Throughout the course of history, humans have struggled for a sense and need for belonging, an identity to call their own. This innate longing exists in every culture, place, and time; many found that identity in America. From its genesis, America has been the land of dreams and opportunity, a beacon of light to those for which little hope exists. The first settlers found here a haven for religious freedom while others simply sought a new life. Colonial America saw a movement toward unity for these assorted groups of people, each seeking his or her own version of liberty. Benjamin Franklin was among the first to define what it is to be called “American” and is often referred to as “The First American” himself. He became a figurehead for the American Spirit and forged the path to the American Dream. His rags to riches story gave these new Americans a relatable story that they, too, could find success in America never thought possible anywhere else.
With the coming and going of the American Revolution began a revolution in culture as well. The birth of the United States brought with it a new sense of pride and of country. A disheveled group of misfits from all over the world had found common ground and a common cause for freedom, fighting and dying for a country that they could finally call their own. Until the Revolution, Americans still considered themselves to be very much a part of Britain. They found themselves betrayed, taken advantage of, and pushed to their limits of tolerance and cooperation. However, the idea of being not only British, but American built a resilience that could not be undone. For these people to be able to come together to transcend every social stratification, spanning such great distances lacking the sort of mass media technology that exists today was no easy task and speaks volumes to the American Spirit being very much alive and well already.
From that point on, that very same idea of what it is to be an American could never be extinguished, but would instead endure and thrive into the renowned American Dream. American investors define the American Dream as “The belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone” and believe that “The American dream is achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking and hard work, not by chance. Both native-born Americans and American immigrants pursue and can achieve the American dream.”[1] Nineteenth century America entered the world stage as the only place on earth where every man was truly entitled to be his own. The Civil War era, though a tumultuous and dark time for every American, crossed the bridge for the first time between an individual identity and the American identity. In the decades between the Revolution and Civil War, citizens of the United States very much identified themselves by state first and country second. Every man from Virginia considered himself proudly to be primarily a Virginian. With the Union restored and sectionalism weeded out of society over time, the Virginian became an American.
Over the course of the next decades, Americans would again become segmented into classes divided by economic gain, racial oppression, and keeping up with the ever-changing times. The American Dream had gone from something very attainable to a distant hope. However, as is characteristic of the American character, the people remained hard-wearing and optimistic. The beginning of the 20th century brought on a shift in the American Dream like never before. The modern idea of this dream found its beginning in the 1920s and 30s, bridging the socioeconomic and cultural divides weighing so heavily on society through the economy, politics, and popular culture. The modern American Dream took the struggle between individual identity and American identity and fit them together into one ideal: a singular dream, a truly American one.
The Business of The Dream
As the 19th century was coming to a close, a new awareness for the forgotten and oppressed members of society came to light in a variety of ways. The United States had been experiencing urbanization and technological advances at an extremely expedited rate. Waves of immigrants had been arriving from Southern and Eastern Europe seeking work, increasing the population of working poor.[2] The notion of the American Dream at this time existed to immigrants and meant merely to survive and be able to exist in a country that was free. Immigrants came to America to experience liberty, though liberty was little more than cramped quarters and penny wages. While this population of people had been previously overlooked, their struggles began to be exposed in the 1890s. Jacob Riis became a pioneer in this exposition, saying that “As we mold the children of the toiling masses in our cities, so we shape the destiny of the State which they will rule in their turn, taking the reins from our hands.”[3] His initiative in taking a stand for the urban poor inspired others to use their work to expose the condition of the urban poor. The Ashcan School centered itself on the harsh realities of urban living and depicted the dark struggle of daily life.[4] Artists like George Bellows painted scenes to move the American public to do something about the condition of the urban poor.[5] Bellows’ and Riis’ plight soon became the plight of the American public as well, fostering an environment for economic, political, and social reform.
The goals of the Progressive Era were centered on taming the beast that created this urban mess: capitalism. People like Jane Addams believed that “The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.” [6] Americans were experiencing a need to ensure a good life not only for the individual, but for the entirety of the American population. Even in Washington the Progressive movement challenged political corruption and implored the government to take steps to regulate things like food and drugs, control corporate power, and create a strong system to manage the difficulties of this new urban environment.[7] However, all this reform and progress would come to an end with the onset of the First Great War.
