as a consequence of the October Revolution
and the Russian Civil War. Therefore, in the U.S., the so-called (communist) Red Scares, just before and during the 1920’s, saw the implementation of new restrictive immigration laws, and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, who were already quick to lynch victims, most often black.
The Eighteenth Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, transport and sale of intoxicating liquor, and which had been ratified as a part of the Constitution on January 16, 1919, went into effect January 17, 1920. Though Prohibitionists thought that the new law would alleviate social and behavioral problems, it boomeranged with the proliferation of
unlawful nightclubs called speakeasies. Bootlegging (illegal distribution of liquor) was
next in line with violent events erupting throughout major cities, and led by gangsters such as Al Capone taking over that profitable criminal venture. The federal government, lacking public support, could not enforce Prohibition. Hence, as illegal alcohol flowed, a revolution loomed in almost every sphere of life, and the women’s world was no exception.
During the war, while men fought in foreign countries, women of all ages started entering the workforce in number, either by necessity, or buying into patriotic fervor. But, when the war ended, both sexes found it difficult to return to the old American routines. Women, for one, were unwilling to re-embrace gender’s roles dictated by previous generations. The popular pre-war Gibson Girl style, inspired by Charles Dana Gibson's drawings, was abandoned. The style called for loose long hair, straight long skirts and high collar shirts allowing for some sports, such as golfing and bicycling. She had been raised under Victorian tutorial to wait for a suitor. But now, with so many young men dead in the war, girls were left wanting. They refused to see their youth waste away, or miss out on enjoying life; therefore, they invented dating and petting (a way to have erotic interaction without endangering herself with an unwanted child). Fortunately, by then, lots of women social struggles had already been won with the battle for suffrage finally over. After a 72-year battle, in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified, and women could finally vote. Likewise, Margaret Sanger was well on the warpath for the female emancipation with her birth control movement. Though, to the dismay of those female activists, young girls seemed uninterested in these grand causes. As the 20's roared along, they just wanted to have fun.
And fun was made possible in more ways
than one, as technology played a vital part in delivering to Americans the economic and cultural good times they fancied. With the advent and use of machinery to increase productivity and reduce manual labor, manufactures rose by 60 percent, and with many homes now lit by electricity, other inventions such as washing machines, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners entered many households, making domestic life easier for women. Canned and frozen foods, and ready-made clothing liberated women from much household drudgery, too. The Twenties saw the large-scale adoption of automobiles—Henry Ford blazing the way with his Model T—but also of telephones, though the one invention that had the greatest impact remained the Radio. It soon became a staple of people as news and entertainment were now
directly providing to them. And, the entertainment was aplenty, with sports, concerts, sermons, and "Red Menace" news. But, most importantly They could now tune in and listen to their favorite musician or singer, not only on their gramophone, but also on the radio.
Removal of liquor during prohibition.
Booze & Crimes
New Technologies
The Gibson Girl
11 | Ceres Magazine | Oct/Nov 2015