Life In The Early 1920's

To get a real sense of the Prohibition days, one should consider what life was like for the average American. Hollywood films from then and now have given a very glamorous image to those times. Films and documentaries (sadly) depict the ′20’s as a relatively carefree time of economic prosperity when men and women wore flashy clothing and spent their free time drinking, doing dances like “the Charleston,” and listening to jazz. According to this same Hollywood image, the average person lived in a beautifully-furnished, spacious home with heat and electricity, a phone, radio, record player, and a refrigerator. The image also includes at least one big, shiny car for every household and even a household servant.
Unfortunately, that was not the case for most Americans. In the early 1920’s, the nation went through a very bad recession. Millions of war veterans returned home to find that many factories and shipyards that produced military goods had shut down. Unemployment was widespread and workers went on strike in massive numbers to protest harsh working conditions and poor pay. There were no social safety nets such as unemployment checks, worker’s compensation, Social Security, Medicaid, or food stamps. These economic conditions tempted the average worker to take part in bootlegging or rum-running. Smuggling liquor paid several times the salary of the average job for fewer hours of work, and, in many cases, the working conditions were better. Smuggling liquor by boat was usually far more bearable than working at a steel mill, coal mine, textile mill, or assembly line.
In addition to a bad economy, the government began Communist witch hunts in reaction to the Communist revolution in Russia. Politicians put striking workers and Communists in the same category, often drawing no distinction. On January 2, 1920, government agents in 33 cities rounded up thousands of suspected Communists and detained them without charges for long periods. In the face of widespread protest against the “Palmer Raids,” Attorney General Palmer argued that his program was the only practical means to prevent a Bolshevik conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. Government.
In addition to a recession and political turmoil, daily life for the average American was harsh by today’s standards. In 1920, only 47 percent of city homes and 1.6 percent of farm homes had electricity. Americans prioritized installing electrical outlets over other modern conveniences, such as running water. Much of the American population in the early ′20’s did not have central heating, bathtubs, running water, or indoor toilets.
Rural people, especially women, knew what they were missing when they read magazine advertisements and mail-order catalogs. For example, without an electric pump, women had to haul water into the house from a nearby well or stream and then heat it for cleaning, bathing, or laundry. For those Americans fortunate enough to have electricity, there were new electrical gadgets on the market. Electric irons, fans, and vacuum cleaners were new and popular items. Those who did not have electricity had to heat an iron on the stove to have wrinkle-free clothes. Electric mixers, blenders, coffee makers, and washing machines were also new on the market and were, in 1920, only affordable to the wealthy. Washing machines at that time were very simple devices with a motor that agitated water, detergent, and soiled items. After the cycle was complete, a person would have to remove the drenched clothing from the machine, insert each piece through a motorized wringer, and then hang the clothing up to dry. Washing machines would not be equipped with a spin cycle until the late 1930’s. In 1920, electric refrigerators were also very rare, even among the wealthy. Most families continued to rely on underground storage or iceboxes.[i]
[i] David E. Kyvig, Daily Life In The United States, 1920-1940. (Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2002.) pp.66-67