Before World War One, many American women were expected to lead very dull, restricted lives. They were not expected to dress up, wear make-up or play sport. Relationships with men were not allowed to be free but instead when a woman went out with a boyfriend they may have had to have a chaperone with them. The few women who worked did low-paid jobs such as cleaning or making *. But in the 1920s celebrities such as Clara Bow, Louise Brooks and other iconic figures started to rebel against these conventions set for women. They started to wear outrageous, daring clothes, makeup and went to parties and other social events. Another point of change was the invention of the motor car. Cars set free many Americans, including women. It meant that people were independent and young couples could escape from their parents.
Young women in the cities began to behave differently. They smoked and drank in public with men, wore more daring and revealing clothes and went out with men on their own, often in motor cars. Women were also allowed to divorce; the number of divorcees doubled in 15 years as women were less likely to stay in unhappy marriages. Role models in films, books and the media gave women, especially young women, someone to look up to. But There were still disadvantages for women. They were less highly paid in general and few women were elected as political candidates.
The mass availability of the car helped to ‘fuel’ the economic boom, making travel much easier and more flexible and it also allowed the American people to go further and see more. People were able to easily get to and from shops, entertainment, holidays and friends. It helped take young people away from the watch of their parents and helped liberate a generation. It gave the American people freedom and allowed them to do things they never could have done before.
Fashions also changed for Women during the 1920s. The change in fashion and behaviour was represented by the ‘flapper’. Flappers were young women who wore short dresses, smoked in public, went out with men and were most probably frowned upon by their parents’ generation. The fashions of the time, seen as outrageous by the older generation, served to increase the change in society.
But not all of Womens lives changed. The poor population of America did not impact from the wealth that changed America’s lifestyle. These women were left to get on with their lives as normal. Working extremely hard for very little pay, while the wealthy women in the cities partied and lead luxurious lives.
Black women’s lives in the 1920s also did not change much, as these women did not share in the economic boom at this time. These women were forced to work hard for poor wages, as most of the decent jobs were given priority to the white women.
The Ku Klux Klan continued to make their lives worse, by rasist movement such as burning black schools and such like.
Black womens only options for earning good wages was dancing or singing in clubs, which was entertainment for white people.
Most aspects of American culture and society changed for Women in the 1920s due largely to the new state of mind that resulted from America’s wealth.
By Caitlin Watson 10X
