State your claim! Think of your first sentence as a mini thesis statement. I would prefer to have lived during (the 1920s or the 2020s) because…

Question

Part 2 - Provide background information. What changes were taking place in the United States during the 1920s? How did the change impact American society? And what changes are currently taking place in American society? How has the nation been impacted by that change in recent years?

Part 3 - Provide EVIDENCE to support your opinion. Cite two to three reasons why you chose either the 1920s or the 2020s as the preferred decade to have lived through.

Part 4 - Restate your claim using different words. The decade of the (1920s or the 2020s) was the best time to be alive because…
answer these question only using this information In 1920, Americans were ready for a change. With World War I over, people were eager to focus on social and economic progress and success. Americans expressed new individual freedoms in reaction to the hardships of the previous decade.

At the start of this new decade, many Americans sought a new direction. After the horror and devastation of a world war, Americans sought a return to normalcy. Americans had faced many challenges during the previous decade. A flu epidemic had exposed the limits of science and technology in making Americans immune to disease. The Red Scare showed Americans’ fear of revolutionary politics and violent labor disputes. Race riots exposed long-standing social divides. A long era of Progressive initiatives and reforms had come to a close.As the presidential election of 1920 began, many American voters sought a new direction. They wanted to move away from Progressive politics. Republicans were anxious to return to the White House after eight years of a democratic president, Woodrow Wilson. Republicans responded with a candidate who promised that the country would return to normalcy rather than continue Progressive reforms.

The Republicans found their candidate in Senator Warren G. Harding from Ohio. Harding offered what the Republicans desired. He wanted to advance Republican policies of low taxes, immigration restriction, and noninterference in world affairs. He also practiced laissez-faire theory, which suggested that government should play a very limited role in society. He was a candidate who could look and act presidential, yet leave Americans alone to live their lives as they wished.

The Republicans promised a return to pro-business policies. Harding and Coolidge won the 1920 election in an overwhelming landslide, with 404 votes to 127 in the Electoral College, and 60 percent of the popular vote.In order to deliver on his promise of running the country like a business, President Harding supported tax cuts and the country’s first formal budgeting process. These policies reduced the debt the United States had incurred during World War I. However, as Europe began to recover from the war, U.S. exports to the European continent grew fewer. An export is a good or service produced within a country and sold outside of that country’s borders. Harding wanted to protect U.S. agriculture and other businesses threatened by lower-priced European imports, goods or services sold within a country produced in another country. Harding pushed the Emergency Tariff of 1921. A tariff is a tax on imported or exported goods. This tariff on imported goods from Europe increased American purchasing power, but it inflated the prices of many goods.

In the area of foreign policy, Harding worked to preserve peace through international cooperation. His most famous peace effort was the Washington Disarmament Conference, an international military conference held in the United States between 1921 and 1922. Armaments are the military’s weapons and war supplies. Although this conference brought about many new treaties, they became largely ignored in the 1930s when most of the world was again at war.The Harding administration was especially filled with scandal. While Harding was not implicated personally in scandals, some of his trusted advisors were. Harding often turned to personal friends rather than experts for advice and guidance. And, as he himself recognized, this group tended to cause him grief. “I have no trouble with my enemies,” he once commented. “I can take care of my enemies in a fight. But my friends, my . . . friends—they’re the ones who keep me walking the floor at nights!”

From 1920–1923, Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall was involved in a scam that became known as the Teapot Dome scandal. Fall had leased the navy oil reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming, and two other sites in California to private oil companies without opening the bidding to other companies. In exchange, the companies gave him $300,000 in cash and bonds, as well as a herd of cattle for his ranch. Fall was convicted of accepting bribes from the oil companies. He was fined $100,000 and sentenced to a year in prison. It was the first time that a cabinet official had received such a sentence.

Answer 1

Claim: I would prefer to have lived during the 1920s because it was a time of social change and economic opportunity, which fostered individual freedoms and a sense of progress after the hardships of World War I.

Part 2 - Background Information: The 1920s in the United States were marked by a desire for change and a return to “normalcy” after the devastation of World War I. This era followed a decade of significant struggles, including a flu epidemic, the Red Scare, and racial tensions that highlighted the deep social divides within the country. Many Americans sought a new direction, moving away from the progressive reforms that dominated prior years. The election of Warren G. Harding, who promised low taxes and minimal government interference, signaled a shift in American politics toward pro-business policies and a focus on economic growth. In stark contrast, the current decade, the 2020s, has been characterized by significant challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice movements, and political polarization, impacting society on multiple levels.

Part 3 - Evidence: There are several key reasons why the 1920s would have been a preferred time to live:

1. Economic Expansion: The 1920s were known as the "Roaring Twenties," a period of significant economic growth driven by innovation and consumer culture, providing numerous opportunities for wealth and individual success.

2. Cultural Flourishing: This decade saw a vibrant cultural renaissance, particularly in cities like Harlem, which became a center for African American art, music, and literature during the Harlem Renaissance. This cultural shift promoted new ideas of freedom and self-expression.

3. Social Change: With the end of World War I, there was a notable loosening of social norms, particularly regarding gender roles. Women gained the right to vote in 1920, symbolizing a shift towards greater rights and freedoms.

Part 4 - Restate Claim: The decade of the 1920s was the best time to be alive because it represented a transformative era of economic growth, cultural diversity, and enhanced individual freedoms that reshaped American society following the turmoil of the previous decade.