The Roaring 20s
By: Michaela Drake
The Prohibition Era
Speakeasies
Famous Flappers
Clara Bow
This young lady was on of the first big screen movie sex siren and she was surrounded by controversy. In 1931 Clara Bow retired because of accusations involving affairs, money and an alcohol addiction. These scandals earned her the nickname "Crisis-a-Day-Clara". By the time he career had ended she was only 28 years old.
Colleen Moore
This photo shows the 'Dutch-boy' haircut that Colleen Moore made famous and many other flappers tried to copy. Colleen Moore was top box-office draw in America earning a salary of $12,500 a week! She wisely invested her money, unlike many other stars of this era, and retired in the early 1930s.
Gilda Gray
"The Shimmy Queen", Gilda Gray was a voluptuous blonde actress and dancer whose popularity grew in a 1920s dance called the "shimmy". A short story told about her is that when she was asked about her shimmy dancing she answered "I'm shaking my chemise". A chemise is a loose-fitting undergarment that is now known as a camisole. Gilda Gray was a famous 'Ziegfeld Girl'.
Economy
The United States moved from war economy and businesses moved from supplying military needs to making commercial products. An initial recession took place but after that middle class Americans moved to a period of time when the economy grew. Between 1921 and 1924 the nation's gross national product jumped from $69 billion to $93 billion with wages rising by 22% from $36.4 billion to $51.5 billion.
Woman's Rights
In 1920 woman had been given the right to vote. Woman were going to college getting careers and with this they had new found independence. Woman were also learning how to drive which gave them freedom. Many woman of this time challenged the traditional views of woman's roles.
Works Cited
"Famous Flappers." : Fashion, Facts and Pictures for Kids ***. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.
"Prohibition Era." Prohibition Facts: US History for Kids ***. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.
"Roaring Twenties." 50 Facts: US History for Kids ***. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.