The Great Gatsby and the Jazz Age In 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald said that “An author should write for the young people of his generation, for the critics of the next one and for the school teachers of all time.” Fitzgerald wrote about what he saw in the 1920s, which he called "The Jazz Age", and The Great Gatsby is considered a fair representation of that era. After World War I, many Americans distrusted foreigners and radicals because they believed they were responsible for the war. These beliefs led to the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, a racist, anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic group. This general distrust of liberal movements and foreigners lasted throughout the decade. In 1920, Harding won a landslide victory on his campaign promise of a return to “normalcy.” The people wanted peace and prosperity, and Harding tried to give it to them by returning the United States to pre-war conditions. He established pro-business policies and opposed unions. He promoted peace by urging disarmament. Congress has passed bills to limit the number of immigrants entering the country. Harding was very popular because he brought the United States back to prosperity. After his death in 1923 it became apparent that his administration was one of the most corrupt in US history. Calvin Coolidge took over and followed Harding's policies and prosperity continued. Young people, disillusioned by their experiences in World War I, rebelled against pre-war attitudes and conventions. The women refused to give up the independence they had gained from the jobs they had obtained during the war. In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment gave them the right to vote and they asked to be recognized as equals. Women adopted a masculine appearance: they cut their hair, were more open about sex, stopped wearing corsets, and smoked and drank in public. Most Americans were raised to at least a modest level of comfort. They worked fewer hours and earned more, so the development of recreational activities became important. Prohibition, enacted by the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919, attempted to eliminate alcohol. Instead of ending alcohol consumption, prohibition fostered the growth of organized crime.