7 Ways the 1920s Altered American Society

The turbulent “Roaring Twenties” had a profound effect on the United States

Model posing in 1920 for a postcard. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Darkness gave way to light as the 1920s began. The “Great War,” the name given to World War I back then, was over. The deadly flu pandemic of 1918 was waning. The United States was undergoing a dramatic shift: More people were living in cities for the first time in history. Here are seven ways the decade dramatically changed American society.

Prohibition made alcohol more popular than ever

Artist Cleon Throckmorton, his wife/model Katherine “Kat” Mullen, and friends at the back-alley entrance of the Krazy Kat speakeasy. This famous Jazz Age speakeasy was operated in Washington, D.C., during the Prohibition era. National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The temperance movement — an effort to label alcohol as destructive to families and society in general — began before the turn of the century. At the start of World War I, President Woodrow Wilson temporarily banned the sale of alcoholic products to preserve grain for wartime use. But Congress went further, establishing what became known as “Prohibition” through the 18th Amendment, which was ratified by the states in 1919. Alcohol was illegal throughout the land in the 1920s but enforcement was a losing battle.

Take something away and it’s even more desirable — and that’s what happened with…