What it was like to live in "my" city in "my" time essay

What it was like to live in New York City in the 1920s
By Shanna McCue

Outline:
I. Introduction
A. 1920s
B. New York City
C. Combination of the two
II. What I expected
A. Expectations
B. Thesis: Although the greatest depression quickly ensued afterwards, the 1920s was the most pivotal era of change in all of history.
III. Women’s impact in the 1920s
A. Women’s suffrage/Right to Vote
B. Possible lead to prohibition
IV. Prohibition
A. Didn’t stop much
B. Esp. in New York City, things such as “speakeasies” and crazy parties often ensued
C. Changes in Law
V. Prohibition causes grapes to suck
VI. Economy sucks in rural areas, better in urban areas
a. Widespread Drought I guess
b. Many move to urban areas (net population reaches 1 million in 1926)
VII. It was better in urban areas because of the concept of “partial payment”
a. Approx. $140 mil worth of clothing/year sold on this plan!
b. Included cars, refrigerators, furnitutre, phonographs, washing machines, etc.
VIII. Eventual leading to the great depression
a. The money seemed to never end
b. Everyone pushed up the price of houses lands and shares through borrowed money
c. Because many things could be bought with 90% loans by a stock broker, stock prices eventually fell, leaving investors to sell shares out of fear, which led to even more of a fall in the stock market, eventually causing the Stock Market Crash of late 1929 that followed by the Great Depression that went into the 1940s

What is it like to live in the decade of the 1920’s? In Europe, it was known as the “Golden Twenties,” as Europeans were living in a post-world war I economic boom. A Chinese and Irish civil war broke out, Charles Lindbergh flew the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, and Babe Ruth became an iconic baseball player. The 1920s, whether referred to as the golden years, roaring twenties, or the jazz age, was undoubtedly one of the happier decades in the 20th century, followed by a worldwide depression and war the next coming decade.

What is it like to live in New York City? It doesn’t matter whether you call it the Big Apple, the capital of the world, the city that never sleeps, or the concrete jungle where dreams are made of; the point is, it’s known by everyone, all around the world. The big urban playground of a city that is NYC is internationally accredited as the city of all cities. It’s a true sight to see for history-lovers, musical-lovers, tech geeks, city dwellers and so many others. It’s also quite true that NYC has the most homeless living in it, along with drug dealers, prostitutes and those with suicidal tendencies.

So, what is expected of a combination of the two? One can expect quite a dirty city, lacking in modern technology (obviously), probably high in crimes from such a large population in a relatively small (but still quite large) city. One can expect a large amount of negative diversity, as NYC was a major destination for immigrants, despite the fact many segregation laws were in effect. Although New York City is a dirty place and the 1920’s may have been seen as questionable times, NYC circa the 1920s was the most pivotally cheerful place and time than any other place and time circa early 20th century.

The 1920s, especially in NYC, was a revolutionary time. Women’s suffrage, for one, was culminated in 1920, nearly a century after the movement began. In August of 1920, the 19th amendment was ratified, and it states:

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

It is speculated that women’s vote lead to Prohibition. Many middle-class women and housewives believed that alcohol was the sole cause of domestic abuse in the early 20th century, and believed my voting for prohibition to take affect that their husbands would stop spending so much money on alcohol and spend more time with their families, along with not abusing their wives. The 18th amendment was passed before 1920 and last throughout the 1920s into the early 30’s.

Prohibition didn’t stop much in New York City, however. Literally thousands of speakeasies were opened throughout the city, out of sight of city law officials. Whiskey could be obtained through a prescription, however; doctors usually freely prescribed whiskey in the 1920’s, akin to how Californians take advantage of medical marijuana in 2011. Prohibition gave organized crime the opportunity to build empires around the manufacturing and bootlegging of alcohol (i.e. Al Capone). Moonshining, which is the act of illegally creating distilled beverages out of sight (i.e. “in the moonshine”) became a widely practiced act. Prohibition also caused problems in the grape market. Since wineries were forced to uproot their vineyards, prices for grapes went up 1000%, from $20/ton to $200/ton. Prohibition was later repealed, in the early 30’s, as nearly 3/4s of the American population opted for repeal.

