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Significant changes during the 1920’s brought about a new
breed of women. The 19th Amendment guaranteed the right to vote,
and opportunities to attend colleges and to pursue careers paved the way for
younger women to embrace who they were. The increased availability of birth
control made it possible to plan for children, and new technology brought freedom
from the drudgeries of house work with electric refrigerators, washing
machines, and vacuum cleaners.
People from coast to coast had access to the same
merchandise thanks to chain stores, and new transportation opportunities
allowed long distance traveling. Ford vowed to build a car that all Americans
could afford—a Model T cost $260 in 1924—and dozens of other car manufactures grew
from the demand for more options. By 1929 there was one car on the road for
every five Americans and new business like gas stations and motels lined the
roadways. Radios became a must have and radio stations popped up across the
nation bringing the news as it happened and entertainment, mainly music, right
into homes. Movie theatres and amusement parks also became popular businesses
in large cities and small towns alike.
There was also Prohibition—the 18th Amendment had
been ratified in 1919 and on January 16, 1920 at 12:00 AM the federal Volstead
Act closed every saloon, bar, and tavern in the United States. The act made it
illegal to manufacture and sell any alcoholic beverage. However, consumption of
alcohol was not illegal. The liquor trade went underground and bootleggers,
gangsters, and racketeers soon battled amongst themselves to control the wealth
gained by this enterprising opportunity. Speakeasies were born and embraced.
Because of the time lapse from the ratification and the
actual ban on alcohol, many people and business stockpiled liquor, and others
started brewing their own, some of which grew in popularity not only across the
nation, but the world.
I used all of these significant changes while writing a
series of four books, about four sisters and their bootlegging father. Here’s
the blurb for the Daughters of the Roaring Twenties series:
Prohibition has made Roger Nightingale a wealthy man.
With his bootlegging business in full swing, and his swanky hotel the most
popular joint in town, his greatest challenge is keeping his four willful daughters
in check!
Join Ginger, Norma Rose, Twyla and Josie as they foxtrot their way into four gorgeous men’s hearts!
Join Ginger, Norma Rose, Twyla and Josie as they foxtrot their way into four gorgeous men’s hearts!
First travel with Ginger to Chicago in The Runaway Daughter, coming July 1st.
Then see Norma Rose go head-to-head with Ty Bradshaw in The Bootlegger’s Daughter coming August 1st.
Find out if Forrest Reynolds can tame the mischievous
Twyla in The Rebel Daughter coming September 1st.
And last, but not least, discover Josie’s secret in
The Forgotten Daughter coming October 1st.
I’ll leave you with a few slang words from the twenties:
Applesauce- an expletive same as horsefeathers, As in "Ah
applesauce!"
Bank's Closed - no kissing or
making out - i.e. - "Sorry, Mac, the bank's closed."
Bee's Knees - An extraordinary
person, thing, idea; the ultimate.
Dead
soldier - an empty beer bottle.
Flat Tire - A dull witted, insipid, disappointing date. Same as pill,
pickle, drag, rag, oilcan.
Handcuff - an engagement ring (bracelets or nippers means actual
handcuffs).
Ossified - a drunk person.
Torpedo - A hired gun.
4 comments:
So glad to see this era becoming popular. I love the clothes and hair styles. I have a time travel plotted in which the heroine comes from the 1920s to today.
Having read these books as Lauri's critique partner I can tell you, you are in for a treat! These flappers are feisty and looking for fun!
Me, too, Caroline, and your time travel sounds wonderful!
Thanks, Paty!
Love the slang, Lauri! So fun to see it included and your books look like a great reading adventure! :)
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