It’s interesting to think that exactly 100 years ago the Roaring 20’s were just starting. I think there are many similarities to what some people are already calling the roaring 2020’s . The 1920’s in North America is known as a time of Celebration. It was the end of World War I, the end of the Spanish Flu and the beginning of a total cultural reset. People in North America were celebrating like never before, It was the beginning of a social, political and economic transformation. The 1920s was influential to modern culture In ways, we are just beginning to understand. So, is this where we are heading in the near future? Are we about to enter what people are now calling “the Roaring 2020’s”?
Let’s take it back to WW1. The United States had massive productions of weapons and were able to make 17 billion dollars selling them to allied countries. This not only skyrocketed the economy but annual incomes increased over 50%. More money flowed through the U.S. than ever before. Bank credit and loans became more and more popular making it much easier for people to have expendable money. This led to a huge spike in consumerism and was the beginning of great technological advances including radio, automobiles, aeronautics, film as entertainment and even laundry machines! The dollar had replaced the pound as the strongest currency and America was generating 80% of the world’s automobiles. The Nation’s wealth nearly doubled in a short period of time and consumer culture emerged. So what was Canada doing during this time? All the glitz and glam of our southern neighbours wasn’t the case for everyone in Canada. 15 percent of Canadians were unemployed at the time. This only grew once the soldiers returned home from WWI. There was an overabundance of work needed with little to no jobs available. Similar to what is now happening due to the pandemic. This took a turn for the better when there was an increased demand for Canadian raw materials such as timber, coal, minerals and so forth. Canada was able to provide more work and our economy grew.
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During WW1 and shortly after, the suffragette movement had also taken hold in Canada. Women were granted the right to vote by 1922 and it was the beginning of moving our society toward modern ideas of equality. There are similarities to the advancement of societal movements resulting in shifts in the public consciousness. In 2020 we saw a huge shift in cultural, political and social movements such as Black Lives Matter and Me Too. With the birth of jazz in the 1920s, a new wave of literary and visual arts started to flourish. This kickstarted the Harlem renaissance which focused on the arts in African American culture which brought out racial pride in the black community. Along with the emergence of black pride and the Harlem Renaissance, there was also the huge re-emergence of the KKK and white supremacy. Unfortunately, If we compare it to recent years and the rise in white nationalism, not much has changed. Although there is SO much more to be done in terms of BIPOC liberation, people’s voices are being heard and powerful movements are continuing to rise to the forefront once again.
The world has changed more in one year than it has in the past 10! Not only are we in the midst of a global pandemic but we have just witnessed one the messiest elections ever after a global surge in extremism. This past year we have experienced a destabilizing global shift. The Roaring Twenties was a time for innovation, exploration, celebration, debauchery and all that comes with it. Societies changed all over the world. Not only were things shifting in Canada and the U.S, but the generation of Bright Young People in the UK, the political challenges of the Weimar Republic in Germany and Annes Folles in France were also taking place around the globe. However, not every country was experiencing these rich cultural shifts.
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On the surface, there seem to be similar precursors to the Roaring Twenties. However, it is still early days and a real comparison won’t be made for a few years to come. With the vaccine roll-out, we seem to be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel but normal Life as We Know It doesn’t really exist anymore. We are entering a new normal. People are losing their jobs, however, the economy is still robust and the stock market booming! But there is still fear the bubble will burst soon and things will start to plummet. Everything is on hold. Events, plans and so much more have been cancelled. We are forced to refrain from seeing loved ones, travelling, gathering, celebrating and so much more. So we hold our breath waiting for the pandemic to be over, and once it does, I think everyone will let loose and take advantage of new freedom. Most of us are at our tipping point and ready for things to start rolling again.
By reflecting on our past and comparing it to our present, there are similar patterns of social change throughout history. We think we could be amidst a major cultural reset because we compare it to the most recent and accessible time in history. We look to the Roaring 20’s because it started with a pandemic like the one we are experiencing now. We know that history repeats itself and therefore comparisons are easily drawn. However, I also believe we have evolved and this pandemic has made us look inward and reevaluate what’s important to us. What used to be a community-based society turned into an individual-based society. Now I think people are starting to understand the value of community and how one needs to rely on each other to have a fulfilling and enriched life. We don’t know what is to come from all of this but, there is enough evidence that life similar to the roaring 20’s is on the horizon.