The 1920s has often been characterised as a period of American prosperity and high success in economy. It was the "boom of the 20s", the T-Ford and the $5 workday, the radio and the movie.
In the beginning of the 1920s the United States was returning itself from a war-time economy to a peace-time economy. During the war America had been producing weapons and artillery for the war in Europe. Now these goods weren't needed any more so there was a drop in the economy.
The US society was also experiencing a great change in their social lives. In 1919 the Volstead act introduced the Prohibition and all transport, selling and making of alcohol was made illegal (the actual drinking of alcohol was still legal). Prohibitionists had a clear expectation that the prohibtion would reduce crime, poverty, death rates, improve the economy and solve social problems. However, in many cases the total opposite happened. (See essay one and two about why the prohibition was introduced and the consequences of it).
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