World War I, according to President Woodrow Wilson, was a selfless cause and would be “a war to end all wars” making the world “safe for democracy.”[8] The American public, after the U.S. entry into the war, got behind the cause in many ways. From victory gardens and the purchasing of bonds to songs for national spirit, Americans felt a sense of unity that bridged the gaps between classes. War music depicted a sense of cohesiveness. Songs like “Over There” and “How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree)” convey a message of Americans all being on the same team, no matter economic class or ethnicity.[9] The World War I era was a time of strict moral codes with serious objectives to be accomplished, and, as any largely supported war time, produced huge economic success and prosperity, giving birth to the infamous Roaring Twenties.
The Roaring Twenties was the beginning of what is experienced today as the American Dream, and capitalism was back in full swing. A time of rich cultural births and overindulgence in commodities are pieces of the modern American spirit that will never be undone. The 1920s Americans as described by Bill Bryson were not terribly different than Americans today: headstrong, resilient, and a mighty force of ambition that is not to be reckoned with. They were avid fans of gossip, hungry for thrill, and had a will to be the best in the world that could not be satisfied. Bryson states that “no other country in history had ever been this affluent, and it was getting wealthier daily at a pace that was positively dizzying”.[10] 1920s Americans created a world of economic prosperity that they wanted to endure forever. An increased gross national product brought rise to the standard of living for every American, producing things like chain stores, installment credit, mass produced consumer goods, electric household appliances, and the automobile. While the economic prosperity of the 20s would eventually end, the mentality that it brought to American culture, the dream that it created and realized would never be extinguished.
The world that is experienced today in advertising, magazines, radio, film, and personal freedom, the world that we consider to exist within the American Dream, had its genesis in the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. The American Dream was now something not only brought into the minds of all social classes, it was something that was attained and experienced by the majority of Americans. This prosperity helped to bridge the gap between individual identity and the identity of the social community as a whole. Even into the crash of 1929 and the Depression that ensued in the 30s, Americans identified with each other in ways that they had not experienced before. Everyone participated in the lush culture of the 20s as well as in the hardship of the 30s. From this point in time forward, regardless of social class, race, or ethnicity, U.S. citizens experienced and defined the American Dream together rather than merely catching a glimpse of a far-off reality.
The Culture of Politics
Politics in the U.S. changed drastically from the Progressive Era through the Roaring Twenties and into the Great Depression. The political reform experienced in the Progressive Era bolstered a strong central government and conveyed a sense of seriousness about the role of the government. Middle class activists called on Christian ethics to fix social problems with organizations such as the YMCA. Many sought to apply a sort of scientific method to society to protect morals and social welfare. Theodore Roosevelt’s “Square Deal” built on the conservation of natural resources, control of corporate power, and protection of consumers.[13] All this regulation created a very severe air about what it is to be an American. While Americans were identifying with each other, it was in a way that widened the gap between classes rather than bringing them closer together. It seems that society was very much divided in half. The ones on top only interacted with the ones on the bottom out of pity or remorse for their situation. The upper classes felt a sense of responsibility for the lower classes to look after them, much like a mother would take care of her child. The idea of the American dream here was one looked to by the lower classes of immigrants new to the U.S. rather than by the entire population. However, with the drastic political turnaround of the 1920s, that idea would change.
As the 19th century was coming to a close, a new awareness for the forgotten and oppressed members of society came to light in a variety of ways. The United States had been experiencing urbanization and technological advances at an extremely expedited rate. Waves of immigrants had been arriving from Southern and Eastern Europe seeking work, increasing the population of working poor.[2] The notion of the American Dream at this time existed to immigrants and meant merely to survive and be able to exist in a country that was free. Immigrants came to America to experience liberty, though liberty was little more than cramped quarters and penny wages. While this population of people had been previously overlooked, their struggles began to be exposed in the 1890s. Jacob Riis became a pioneer in this exposition, saying that “As we mold the children of the toiling masses in our cities, so we shape the destiny of the State which they will rule in their turn, taking the reins from our hands.”[3] His initiative in taking a stand for the urban poor inspired others to use their work to expose the condition of the urban poor. The Ashcan School centered itself on the harsh realities of urban living and depicted the dark struggle of daily life.[4] Artists like George Bellows painted scenes to move the American public to do something about the condition of the urban poor.[5] Bellows’ and Riis’ plight soon became the plight of the American public as well, fostering an environment for economic, political, and social reform.
