The Saturday Gazette

I can’t wait for you to write again! I’m sure it’s going to be as good as before, if not better! 

Hello world!
          Sorry for vanishing without notice like that. Unfortunately, Harp's Manor is going on hiatus for a while. It is projected to return by the summer, so stay tuned! In the meantime, we hope everyone is keeping well and staying safe. Keep writing, you are all amazing!
          ~ The Team at the Saturday Gazette

What were bootleggers?
          Bootlegging as a verb means to produce, transport, or sell illegally an item, usually referring to recordings or, in more common cases in the past, liquor. The first recorded use of this word was in 1886, when traders in the American Midwest would hide illegal bottles of alcohol in flaps in their boots while trading with natives, although the term was also used in late 18th century Cornwall when fishermen would smuggle liquor onto shore in their giant fishing boots (for more information on this interesting period, watch Walking Through History S2, E3). Another similar term, ‘rum-running,’ grew in popularity during American prohibition, though it referred mainly to maritime transport of the alcohol as opposed to the actual sale of it in the states.
          For the most part, bootleggers smuggled liquor from outside America, but they had other ways of producing the illicit drink. As the U.S. Coast Guard began catching more and more ships coming from the Bahamas, Cuba, and other nearby islands, smugglers changed tactics and began focusing on what was already within the country. Whiskey under medicinal purposes was not banned by the Eighteenth Amendment, leading many people to create forged prescriptions or simply sell government-issued whiskey to random people over the counter. Furthermore, denatured alcohol was legally used by certain manufacturers as cleaning solvent, perfume, and detergent. Bootleggers would acquire these bottles, ‘remove’ the toxic chemicals, and resell them to customers. These bottles, of course, were still dangerous (often nicknamed “rotgut” for their effect on the drinker) and led to an epidemic of people dying from drinking poisonous alcohol even early in prohibition.
          Bootlegging quickly became a popular new form of crime, leading to the growth of gangs in urban areas. While not all bootleggers were gangsters, they were associated with organized crime and could face heavy punishment.
          ~ Greg

No fun fact today! Sorry, I was a little lazy and missed the deadline. Whoops.
          ~ Greg

Who was the Lost Generation?
          World War I. The Great War. The war to end all wars. Or simply, ‘the war.’ This catastrophic event shaped the twentieth century both technologically, politically, and socially. Once the world encountered destruction of this magnitude, there was no going back.
          There are always two sides to war. On one hand, the effort pushed into developing new technologies benefited the greater good. We can thank WWI for the invention of zippers, stainless steel, plastic surgery, and blood donations. On the other hand, it also brought about tanks, poison gas, and machine guns. These horrific inventions were not soon forgotten by those who had to experience them and their effects firsthand.
          The Lost Generation is generally acknowledged as a group of authors whose reputation arose in the postwar period (1920s) due to their novels critical of America at the time. Though the term is used to describe literary and artistic pursuits, I disagree with naming only the people who put their thoughts into words as the Lost Generation. There were no doubt thousands of other people in the same state of despair and disillusion; otherwise, the fiction of the period wouldn’t have even been able to exist. 
          This group of people had come back from WWI and were immediately faced with America attempting to slip back into normalcy, forgetting about the war and pushing veterans aside. This divided them from the rest of society, which was eager to slide into a decade of prosperity and regularity. This caused the Lost Generation to become despondent, heavy drinkers, both materialistic and careless about the world around them. 
          A similar thing happened at the end of WWII, resulting in the sterile and picturesque fifties, though the twenties were a time of wild partying and social diversity whereas the fifties condemned anyone out of the ordinary. If you’d like to hear more about why the two decades were so different despite having similar origins, let me know down below!
          ~ Greg

What is art deco?
          If you’ve ever seen buildings, furniture, or clothing from the 1920s, you’ll know that simple, elegant patterns, often made of repeating shapes or lines, were all the rage. But what caused this jarring change from more ornate styles to streamlined sophistication, and where did it come from?
          The name ‘art deco’ comes from its place of origin, the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. The exposition was held in Paris from April to October of 1925 and is widely recognized as the birthplace of art deco, though the idea of geometric modernism was first explored by the Bauhaus movement. To maximize creativity, Paris wanted only exhibitions that “display[ed] genuine originality, fulfil[led] a practical need and express[ed] a modern inspiration.” 
          The result? A striking blend of modernism and gracefulness that defined a new era of art. One of the most breathtaking sights at the exposition was René Lalique’s Les sources de France, a fifty-foot tall illuminating fountain made of glass. Another display, a modern home titled Pavillon de l'Esprit Nouveau, captured the sleek simplicity of the oncoming Machine Age.
          Another factor that played into the emergence of art deco was the twentieth century Egyptian revival. In 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the entrance to King Tutankhamen’s tomb, sparking a global interest in ancient Egyptian culture. The stylistic and symbolic nature of ancient Egyptian art was an influence for similar features found in art deco.
          Art deco was actually more popular in the 1930s, but because of its birth in the twenties history forever associates it with flappers and bootleggers. In any case, it’s an amazing style and continues to be a prevalent aesthetic in today’s world. If you’re still curious, check out this amazing website: https://www.artdeco.org/what-is-art-deco or this one: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/worlds-most-beautiful-art-deco-buildings. 
          ~ Greg

