How did Americans lives change during the 1920s?

There were downsides to life in America, in the 1920's. During the war period, America had thrived in the farming business. The war-torn European countries, could not manage to grow their own crops, so they had to buy them from America. But when the war was over, the European farmers began to grow their own crops again. This left the American farmers over-producing, because they were not selling any of their produce. Many farmers ended up being deeply in debt, and they were not making any money. In the end many farmers could not afford to keep their farms, so they were taken away. But the farmers did not have the skills required to get another job. Another big problem in America was prohibition. It was introduced with the intention that it would improve society, and make America a 'cleaner' country. But the effects were actually quite the opposite. The American people did not want to stop drinking alcohol. Many illegal bars were set up called 'speak easies'. These drinking clubs were not often closed down, because the police earned little pay, and so they were easily bribed. Also there was an uprising of gangsters, who made a lot of money from the illegal alcohol trade. America lost millions of dollars in the prohibition period.

The lives of black people in the 1920’s were far from improved. Segregation meant that the black and white people were completely separated. They could not be in the same profession, or walk next to each other down the street. There was also a very racist group, called the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), around at this time. They were very cruel to black people. One of their punishments was to pour boiling tar onto a person, and then stick feathers to them. The KKK believed that America belonged to the descendants of the white protestant English man. There was also a period in the 1920's called the red scare. This was when there was a fear, that there would be a communist uprising.

Life did not change for the better for all Americans in the 1920's. The two main benefactors were the women, and the people that worked. Also industries such as the car industry prospered. But then, there were the farmers who lost their farms because they could not afford to pay off debts. Also the black people had a very hard time. Prohibition was possibly one of the worst things in America in the 1920's. The 1920's were prosperous for many people, but for others the 1920's may have brought the end.