The goals of the Progressive Era were centered on taming the beast that created this urban mess: capitalism. People like Jane Addams believed that “The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.” [6] Americans were experiencing a need to ensure a good life not only for the individual, but for the entirety of the American population. Even in Washington the Progressive movement challenged political corruption and implored the government to take steps to regulate things like food and drugs, control corporate power, and create a strong system to manage the difficulties of this new urban environment.[7] However, all this reform and progress would come to an end with the onset of the First Great War.
World War I, according to President Woodrow Wilson, was a selfless cause and would be “a war to end all wars” making the world “safe for democracy.”[8] The American public, after the U.S. entry into the war, got behind the cause in many ways. From victory gardens and the purchasing of bonds to songs for national spirit, Americans felt a sense of unity that bridged the gaps between classes. War music depicted a sense of cohesiveness. Songs like “Over There” and “How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree)” convey a message of Americans all being on the same team, no matter economic class or ethnicity.[9] The World War I era was a time of strict moral codes with serious objectives to be accomplished, and, as any largely supported war time, produced huge economic success and prosperity, giving birth to the infamous Roaring Twenties.
The Roaring Twenties was the beginning of what is experienced today as the American Dream, and capitalism was back in full swing. A time of rich cultural births and overindulgence in commodities are pieces of the modern American spirit that will never be undone. The 1920s Americans as described by Bill Bryson were not terribly different than Americans today: headstrong, resilient, and a mighty force of ambition that is not to be reckoned with. They were avid fans of gossip, hungry for thrill, and had a will to be the best in the world that could not be satisfied. Bryson states that “no other country in history had ever been this affluent, and it was getting wealthier daily at a pace that was positively dizzying”.[10] 1920s Americans created a world of economic prosperity that they wanted to endure forever. An increased gross national product brought rise to the standard of living for every American, producing things like chain stores, installment credit, mass produced consumer goods, electric household appliances, and the automobile. While the economic prosperity of the 20s would eventually end, the mentality that it brought to American culture, the dream that it created and realized would never be extinguished.
The world that is experienced today in advertising, magazines, radio, film, and personal freedom, the world that we consider to exist within the American Dream, had its genesis in the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. The American Dream was now something not only brought into the minds of all social classes, it was something that was attained and experienced by the majority of Americans. This prosperity helped to bridge the gap between individual identity and the identity of the social community as a whole. Even into the crash of 1929 and the Depression that ensued in the 30s, Americans identified with each other in ways that they had not experienced before. Everyone participated in the lush culture of the 20s as well as in the hardship of the 30s. From this point in time forward, regardless of social class, race, or ethnicity, U.S. citizens experienced and defined the American Dream together rather than merely catching a glimpse of a far-off reality.
The Culture of Politics
Politics in the U.S. changed drastically from the Progressive Era through the Roaring Twenties and into the Great Depression. The political reform experienced in the Progressive Era bolstered a strong central government and conveyed a sense of seriousness about the role of the government. Middle class activists called on Christian ethics to fix social problems with organizations such as the YMCA. Many sought to apply a sort of scientific method to society to protect morals and social welfare. Theodore Roosevelt’s “Square Deal” built on the conservation of natural resources, control of corporate power, and protection of consumers.[13] All this regulation created a very severe air about what it is to be an American. While Americans were identifying with each other, it was in a way that widened the gap between classes rather than bringing them closer together. It seems that society was very much divided in half. The ones on top only interacted with the ones on the bottom out of pity or remorse for their situation. The upper classes felt a sense of responsibility for the lower classes to look after them, much like a mother would take care of her child. The idea of the American dream here was one looked to by the lower classes of immigrants new to the U.S. rather than by the entire population. However, with the drastic political turnaround of the 1920s, that idea would change.
The presidents of the Roaring Twenties were remarkably hands-off. Warren G. Harding pledged a “Return to Normalcy” at the close of World War I with his pro-business approach to the Presidency. Perhaps the greater effect on the laissez-faire politics of the 20s was caused by Calvin Coolidge. Bryson considers this era to be the “Age of Coolidge,” though Coolidge really did little for the American government.[14] However, by doing so little, he allowed for the essence of what became the Roaring Twenties. He reduced government control, lowered taxes, and allowed for higher business profits that drove the engine of capitalism for everyone to experience it.[15] Huge names in business like Henry Ford, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and others not only revolutionized their respective industries and created jobs for Americans; they put the United States in a position of power in the world market. Therefore, the prosperity and shift in the American mindset to a sort-of “We set the standard for literally everything” that these men caused was not only evident in the United States, but was also recognized on a global scale. The United States entered the world stage in the 20s, not as a result of international political influence, but from these big business names. Coolidge, as a background character for the twenties, allowed for the U.S. to build an empire on and make a reality of the American Dream creating a mutual identity for Americans to be a part of.
