Freedom and social change in 1920s America

Historical Background The 1920s were a time of contradictions and even culture clash. While the United States counted itself among the victors of the Great War (WWI), the terrible toll the war took upon the nation and the world, coupled with the shocking losses incurred in the wake of a truly devastating flu pandemic, meant Americans found themselves grappling with the very meaning of life and how to live it. Many questioned social and cultural ideals or norms once held dear, but that suddenly seemed to lose meaning in the wake wartime horrors. Such ideals might include anything from strict gender norms and Victorian-style fashion to Social Darwinism and ideas about race to the value of war and imperialism. So great were the dual calamities of war and pandemic, who could blame Americans for questioning the old ways and old assumptions about life, feeling like humanity had failed at being civilized or that perhaps they were suffering from divine or natural punishment. When the fog of war cleared, how would Americans see a way forward and what ideas about society and freedom would emerge? Some Americans chose to totally abandon pre-war norms and instead embraced new freedoms in the form of racy new fashions (Flappers), newly popular African American music (jazz and blues), a youthful party culture, newly challenged sexual and gender strictures, and/or the advancement of civil rights and liberties, including womens right to vote (circa 1920, 19th Amendment). Progressive souls broke social norms of many kinds and sought to live more modern lives, often facilitated by new technologies, like cars, radio, and electricity. On the other hand, the cataclysm of war and plague, along with decades of Progressive advancements, unprecedented mass immigration, and sudden social changes encouraged backlash in various ways from among both conservatives (wishing to maintain the status quo) or more radical reactionaries. These Americans sought to limit emerging freedoms, sometimes ironically. For example, while women gained the right and freedom to vote with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, womens temperance movements succeeded in seeing the passage of the 18th Amendment, which outlawed alcohol and launched Prohibition in 1919 – a loss of personal and consumer freedom to imbibe. Evangelical religious groups and others alarmed at new cultural trends decried change they deemed less moral or more radical, and they sought to impede freedoms, not only of expression and lifestyle, but also of thought and education (as in the Scopes Trial and efforts to limit students learning of science). The more extreme reactions (by reactionaries) sought to limit and rollback freedoms during and after the Great War as seen with the new rise of the KKK, racial violence (like the Tulsa Massacre), growing Nativism (that encouraged prejudice against many groups and contributed to the dramatic limitation of immigration), and more. Further, some individuals or groups might arguably defy absolute categorization. Consider Prohibition criminals whose acts broke the law (selling illegal alcohol) but in the process resisted limits to personal freedom, took care of their families with the financial gains, and sometimes even undertook charity work. Such might include Georgia moonshiners or even gangster Al Capone. Margaret Sanger promoted birth control (contraception and even safe abortion), which sought an increase in freedom and bodily autonomy for women, but her work also resisted established law and, to many, morality. Were these individuals merely scofflaws or radicals, or freedom fighters of their time, in a sense? Politically active women might have worked hard for the right to vote (political freedom) or campaigned to limit others access to alcoholic beverages (limitation of personal and consumer freedom). Evangelists might push back against social and cultural change of all kinds, yet the most famous preacher of the era was a woman (the renowned Sister Aimee Semple McPherson); many denominations frowned on women pastors or females in church leadership at all. She could be viewed as both a conservative religious evangelical but also as a progressive who broke religious bounds and gender norms. The Roaring 20s saw considerable economic growth; explosion of new technologies and modernity; exciting cultural developments from the Harlem Renaissance to NASCAR (eventually); the rise of urbanization (as the 1920 census showed a majority of Americans now lived in cities); and much more, as shared in our text readings. The decade was simultaneously a time of new freedoms and expression, culture war, contradiction, and backlash. Project Tasks Essay In this essay assignment, you will learn about specific individuals or groups who sought to expand or limit freedoms in the complex decade of the Roaring 20s. From among the list provided, choose three individuals who either sought to break away from the past and forge new freedoms, even if controversial, or who resisted such change, whether peacefully or violently. The goal is not to agree or disagree with a particular person or movement, but rather to understand what or why they did as they did in historical context. While you may choose any three options you like from the list provided, they may not all represent just one side or the other of the culture war that characterized this decade. You will learn about your subjects by reading associated and mandatory primary documents and then share about their lives, causes, and opinions in the body of your paper. Use the primary sources provided to include minimally one direct quote for each person or paragraph (in quotation marks and with intext citations). Essays that ignore the documents and quotes will not be accepted and must be rewritten and resubmitted, subject to late penalties. In your essay, answer the following question: How did your three individuals embody the changes in the 1920s after the Great War, and how did they push the limits of freedom or resist change? Writing your essay: In your introduction, provide some background history related to the 1920s, and that may include the influence of WWI. You must have a thesis statement (one single sentence that captures your entire papers subject matter in the introduction). In a conclusion, reflect on the impact your subjects had on this time period, how they represented the era or ideas of freedom, or perhaps the influence they have had on the country to this day. You may conduct light research from reputable sources (absolutely no AI or Wikipedia), but if you use facts or quotes from either our assigned text readings or outside sources, be sure to include intext citations with those quotes or to substantiate your facts with works cited section at the end. You should ideally have multiple intext citations per paragraph. Base your essay entirely or as much as possible on the sources provided, rather than outside research. Source citations should use a commonly accepted citation style such as MLA or Chicago. You should choose one of these citation styles from the outset and use it consistently throughout your essay. For more information on accepted citation styles, please see the General Essay Guideline on the syllabus. Essays should have an introduction with thesis statement, separate paragraphs of content, and a conclusion, as per instructions. Essay must be a minimum of 1000 words, not counting text like name, optional title, long intext citations, or works cited. Direct quotes from primary documents must appear in the essay for each person/topic and include intext citations.