Economical changes ensued in the 1920s as well. With the introduction of partial payments, where consumers would purchase by check for a fraction of the actual price, middle class citizens could feel like high-class citizens by purchasing things they couldn’t before. The sales of automobiles, apartments, household objects (i.e. refrigerators, washers, phonographs, furniture) and the like skyrocketed. It is approximated that the $140 mil. Worth of clothing was sold per year! Many noticed this urban area economic improvement (or so it seemed), and with a widespread drought occurring throughout the nations, thousands moved from rural areas to more heavily populated areas. In 1926, the net population of cities reached 1 million, the majority being in New York City – New York City surpassed London in the mid 20s as the most heavily populated city.

It was this economical “balloon,” as it’s referred to, that eventually crashed the stock market in the later 1920’s. Because many things could be bought with 90% loans by a stock broker, stock prices eventually fell, leaving investors to sell shares out of fear, which led to even more of a fall in the stock market, eventually causing the Stock Market Crash of late 1929 that followed by the Great Depression that went into the 1940s.

Although a lot of turmoil began after the 1920’s, especially in New York City, the decade prior to the Depression, economical collapse, immigration issues, and other issues, the 1920s will forever be known as the Roaring Twenties, and New York City will always be known as The Big Apple. The pivotal decade in the pivotal city will be known as the most socially revolutionary time, as far as I’m concerned.


Scott, Robert. "1920's Business and Economy." The 1920's - Roaring Twenties - The Nineteen Twenties in History. Robert Scott, 01 Jan. 2005. Web. 11 May 2011.
Scott, Robert. "1920's Business and Economy." The 1920's - Roaring Twenties - The Nineteen Twenties in History. Robert Scott, 01 Jan. 2005. Web. 11 May 2011.
"America on the Move | New York Connected." National Museum of American History. Natural Museum of American History, 2008. Web. 11 May 2011.
U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, 2003. Web. 11 May 2011.

Manhattan Transfer and Great Gatsby: Analyzed

The first similarity between the Great Gatsby and Manhattan Transfer, off the bat, would be their representation of a corrupted American dream. In Great Gatsby, the headlining character, Gatsby, is shot and killed by the end of the book, a metaphor to the “death” of America’s dream. In Manhattan Transfer, the concept of suicide and death are also present – portrayed in such a way that it could apply to any American citizen (as the characters involved range from milkmen to successful businessmen, from desperate immigrants to cheating wives, etc.


Another common factor that the two novels share is the concept of love. In Great Gatsby, the whole motive behind Gatsby’s acts of flaunting his wealth and having large parties is to impress a girl he’s loved for years, Daisy. If this love didn’t exist, he’d never had had those parties, and the novel would be pointless. The need for love – both to be loved and have love for others – is a topic clearly present in Manhattan Transfer. A main character, Ellen, is one for many men to love, leading them to desperate measures. A collection of other females and males yearning for their true loves to have mutual feelings is also present in the book, sometimes, if not all the time, leading to heartbreak and dissatisfaction.


Time passing by quickly is also a common factor between the two books. In Gatsby, the protagonist suddenly realizes it is his 30th birthday in the middle of the book – a pivotal moment in a man’s life, or so he makes it. In Manhattan Transfer’s case, the whole novel stretches over quite a bit of time, following the timelines of characters that start positive but turn sour, or vice versa.

Image Exposition -- 1920s NYC

Novel 2 -- Manhattan Transfer

The book "Manhattan Transfer" is a story (rather, a collection of stories that interlink with each other) of a developing life in inner New York City. It is called "Manhattan Transfer" as it is referring to the transfer of lifestyles in the culture of NYC, from the "gilded age," where culture was all about rising technology, class, and economy, to the more artistic era of Jazz, Harlem Renaissance, and a social revolution.

The book ties together half a dozen characters from different backgrounds, including a drunkard, an accountant and his wife, a young orphan with plans to become a journalist, a young lawyer, and a milkman who eventually becomes wealthy. Their stories interlink with each other throughout the timeline (for example: The milkman, who has been hit by train, is married to a woman who falls for the lawyer that was working on the milkman's case)

The concepts of suicide, heartbreak, and death are common throughout the book. The characters, expecting to start a new life in the new world of New York City, but instead are in for a shock. Once-wealthy men become drunkards, foreigners jump off bridges, and people fall in love with those they shouldn't. The book is the harsh truth: while NYC circa 1920s was an era of art and social revolution, heartbreaking reality still took a toll on Americans striving to succeed.

