Essay --

The Jazz Age was a movement that began during the early 1920s, which jazz music and dance came about with the establishment of mainstream radio and the end of the World War I. Also known as the Roaring Twenties, the period of American prosperity and economy in growth and symbolized not only a dynamic change in music, but also the daily life of Americans. â€Å"The American people had long parties complete with flappers, speakeasies, illegal bathtub gin, and young people doing the Charleston long into the night (Nash, 677).† Culturally and socially, the Roaring Twenties was a time of fast change, creative innovation, and high-society antics. New technologies, soaring business profits, and higher wages allowed more and more Americans to purchase a wide range of consumer goods. Prosperity also provided Americans with more leisure time, and as play soon became the national pastime, literature, film, and music caught up to document the times. The jazz age was developing rapidly and it started to create conflict between the American people. First of all, the 1920s was a decade of social and cultural change. The American people started working on the economic growth which brought change into their lives. One of the major changes in the jazz age was the living style of Americans. There were changes such as gender roles, new styles and lots of entertainment during the 1920s. Furthermore, the Nineteenth Amendment granted American women the right to vote. This meant that women can now work and gain financial independence. The change had brought many opportunities for women and they gained social freedom. One of the major styles was the flapper’s fashion for women. â€Å"The term "flapper" first appeared in Great Britain after World War I. It was ther... ...nd brought change into their lives. In conclusion, the 1920s may seem to be a golden age of flappers, bootleg gin, constant parties, literary masterpieces, sports heroes, and east wealth. However the truth is much more complicated. More than most decades the 1920s was a time of paradox and contradictions. It was a time of prosperity, yet a great many people, including farmers, blacks, and other ordinary Americans, did not prosper. It was a time of progress, when almost every year saw new technological breakthrough, but it was also a decade of hate and violence. It was a time of rapid change, but violence was taking over many things that the people believed it was their right to speak out and fight for freedom. It was hard times for the African Americans because if racial issues and the birth of the second Ku Klux Klan made life difficult for the African Americans.