Cultural Comparisons of the 1920s The 1920s were a time of change for the United States. After World War I there was a wave of new cultural, social and artistic dynamism, fueled in part by the Progressive movement that was interrupted when the Americans entered the Great War. This decade was characterized by the shift from a more rural agricultural life to industrialism in large cities. The shift from the frugality and traditional family values ​​of previous generations to carefree consumerism and metropolitan living has occurred faster than any other social change in living memory. These rapidly changing tides caused clashes and culture clashes throughout the decade as America struggled to define for itself a new national identity in the wake of its new position as a world power. During World War I, the United States Army armed African American soldiers and sent them to fight on the front lines. Returning home at the end of the war, many white veterans resented the arming of these African American soldiers. In contrast, returning African American soldiers greatly resented being sent home and returned to a life as second-class citizens. Perhaps as an attempt to get revenge on black soldiers, or perhaps as an attempt to quell the slow growth of equality for African-Americans, the Klu Klux Klan experienced a dramatic increase in membership during the 1920s. Originally founded in 1865, the Klu Klux Klan experienced a surge in membership during the postwar 1920s. The Klan opened its first base in Oregon following its revival in central California. Historians note that one reason many influential white Americans may have supported the Klan was because the Klan supported Prohibition, the... center of paper... strong in the belief that in a short time, their beloved nation would have been able to return to its former glory in the decade following the First World War. Works Cited "Automobiles and Road Transport of the 1920s". Cars of the 1920s. 2005. 1920s-30s.com. February 15, 2009. “1920s Travel and Transportation.” 1920s trip. 1920s-30s.com. February 15, 2009 .Hakim, Joy. War, peace and all that jazz. New York: Oxford UP, Incorporated, 1995.Heinrichs, Tim. "American Life in the Twenties." Discussion 3, Topic 9. Washington, Bellevue. February 18, 2009. American life in the 1920s. Lavagna Vista, Bellevue Community College. February 18, 2009 "Introduction to the KKK." White Christian revival. Knights' Festival. February 16. 2009 .