The nineteen twenties brought a feeling of freedom and
independence to millions of Americans, especially young Americans. Young
soldiers returned from the world war with new ideas. They had seen a
(36) world in Europe. Many of these young soldiers were not
(37) to quietly accept the old traditions of their families
and villages when they returned home. (38) , they wanted to
try new ways of living. Many young Americans, both men and women, began to
(39) some of the traditions of their parents and
grandparents. For example, some young women began to (40)
with new kinds of clothes. Many young women began to smoke (41)
, too. Many women also began to drink alcohol with men in public for
the first time. And they listened together to a (42) new
kind of music: jazz. An important force behind these changes was the growing
independence of American women. In nineteen twenty, the nation passed the
Nineteenth Amendment to the (43) , which gave women the right
to vote. (44) . Also, new machines freed many
of them from spending long hours of work in the home washing clothes, preparing
food, and doing other jobs. Education was another important force. The number of
students attending high school doubled between nineteen twenty and nineteen
thirty. (45) Attendance at colleges and universities also
increased greatly. (46)