The 1920's have been referred to as a 'Reckless Year'. F. Scott Fitzgerald showed through his writing that the 1920's was all about Prohibition, Speak-Easies, new Automobiles, victory abroad, popular fads, and new wealth. That about sums it up; a decade of great recklessness in Social, Political, and economic areas of life.
Prohibition (1920-1933) was a great experiment called on by a religious, fundamentalist segment of the society. This forbade citizens from transporting, selling, or manufacturing alcohol. The idea was to stomp out dangerous and immoral behavior by neutralizing the effects of alcohol on society as a whole. This ultimately led to organizations of men creating bootleg alcohol. Many common Americans were now criminals according to these acts of prohibition. Gangster figureheads such as Al Capone and his escapades, were glorified by the populous. They were made extremely wealthy by their association with bootlegging. Speak Easies were places where intoxicating liquors were purchased and especially consumed.
English: William Joseph Simmons, founder of the se...
Ku Klux Klan members and a burning cross, Denver, ...
Open-air Initiation of K.K.K. under the Light of t...Automobiles were popularized in the 1920's. They were mass produced in factories such as that of Henry Ford. As a result the price lowered and they became an affordable luxury for many Americans. The car was romanticized as a status symbol, a sign of the progressiveness that was felt during that time. Former President, Herbert Hoover once said, 'There will be a chicken in every pot, and a car in every garage.'
The victory of World War One led to many of these industrial and technological innovations. Taylorism, a byproduct of the war, led to more efficient management, and business and government began to merge. Durable goods were now available that changed the way people lived their lives, and made life easier more a great many people. These goods were well within the reach of the people whom felt socially secure enough to borrow...