The 1920s
Americans experimented with many new customs and social traditions during the 1920s.
There were new dances, new kinds of clothes and some of the most imaginative art and
writing ever produced in the United States. Many people labeled the period “The Roaring
Twenties”, to show the exuberance and vitality of the artistic and social scenes. But in
most ways, the 1920s were a conservative time in American life. Voters elected three
conservative Republican presidents: Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert
Hoover. And they supported many conservative social and political policies.
Most Americans in the 1920s shared some ties through blood or marriage to the first
Americans who came from Britain. Many people with these kinds of historic ties
considered themselves to be real Americans, true Americans.
Americans traditionally welcomed newcomers from such western European countries as
Britain, France, or Germany. But most of the people coming to New York City and other
harbors in the 1920s arrived from the central, eastern and southern areas of Europe.
Some Americans soon worried about these millions of people arriving at their shores.
They worried that the immigrant newcomers might steal their jobs. Or they feared the
political beliefs of the immigrants. Pressure to control immigration increased following
World War I. Congress passed a bill that set a limit on how many people would be
allowed to enter from each foreign country.
The nineteen twenties were a time of economic progress for most Americans. During the
administrations of President Warren Harding and President Calvin Coolidge, many
companies grew larger, creating new jobs. Wages for most Americans increased. Many
people began to have enough money to buy new kinds of products. The strong economy
also created the right environment for many important changes in the day-to-day social
life of Americans. The nineteen twenties are remembered now as an exciting time that
historians call the “Roaring Twenties.”
The 1920s Americans experimented with many new customs and social traditions during the 1920s. There were new dances, new kinds of clothes and some of the most imaginative art and writing ever produced in the United States. Many people labeled the period “The Roaring Twenties”, to show the exuberance and vitality of the artistic and social scenes. But in most ways,