What was prohibition?
          In 1920, American Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment into law. This law banned the manufacturing, sale, and transportation of liquor within the United States. The nation was divided about this new law; some people were angered by it, while others were overjoyed. Over time, however, everyone would come to see what a huge mistake prohibition came to be.
          The law didn’t come out of nowhere, of course. Roots of a temperance movement in America began in the early 1800s, when a religious revival encouraged people to abandon alcohol. Many women, sick of their husbands coming home drunk late at night, supported the movement. The first prohibition law was actually a state law passed in Maine, which comes as no surprise, seeing as the first Total Abstinence Society was founded in Portland in the 1810s.
          The amendment waited one year to take effect. During that time, people hurried to stock up on alcohol. However, many of the people that regularly visited bars did not have enough money to save up on alcohol, meaning the people targeted were technically the most heavily affected.
          The word ‘technically’ is used here because prohibition was ultimately a failure. It has been the only Constitutional amendment so far to be repealed, which tells you something about its effectiveness. Organized crime focused on ‘bootlegging,’ or illegally smuggling alcohol into the country, became huge in areas like Chicago and New York. Speakeasies, or underground bars, were hot spots for people looking for a drink. There was so much illegal activity involving alcohol, most law enforcement gave up in the big cities trying to impose the amendment, and it was repealed in 1933.
          Though the intentions behind it were good, prohibition ultimately caused more problems than it helped solve. The most memorable thing about this period is the notorious Al Capone, and perhaps a law that gave a city its bloody history of gang rivalry shouldn’t be remembered the most fondly.
          ~ Greg

What is a flapper?
          A flapper, by definition, is a young woman in the 1920s “intent on enjoying herself and flouting conventional standards of behavior.” To understand how influential these women were, first it is crucial to understand the period before the 20s.
          Let’s start in the Victorian age, where strict social rules dominated society and women wore heavy garments in order to preserve morality. Due to great scientific achievements, a strong push towards religion encouraged people to behave piously. The Victorian age was specifically in England, but similar trains of thought spread across the world. Here, we see women cooped up in houses, completely covered in heavy clothing, with little say about their lives.
          All of this changed during the first world war, at least in America. The jobs left by men called off to fight were taken up by women, making it for many the first time that they entered the workplace. This breath of freedom began to get the mossy ball rolling, and by 1920 the 19th amendment was passed, allowing women to vote for the first time. More women entered the workfield and began attending college.
          Combine this newfound freedom with the absolute chaos of the twenties (people dancing! people holding hands! people publicly dating and even smooching!), this was the perfect environment for flappers to thrive in. Instead of simply having their say in the world, they wanted to really live like there was no tomorrow. They could dance, they could drive, they could have the time of their lives, and by golly they were going to. Who was going to stop them? The iconic look is usually bobbed hair, a knee-length dress, glamorous makeup, and a hatred towards all things conventional. 
          They were viewed as silly or wicked by many, but flappers really helped women step into a more comfortable world. They shunned the typical expectations for women and forged a new identity for themselves, one that allowed them to sparkle and shine even in our memories today.
          ~ Greg

Why was it called the Roaring Twenties?
          To put it short, America was really ‘roaring’ during this time. An explosion of economic prosperity, largely thanks to the postwar economy following World War I and the urbanization of the Industrial Age, bolstered America’s new reputation as a leading world superpower. The rise of the radio and telephone allowed for communication to stretch across the entire country, resulting in the faster spread of new ideas. Suddenly jazz from the Deep South was making its way into places like New York, while manufacturers were upsetting farmland and a traditionally agricultural society.
          The social climate of America at the time was also changing, as women explored freedom of dress and expression, giving rise to the ‘flapper look.’ This allowed for the younger generation to liberate themselves from such ideas as traditional gender roles, sexual identity, and other moral identifiers. Another major ‘20s plot point: the returning ‘Lost Generation’ wanted to drink away their troubles, but the 18th Amendment made the sale of alcohol and liquor illegal. No problem, because speakeasies delivered the stuff to the thirsty public anyway. 
          The 1920s seem glittering on the outside, but at its core America was in conflict with itself during this period. Older generations fought against the morally liberated youth. The rise of the Ku Klux Klan brought terror to many minorities. Veterans of the war suffered from ‘shellshock,’ a term used to describe PTSD before it was recognized as a true medical condition. Most people in America couldn’t even enjoy the lavish lifestyle we associate with the decade today.
          In the end, while it was a period of great growth in many ways, the 1920s had to struggle in a battle against itself, ultimately collapsing towards the end of 1929. The only way to really summarize this beast is to call it ‘roaring.’
          This is my first attempt at a "Fun Fact Friday," if you like it please comment down below! :)
          ~ Greg at the SG

Harp's Manor has reached 100 reads!! How much longer do you think it will be before we reach 250? ;)
          ~ Olivia at the Saturday Gazette