Were the 1920s considered liberal or conservative?

Answer 1

In short, yes--in other words, the 20's were both liberal and conservative. The 20's were full of conflict between liberals and conservatives over a variety of topics. Though this may be an over-generalization, the center of liberal thought was in urban areas, while rural areas were more conservative. These two competing world views argued over: the changing role of women in society, women's fashion, evolution vs. creationism, free speech vs. fear of communism, alcohol, and even music. Since there were two sides to every issue, it would be hard to characterize the 1920's as either liberal or conservative. However, these issues became important because the status quo was changing--becoming more liberal. So, I suppose one could argue that the 20's were "liberal" with conservatives trying to hold on and maintain the status quo. I suppose one could also argue that the 1920's were conservative due a variety of factors, including presidential politics, the Palmer Raids and the Red Scare, the rise of the KKK, Prohibition, etc.