Setting the Stage:
The 18th Amendment was passed as part of the Progressive movement and prohibited the "sale, manufacture, distribution, and transportation of intoxicating liquors." The Anti-Saloon league believed that alcohol as the source of most of America's social problems at the time. Historians agree that alcohol was a problem for at the time, the average consumer drank 1.8 bottles of pure grain alcohol a week, but it became clear very early that the amendment caused more problems than it solved.
With the 18th amendment as the backdrop of the 1920s, America began to question 1) government intentions, 2) the traditional view of society, and 3) individual roles within society. This unit has four areas of focus:
Government ideology - the Republican platform and how that series of beliefs influenced the 1920s.
Prohibition and the changing lifestyle of the 1920s.
Arts, Literature, Entertainment and the role of minorities.
Traditional vs. Modern view points (religion vs. science, government vs. non-government).