Lives Of Many People Of The Time example essay topic

The Coolidge Era that lasted from 1921-1929 produced a consumer economy. With the consumer economy came widespread prosperity and wealth. Just being another decade on a timeline does not do it for the 1920's. From the beginning to the end it was the biggest, the loudest, the brightest. Because of these characteristics it was labeled, "The Roaring Twenties".

Many people acted unreserved in their pursuits for their own happiness. However there where also those who were conservative and looked for a return to the "proper" ways those who were intolerant to change. The affects of these conservatives and in tolerates can be seen in many different aspects of American society, from the classroom to the immigration quota people were scarred of change. Already by the spring of 1921 The Ku Klux Klan had commenced a reign of heightened terror nationwide, intimidating and murdering minorities and harassing uncooperative government officials and political opponents.

Their goal was return life to the proper ways they did so by scarring anyone who was in favor of change or threatened a change to their lifestyle. By 1924 the Klux Klux Klan hit it's peak membership around five million members up from just 2,000 in 1920. One year later an estimated 40,000 Ku Klux Klan members march through Washington, D.C., as part of the organization's first national congress. In the classroom fear of change could be seen. Previous to 1921 bills began being passed prohibiting the teachings of evolution in the public classroom.

This yearning was the fundamentalist crusade, which pitted biblical interpretation against the Darwinian science of biological evolution. Other Events during the twenties which represent the coservativness of some of it's people include; The Immigration Quota Act of 1923 severely limited immigration, to no more than 3 percent annually of each nationality, based on the number of that nationality already residing in the U.S. (as of 1910). In September of 1922, the Ford ney-Mc Cumber Tariff Act, is passed in the U.S. for many imported goods, representing recession of foreign affairs and international trade. The U.S. Senate refused to seat Senator elect Frank Smith from Illinois because the $458,000 he spent on his campaign was deemed unethically high. Finally representing the intolerant behavior of the 1920's are the actions which occurred in 1923 after a dubious rape charge was made by a white woman against an unidentified black assailant. Three hundred whites invaded the town of Rosewood, Florida and killed at least eight black residents and burn down the town.

Not one person was prosecuted for the outrage. Many people believed that the threat of a changing society threatened their lives and their rights. With this threat brought them a fear of change and of anything unlike themselves. Many of these people where from the small towns who tried to keep life pretty much the same all through out their lives. However in contrast to these people existed many other people, the flappers, the bootleggers, the mob members. Most of these people lived in the bigger cities and they existed for the purpose of enjoying their lives and making their lives better.

On April 10th, 1925 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published examining the blandness and emptiness in the lives of tycoons and flappers. This literature outlines the lives of many people of the time. One year later the Estimated value of bootlegging in America was 3.6 billion; this number shows how much could be made of people's desires. On February 14th 1929 the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre", ordered by al Capone against some North Side Boss Bugs Moran, left seven machine-gunned corpses on the floor of a North Chicago garage. Urbanization shows high increases as many left the south and other urban areas in hope of finding a better life for them selves in the cities. Other's looking to better themselves became involved in government scandals such as Albert Fall in the Teapot Dome scandal, Forbes who stole 100 million from the veterans bureau, and Attorney General Do rity who was illegally selling liquor permits, all to make more money.

In 1930 due to over production of goods and services the Bull Market took quick and sudden turn for the worst. On "Black Thursday", the stock market started its steep downward crash with 13 million shares sold. By Tuesday Oct. 29, a. k. a "Black Tuesday", the market seems to have bottomed out, with 16 million shares sold. A few days of apparent recovery follow, with a slight rebound in prices, but the market drops again and by Nov. 13 prices reach their lowest point for the year -- and $30 billion in stock values are wiped out. The crash, combined with other negative factors in the U.S. and world economies, very decisively brings to an end the decade of the 1920's and hastens the Great Depression.

Those who took part in the prosperity and wealth of the booming economy in the 1920's all felt the fall of the economy. The 1920's were a good time no matter what the people's ideals were, life was good. Too bad too much of a good thing could cause something so awful.