Perhaps Coolidge and his hands-off approach to the role of government in the economy are to thank for the prosperity of the 20s, but he may also be to blame for the severe economic downturn of the 30s. When the stock market crashed in 1929, no one was left unaffected. The widespread bankruptcies and foreclosures caused extensive psychological anguish and brought on what is thought of today when reminded of the Great Depression: bread lines, soup kitchens, and desperate photos of families merely trying to survive. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s election in 1932, however, was a beacon of hope to many Americans as he claimed that “Happy Days Are Here Again” with the song that kicked off his Presidency.[16] With the implementation of the “New Deal” and establishment of several government agencies, the 30s have had a lasting impression on modern America. Yet again the government had taken on a major shift in its role with the American public and, in effect, these shifts made way for change in the American cultural experience as well.
The economic boom of the 20s and the economic decline of the 30s allowed for a cultural boom that would be the only thing not to be slowed by the Depression in art, music, film, and literature. Perhaps the best illustration of that boom was the newly emerging youth culture in the 20s personified by the notorious flappers. These young women challenged gender roles and brought on new fashions and behaviors for the youth of America.[17] F. Scott Fitzgerald is perhaps the best-known writer of both decades. While the 20s were the prime of his most widely read work, he seems to have been completely consumed by the culture of the 30s as well, particularly its ups and downs. He observed that no one went unaffected by the crash and that everyone identified with the same challenge. Fitzgerald himself experienced this in his own life. He had it all, existed for the glamour and vibrancy that the 20s had to offer. However, he experienced the downhill like everyone else did after the crash. According to Morris Dickstein, Fitzgerald "charted the feelings of his characters in tandem with the larger movements of society".[18] Fitzgerald understood that the American Dream had fizzled out; however, rather than fizzling out, it had taken on merely a different form.
The tone of American culture in the 30s was very different from just a decade before. The 20s had been a time of surplus. The works of the period were filled with glamour and luxury in well-known books such as The Great Gatsby. Even the lower classes, though perhaps not striking it rich, reaped the benefits of the 20s through radio, music, and sports. News, entertainment, jazz, and film were available to all, and, for the first time, these things were available on a national scale. Trends and fads in fashion or music were no longer restricted to one neighborhood or one city; they stretched all the way from sea to shining sea, creating a national culture: creating the American identity. Boxing and baseball were broadcast live on the radio, and Americans could keep updated on the latest news of Charles Lindbergh via radio also.[19] This newly emerging national identity would continue into the 30s as well. Though the 30s would be a much less happy and abounding time for Americans, for the first time in American history, they would truly be experiencing the decade under one identity. The same technologies and luxuries that the 20s had provided to bridge the gaps between classes and ethnic groups would continue to do so in the 30s, giving Americans a sense of continuity. After the onset of the Depression, that same identity endured.
Americans were experiencing a time of widespread struggle like never before. The government once again had to buckle down on the economy in order to regain control. In these times of strife, however, we see an admirable dose of resilience from every economic circle. The Depression had deprived Americans of everything, so they sought to expound on the things that the Depression could not take away and took powerful self-possession of their feelings. Dickstein describes this phenomenon in the context of Shall We Dance, particularly the number “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” He writes that, "this was part of the music of time that soothed the spirits of the Depression years: a sense of life that was transient, even catastrophic, but that a core of grace, remembrance, and connection survived." Songs and productions like these made more concern over feelings than status because those feelings were the last stand against what the Depressions was taking away. In many ways, as Dickstein points out, the Depression gave Americans what he calls a “sense of solidarity.”[20]
In the 20s, everyone was doing so well and benefitting from everything that the decade had to offer. Creating and forging a new culture and grasping an identity that transcended the restrictions of class would endure even to modern times. However, moving into the 30s, economic hardship brought people together into not only a common identity, but into a sense of community, adding a deeper layer into the notion of the American Dream.[21] Americans had now not only experienced a high together, but a low as well, creating a mutual understanding of how the other half, indeed, does live. Having to crawl out of the economic hole together, reaching out to the government for help could no doubt be a humbling experience. Both of these drastic swings in the state of the economy were made possible by the political sphere of the time. From very laissez-faire practices to direct implementation of government programs and opportunities, the government allowed for the cultural phenomenon of the 20s and 30s that gave birth to the modern American Dream.
