws that passed in the 1920s was prohibition. Prohibition did not strike suddenly, it settled on the country gradually, county by county, state by state. National Prohibition in 1920 was simply the grand finale of it all and it was a failed attempt to better the morals in society. However, results of the experiment are clear: innocent people suffered; organized crime flourished; the police, courts, and politicians became more and more corrupt; disrespect for the law grew; and the consumption of alcohol increased dramatically and never returned to the pre-1920 levels. ”Prohibition only drives drunkenness behind doors and into dark places, and does not cure or even diminish it.”(Mark Twain) Indeed alcohol was illegal, but that did n
Some topics in this essay:
Twain Indeed,
Harlem Renaissance,
Klan KKK,
Eighteenth Amendment,
National Prohibition,
Jim Crow,
John Kramer,
President Harding,
,
Volstead Act,
organized crime,
ultra conservatives,
ku klux,
required organization,
harlem renaissance,
kkk ultra,
ku klux klan,
kkk ultra conservatives,
klux klan,
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Approximate Word count = 921
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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