Which were the more typical of 1920s of America: Prohibition and intolerance or the Jazz Age and increasing

social freedom? The 1920s were seen as a prosperous time for America, judging by the increasing economic strength, the development of new industries and new methods of production and, by the time of rebellion and liberation that came with it. The 1920s are often reffered to as the Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age, a period of great fun and enjoyment. However, not everyone agreed with the statement that the 1920s were completely successful, highlighting some major problems that America had to face at that time, specifically intolerance and prohibition. (a very strong introduction, well done) (You need to be a little more specific in your opening line to explain what the paragraph is about - eg: you need to make it clear that you are going to begin by focusing on the fact that for some people, the 1920s was a time of increasing freedom. Then begin by saying, that the first reason for this was) From an economic point of view, the USA entered an era of unparalleled prosperity. The most of it was due to increase in productivity as a result of technological innovation. The electricity industry was becoming more successful because the electricity consumption more than doubled during the decade as electrical appliances came into general use. What benefited more the American economy was the invention of the car by Henry Ford. By 1925 he was producing a car every ten seconds, by 1929 there was one car for every five Americans. The working conditions were improving too: hours of work declined, wages substantially increased and the unemployment rate fell. (rest of this paragraph is good but always remember to refer back to the question) (Secondly) Because of the increase in peoples leisure time and disposable income, the entertainment industry blossomed in the 1920s. Almost everyone in the USA listened to the radio. The choices of radio channels grew quickly. The radio gave easier access to music and as a result, music became more popular. The Jazz music became an obsession among young people. Along with it appeared new dances such as Charleston and new styles of behavior which were disapproved by the older generation. In Los Angeles, Hollywood a major film industry was developing. New stars like Charlie Chaplin rose to fame by making the audiences laugh. Furthermore, the 1920s were marked by increasing social freedom, particularly new attitudes towards sex and between young women. There was a widespread obsession with sex which magazines, movies and newspapers were quick to exploit. Women, especially middle class women were expected to lead restrictive lives before the First World War. However, in the 1920s a lot of things changed for them: they got the vote in all states, some of them had jobs, wore more daring clothing., makeup and smoked in public. Even so, women still remained inferior, they were paid less than men and did not have access to political power. (excellent paragraph, clearly argued) (however, there are many people, for whom, the 1920s was a time of intolerance) Despite the fact that the middle classes benefited from the 1920s, the working classes, afro-americans and immigrants were not sharing their joy. Social leaders were afraid that the wave of immigrants will lead to racial degeneration and national decline. In response to their fears, the Congress imposed restriction on immigration in 1921. In addition, the foreigners and the afro-americans were facing hostility from the Ku

Klux Klan that rose to fame after the movie The Birth of a Nation. In the South, the Klansmen resorted to beatings and even murder (lynchings), in order to terrorize black people. The working class, particularly farmers, textile workers and coal miners suffered throughout the whole period. The decline in foreign demand led to drastic fall in farm prices causing the majority of the farmers to remain depressed. (generally, a very good paragraph but try to be a little more concise for each group. Give more specific examples for immigrants, mention the Red Scare and Sacco and Vanzetti trial. For working classes, mention the fact that they didnt share in the success, many lived in poverty. For African Americans, it wasnt simply the KKK. You could mention the racism down south (segregation of all public services). Despite emigrating up north, they faced violence, racism etc)

Besides that, prohibition also played an important role in the dark side of the 1920s. It was successful in the rural areas but not in the urban ones. In sign of protest, people were making their own alcoholic beverages (called moonshine). Speakeasies were growing in popularity too. Attracted by huge profits, the underworld gangs rose to power. Due to corrupt alliances with politicians, policemen and judges they had an undeniable power. Al Capone had a huge influence in Chicago due to his high illicit earnings. There were several gang wars as they were fighting for power, one of the most famous being The Valentines Day Massacre. (all relevant, but a little narrative orientated. Try to focus a little more on the effect on the people did people approve of prohibition, did it make lives better or worse etc) In conclusion, the 1920s had its good and bad parts (rephrase good and bad parts). It has proved to be an incredibly prosperous period for middle classes and an unfortunate one for the immigrants and working classes. In this period the USA experienced major economic and social changes that made it a leading country around the world. As some young Americans were experiencing liberation, others were facing racism. This made the 1920s a decade of contrasts. In my personal view, both prohibition, intolerance and the Jazz Age and increasing social freedom marked the 1920s as a rich period that affected the whole population of America in a specific way. (very good conclusion) Overall, this is an excellent first attempt. It has a very good structure and all the main arguments are present throughout the essay. There are 2 main targets: While difficult at times to do, try to avoid getting into a narrative, without specifically explaining how it relates to the question Include relevant facts to support every argument you make section on intolerance could use more facts and examples to highlight your argument Ell done Cristina