The cultural legacies left by the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression eras are irreplaceable and seem to be set in stone. Americans have always experienced a struggle between an identity as an individual and an identity as an American. Until the 20th century, the country was so divided by class, race, ethnicity, and gender that few experienced what we think of today as what it is to be an American. The notion of Benjamin Franklin’s example of the American Dream was out of touch to the middle and upper classes and simply out of reach to the lower, immigrant classes. People from all over the world came to America to experience a new life, to experience a truly American form of liberty. However, the context in which that liberty existed was so contained that few even knew that it actually existed.
The economic state and political practices of the Roaring 20s allowed for something that was merely an idea, almost a myth, to be expanded and realized by not only those with the monetary means to procure it, but by the urban masses as well. Accessibility of 20s luxury and lifestyle to everyone created a mutual identity; it created the true American Dream. It was finally possible for someone to immigrate to the United States seeking freedom and a better life to actually realize that dream. The rags to riches fairy tale could finally be realized if only on a small scale. This sense of hope and sturdiness spread like wildfire and brought Americans into a state of security as one body and spirit. Though not everyone would experience the same monetary success, Americans in the 20s were able to celebrate together, create together, dream together, and succeed together through the emergence and spread of culture.
Likewise, the 30s furthered the reality of the American dream into another level of understanding. The hardship and challenge of the Great Depression presented Americans with the ultimate test of resilience and character. While the 20s provided Americans with a time to celebrate together, the 30s allowed Americans an opportunity to reach out to one another and experience not only a sense of belonging, but a sense of community. The depth of culture in the tumultuous 30s posed as both an escape from the desolation of the time as a coping mechanism as well as a stand against it. Though the 30s were difficult, the identity created and proudly bore by Americans in the 20s would not be extinguished. Instead, it would thrive and create an American Dream that was not only tangible, but unyielding as well.
Americans in this time bridged gaps and overcame adversity through the created culture of the 20s and 30s made possible by big business and government policy. It is safe to say that without the extremes of these two decades, the United States and its people would not be the same as they are today. The idea that the United States “makes possible the circumstances that allow individuals to go beyond meeting their basic needs to achieve self-actualization and personal fulfillment” is grounded in the Americans of the 20s and 30s.[24] Without the extreme situations of the decades, the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness that we believe to be achievable today would be a much less hopeful picture.
Bibliography
Addams, Jane. Twenty Years at Hull House. New York: Macmillan, 1910.
Ashcan School. February 19, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashcan_School.
Bryson, Bill. One Summer: America, 1927. New York: Doubleday, 2013.
Compass. Happy Days Are Here Again. n.d. http://www.compassdatacenters.com/happy-days/.
Dickstein, Morris. Dancing in the Dark. W.W. Norton & Company, 2010.
Investopedia. Financial Lingo. 2014. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/american-dream.asp.
O'Sullivan, Dr. Robin. Lecture (Jan-April 2014).
Riis, Jacob A. The Children of the Poor. Scribner's Sons, 1902.
They Can't Take That Away From Me. n.d. http://songbook1.wordpress.com/pp/fx/1937-2/they-cant-take-that-away-from-me/.
Waterson, Berlin & Snyder. Word War I Sheet Music. 1919. http://library.brown.edu/cds/catalog/catalog.php?verb=render&id=1109792538814536&colid=9.
Wilson, Woodrow. Wilson's War Message to Congress. April 2, 1917. http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Wilson%27s_War_Message_to_Congress.
[1] (Investopedia 2014)
[2] (O'Sullivan 2014)
[3] (Riis 1902)
[4] (O'Sullivan 2014)
[5] (Ashcan School 2014)
[6] (Addams 1910)
[7] (O'Sullivan 2014)
[8] (Wilson 1917)
[9] (Waterson 1919)
[10] (Bryson 2013)
[11] (Waterson 1919)
[12] (Ashcan School 2014)
[13] (O'Sullivan 2014)
[14] (Bryson 2013)
[15] (O'Sullivan 2014)
[16] (O'Sullivan 2014)
[17] (O'Sullivan 2014)
[18] (Dickstein 2010)
[19] (O'Sullivan 2014)
[20] (Dickstein 2010)
[21] (Dickstein 2010)
[22] (Compass n.d.)
[23] (They Can't Take That Away From Me n.d.)
[24] (Investopedia 2014)