What Changes Have Taken Place during the 20th CenturyThe impact of historical developments to culture - Essay Example

The affluent families have larger homes now, and each member of the family has their own room, keeping them more cut off from each other. The interchanging roles of women in the society could also be seen as a culture change. The traditional role of women was challenged in the mid 20s, as women became members of the working force, thereby changing the culture of matriarchal society. During the turn of the 20th century that is, from 1900 to 1990, remarkable things were invented that changed the lives of the American people, and eventually the world (American History Timeline).

This era brought inventions such as light bulb, the telephone, the photograph, the automobile and in later years, the airliners, motorways, supertankers, radio, television, antibiotics, frozen food, computers, the Internet, and mobile telephones. All of these developments have greatly affected the people and its culture. Also at the beginning of the 20th century, the feeling of discrimination based on race and sex was still rife. Although slave trade has ended by the end of the 19th century, the pressure for equality rights for Africans in the white society of America still persisted.

At the end of this era, women won equal rights and have the same rights as men anywhere. The time line for the start of cultural change starts in 1900 to 1990.(American Cultural History). In 1910, the way people moved from a place to another was dictated by 8000 automobiles that travelled in a 10 miles of paved road. In 1920, it will take 13 days from California to reach New York in the paved road of 387,000 miles. This time also marked the beginning wherein Americans started to become interested in arts and paintings.

Europe has a big influence on American artists as this is the place where they went to learn how to paint. Realism and Impressions were the designs popularized by American Artists like Sergeant, Winslow Homer, Charles Rusell and Frederick Hamilton. Their paintings depicted self-portrait, American lifestyles and landscapes which were framed and were hung onto the American homes(ACH). Kodak invented by George Eastman made the greatest impact in the 20th century because it was able to record important events in their lives.

Photography was used to document lives of important people, places of interests, and personalities. During the 19th century, photography was started as a trade and was left in the hands of professionals. This trade did not require any license and all that is needed to begin the trade is buy the equipment, follow the procedural instructions, and then proceed. The openness of the trade changed the culture of painting tradition into the more sophisticated art of photography(Gartner, Gretchen) Beautiful straight and low designed homes