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Question: What did 1920s world events say about American life!?
I'm doing a research project because my AP English III class is studying The Great Gatsby!.

I know that the behavior of Americans in the 1920s included growing materialism and gaudy displays of wealth, as well as loss of moral compass!. I want to know how events happening around the nation as well as world are doing to characterize the behavior of people in the 1920s!.

For example, the Red Scare causing people to be xenophobic and enacting many anti-anarchist and sedition laws!.


I know many goverments collapsed, socialist ones were established, eighteenth and nineteenth amendment passed, and industrialism!. I just need to know how the collapsing of those governments and the passing of those amendments for example relate to American behavior of that timeWww@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Here is what you need to know: 1920s was the era after World War I!. America kind of went into isolation - after such a gruesome war, it focused inward - the culture & economy boomed!. So culture: kind of liberal (not like today, but for its time, yes) new fashion, very related to class though - it wasn't everybody (as you'll see in Gatsby!.) Regarding foreign affairs and things happening on the intl!. scale, there was the Red Scare and some of the world was experiencing a depression (eg - Germany)!. Anticommunism is not really evident in Gatsby, but it was definitely there!. And since Gatsby revolves around rich people, there wasn't much about the depression!. During this era, however, America prospered quite a bit - the automobile industry took off, and America was the richest/most powerful country in the world (unfortunately, it all came tumbling down in 1929) !. So because of all the wealth, there was the materialism and lack of morals (in the upper class, mostly though)!. There were a number of racial conflicts due to immigration, and there was a lot of bootlegging of alcohol due to prohibition (Al Capone comes in here)!. To answer your question, there were international factors impacting America as a nation, but a LOT of what is known to be part of the "Roaring 20s" culture comes from America itself and its isolationsim!. Hope that helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com