Monday, March 9, 2009

Living It Up in the Roaring Twenties (6)

On August 26, 1920 a constitutional amendment was adopted when Tennessee ratified it, granting full woman suffrage in all states of the United States. The women of the 1920's strived for a position of equality for both men and women in society. The Women's Right Movement created opportunities for women to become independent wage-earners with improved pay and working conditions. It also gave them access to a higher education, which otherwise she was not able to have.. Women were now more involved in the decision making process of their homes other than those concerning children, cooking and church-going. They became social forces in their community, forming organizations where they would speak out to the politicians and other women in order to get what they wanted.

Many interesting events formed part of the 1920 era. such as Walt Disney created his first cartoon, "Alice's Wonderland in 1924"; The Holland Tunnel opened on November 13, 1927 to connect Manhattan and Jersey City, N.J., giving cars a route under the Hudson River and an alternative to ferry boats. In 1928 Walt Disney introduced Galloping Gaucho and Steamboat Willie, the first cartoons with sound and the Academy Awards are handed out for the first time..

Businessmen were investing heavily into professional sports such as baseball, boxing, horse racing, basketball, football, golf, tennis and hockey. Stars such as George Herman (Babe) Ruth, who hit sixty home runs in 1927 added a million dollars to the receipts of the American League. Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey and George Carpentier of France netted gate receipts well over a million dollars in 1921. "Red" Grange, the University of Illinois football idol who turned professional not only earned a million dollars in a professional football season, but added thousands to his income by selling the use of his name to manufacturers of sweaters, shoes and candy bars. (10)

Footnote:

10) Wish, Harvey; Society and Thought in Modern America; Volume II Page: 251 David McKay Company, Inc.-New York (1952)

To be continued: Final Part (7)

Contact: miriam@thehistorybox.com

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