Modern Culture The development of industry in America in the 1920's was the cause of the emergence of the modern

culture of the 1920's. During 1921 the economy became stable and began to grow rapidly which led to steady prices, job growth, and higher wages. The innovations of the 1920's were largely responsible for this modern culture. The inventions that Henry Ford's motor company brought about such as mass production and the assembly lines were a significant factor in the development of industry. The new machines that were developed during this time also contributed to simplifying tasks which led to faster production rates. Another innovation of this time that became a root of the modern culture was the switch from coal to electric power. All of these innovations paved the path to the controversial modern culture of the 1920's, which fundamental values included consumerism, advertising, new pleasures, sexual revolution, and changing ideals. The development of industry during this time period brought the consumerism mindset to America. Many Americans used consumption as an antidote to the labor that they endured. The innovation of mass production and the assembly line made the work day extremely tedious. Often times workers would be forced to do one simple task all day. These repetitive work days led to Americans to believing the pursuit of pleasure was the definition of life instead of the previous ideal of a spiritual or family focus in life. The shifting of the culture from a rural agriculture based culture to a consumerism culture also led to the maturity of advertising during the 1920's. Corporate America began to realize that Americans were centering their lives on consumption and so these business people decided to make a profit off of this new culture. They began to advertise their product as something that would bring fulfillment to the average worker. The people that developed these advertisements

sometimes invented problems that their product was the solution for, so Americans would believe that they needed it to be happy. As a result of consumerism and advertising, consumer debt became common in the 1920's when people began to purchase items or products on installments or credit. The economic boom of the 1920s gave Americans extra time because of the new machines that did most of the work that had previously been strictly man power. This boom also gave people extra money because of the availability of jobs. This spare time and money had not been available in the previous year's which led to people participating in new pleasures. The "yearning for excitement led people to seek vicarious thrills in all kinds of ways."1 Things such as the cinema which had begun in the 1890s became increasingly popular because of the availability of time, transportation, and money. Music also became popular during this time. The first genuinely American music, Jazz, was produced in the 1920's in New Orleans. The invention of the first American commercial broadcasting network in 1920 allowed the radio to become the center piece of many homes because it enabled Americans to take part in the music industry and allowed them to learn about things that were going on around the world. These new pleasures gave Americans a way to relieve themselves of the stress that they dealt with during their workday. Nativism was something that reemerged during the modern period after World War 1. Science during this time made many claims that proved racial and ethnic differences. These experiments proved that Southern and Eastern Europeans were inferior. These claims combined with the memories of the First World War led people to associate anarchism and radicalism with immigrants. Nativism during this time dominated public policy which led to laws like the

Robert A. Divine, T.H. Breen, R. Hal Williams, Ariela J. Gross, and H.W. Brands, The American Story(Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2013), 819.

National Origins Act in 1924 which restricted immigration into the United States. During this time immigration dramatically decreased from 800,000 people per year to under 300,000 people per year. The last major and possibly most controversial fundamental change of the modern culture was the changing of ideals. During this time the taboo of sex began to disintegrate, gender roles were revised, the idea of family transformed, and the idea of male masculinity began to alter. Many of these changes were a result of the participation in the various new pleasures of the modern culture.Movies, plays, and other media that Americans now had access to promoted this change in ideals. " Plays and novels focused on adultery, and the new urban tabloids-led by the New York Daily News- delighted in telling their readers about love nests and kept women."2This more accepting society led to the sexual revolution of the 1920's. During this time period people began to talk more openly about sex. Many people began to believe that sexual pleasure was a necessary and desirable part of human life. This revolution also led to the availability of contraceptives and sexual education. The most prominent promoter of this revolution was Margaret Sanger who coined the term "birth control" in 1915. This revolution gave women the power to control their own body. The transformation of gender ideals was another fundamental value that changed during the modern culture that emerged in the 1920's. Women began to demand the right to attend school and have their own career. Women known as "Flapper's" began to wear cosmetics and shorter skirts. At the same time these women began to smoke and drink. The Flapper's also bobbed their hair and bound their breasts. It also became known during this time that it was not just men that had sexual desires; women did too and were a sexual being with individual sexual desires.
2

Divine,The American Story, 819.

Another idea that changed was the idea of masculinity. Men became more attentive and responsive to women, more focused on family life for fulfillment instead of work, and more like a friend instead of the distant stern father or husband. The modern culture had a profound effect on the family. The consumerism culture made families revolve around leisure and consumption instead of production and survival. During this time parents spent vast amount of money on their children for toys and other possessions a thing that was not likely in America's past. The modern culture of the 1920's changed the ideals of many things in the average American's life. The modern culture in the 1920's was like every other drastic change in society; some people accepted it and some did not. The acceptance of these changes depended on various things. The acceptance of modern culture depended mainly on where you lived and your religion. Although most people moved to cities when mass production became popular those who remained in rural areas still depended on agriculture and manual labor. Rural people in particular did not approve of the modern ways of those that lived in cities where the modern culture was most prominent. "Saloons, whorehouses, little Italys and little Polands, communist cells, free love, and atheism- all were identified with the city" by rural people.3 The modern culture and industry development did not affect the rural people as much as those living in cities. Many of these people did not have automobiles, running water, or electricity. Rural people also tended to be less concerned with consumerism than the people of the cities simply because they did not have access to these new products and they did not make as much money as the people that worked in the cities. Fundamentalist Christians definitely did not agree or accept modern culture. This group did not like the advancements in science or technology that made the modern culture possible because some of these advancements opposed the Bible and "literal interpretation of the Bible
3

Divine,The American Story, 824.

was central to their faith."4 The Tennessee v. Scopes trial in 1925 is one of the major disagreements between the modern people and Fundamentalist Christians. This trial essentially puts the Darwinism theory on trial. This theory opposed the creation story in the Bible and therefore the Fundamentalist Christians disagreed with it. The Fundamentalist lost this trial and Darwinism was not banned. The Fundamentalist Christians also disagreed with the consumer society of the modern culture. Fundamentalist's believe that spiritual matters define life not material things. Many of the controversies that were brought about by the modern culture are still controversial today. "75 years after the Scopes trial, debate over evolution still continues to simmer as states and education boards struggle with the subject that pits science against religion."5 Even though some did not accept the modern culture it's advancements and changes led America to being the society it is today. The modern culture of the 1920's that emerged as a result of the industry developing had a lasting effect on American society. The Flapper's, Fundamentalist Christians, and white collar workers of the time paved the way to the American culture of today. The consumerism, advertising, sexual revolution, changing ideals, and all of the other fundamental values of the modern culture of the 1920's can still be seen today in America. Although many did not accept it "modern values won out, with advances in science and technology in the forefront of the new age."6

William S. Bryans, Brian Frehner, Michael F. Logan, Visions of America's Past, Readings in United States History(Plymouth, MI: Hayden-McNeil Publishing, 2014), 280. 5 Bryans, Visions of America's Past, Readings in United States History, 285. 6 Bryans, Visions of America's Past, Readings in United States History, 278.