Events, authors and Books Timeline circa NYC, 1920s

Timeline of Books + Authors, and Political Events, circa 1920s NYC

Throughout 1920’s- Harlem Renaissance: Harlem Renaissance was the expansion of African American culture in New York City as well as other parts of the world such as Paris. Harlem Renaissance’s explosion started in 1917 when “all-negro plays,” first written by Ridgely Torrence. Soon after, a new style of music (called Harlem Stride Style), art, poetry, and overall cultural feel of New York City was clear.
Throughout 1920’s (1920-1933)- Prohibition: Prohibition, which was the ban of manufacturing, transportation and sale of alcohol in the US, was first proposed in the late 1910’s, and put into effect in January of 1920.
While prohibition was put into effect throughout the US, many still made, sold and transported alcohol. Specifically in New York City, the concept of “speakeasies,” small clubs where people could openly drink alcohol despite its legal status, were widely available to the public, and tens of thousands were opened.
Because of decreasing popularity in public’s approval, Prohibition was repealed in 1933 by Franklin Roosevelt.
Throughout 1920s (1920-1940) F. Scott Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald was an author of four novels, “This side of Paradise,” “the Beautiful and Damned,” “Tender is the Night,” and “Great Gatsby.” Two of which of his works received commercial success, while his work Great Gatsby, although not widely appreciated in his time, is now considered a literary classic.
1920- Women’s Right to Vote: In 1920, the 19th amendment was ultimately passed after decades of unrest. "The right of citizens of the United States to vote are not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." This amendment gave women the right to vote, as well as be given property rights.
1929- Stock Market Crash: The most devastating stock market crash of its time. In October of 1929, on black Thursday, stocks plummeted and millions of American’s dollars disappeared into thin air.

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby analyzes the East and West Egg areas in New York City circa early 1920s.

Prohibition is briefly mentioned in parts of the book. Prohibition was a time where the manufacturing and sale of alcohol was prohibited. While it was illegal, alcohol was still as common in 1920s New York City as, say, marijuana is today. Speak-easies were places where people could drink freely while staying out of the way of the law, and were incredibly common in New York City in the 1920's (thousands were opened). In Gatsby's case, some propose that Gatsby, who is known for throwing insane parties, is making/selling/transporting alcohol.

The way women are treated in New York City at this time is quite different from how they are treated now. In one instance, a woman's nose was broken by a man because she was taunting him, which did not seem to affect the characters at all (they carried on with their usual business).

Culture is quite different in New York City in the 1920's opposed to nowadays, obviously, but clearly portrayed in The Great Gatsby. In one scene, men are selling puppies on the side of the street for mere dollars, something that would be shut down immediately by PETA or animal protective services nowadays. The leniancy of this place and time is much different than any modern time we've ever experienced.

In truth, Gatsby is a metaphor for the American Dream, with Gatsby's conclusive death closely portraying the death of the true Dream.

Honors Proposal

Honors Proposal

For my Honors project, I would like to create a literary atlas on New York City in the 1920s. In this literary atlas, I will explore new inventions created in this decade, new music that in turn influenced new dance and culture, along with fashion, manufacturing, and overall lifestyle. The 1920’s were known as the happy times, followed by the stock market crash in 1929 that ultimately lead to the Great Depression. However, I choose to steer clear of this topic, as I already know a lot about it and have no interest in learning more. Instead I want to focus on the 1920s, the liveliest time before the Great Depression, in the liveliest city in America at the time.

The main reason I chose this time era in this place is because it is often a time overlooked, since the Great Depression was immediately after. Not many people know of how happy everyone was up until the Great Depression, and what new styles of fashion, music, inventions and the like influenced early 20^th century lifestyles. I’d like to explore these factors, and maybe explore why the Great Depression happened (i.e. how people took advantage of stocks in the 20’s – why did it crash? Etc.) What were things that they had in the 1920’s that are no longer in existence today… etc.


Novels

Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Old New York – Edith Wharton
Manhattan Transfer – John Dos Passos
Bread Givers- Anzia Yezierska

Resources
http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade20.html
Nation of Nations
http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/exhibition/exhibition_6_2.html