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How Did American Culture Affect The Changes In The 1920s

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The rapid changes in America throughout the 1920s were defined by a multitude of events, people, and advancements. An increase in immigration brought new values and customs to the United States, as there were people coming from all over the world. New lines of work, such as big bureaucratic agencies, changed the workplace, creating an impersonal work culture. Mass media also affected the changes in the 1920s because movies, television, radios, and newspapers allowed for celebrities and heroes to gain success. These celebrities and heroes affected the lives of Americans and made major impacts of American society and culture. They gave Americans hope for their future successes and showed them that anyone can gain success and fame by working hard. …show more content…

Mass media allowed Americans to hear news as it was occurring and to hear news from across the country. “Radio drew the nation together by bringing news, entertainment, and advertisements to more than 10 million households by 1929. Radio blunted regional differences and imposed similar tastes and lifestyles. No other media had the power to create heroes and villains so quickly.” (Digital History). Another aspect of American culture that radios allowed to grow was the rise of celebrities and heroes. People were able to hear about the events that were occurring all over the nation involving famous individuals. It was the first time in American history where the most famous and well-known citizens were not politicians or war heroes. “One way to measure America’s shift away from a hero-oriented stance to an embrace of celebrity was...to survey the biographical articles that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post and Collier… after 1922 over half came from the world of entertainment: sports figures like Joe Louis and Babe Ruth, and movie stars such as Gloria Swanson and Charlie Chaplin.” (OAH Magazine of History). Because these rising stars were not famous for their role in politics or war, they inspired Americans to work hard to achieve their dreams. This created a society of hardworking determined …show more content…

They reformed the “American dream”. Citizens aspired to become like these celebrities and succeed in their workplace. The new “American dream” was to become like the celebrities. Pilot “Slim” Lindbergh is an example of the types of celebrities Americans looked up and worked to be. Lindbergh was celebrated for his accomplishments. “...he returned to a tribute of millions. Le Bourget and Croydon with their hysterical, unwieldy crowds; Paris, with its Boulevards throngs, and Washington with its glittering of formality were all but obliterated by the greetings of New York.” (New York World). Sports stars also began to impact culture in the U.S. With the new lines of work, like big bureaucratic agencies, changing the workplace and creating an impersonal work culture, sports became important to Americans. People saw sporting events and playing sports a new form of entertainment. The American classic sport of football was described in the New York Herald-Tribune as “...a great football team brilliantly directed, a team of speed, power, and team play. The Army has no cause to gloom over its showing. I played a first-class football against more than it could match.”. This is an example of how people idolized sports

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