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Mary (Mollie) McQuillan birthed Fitzgerald on September 24, 1896. Fitzgerald's ancestry already had a lot of history as his father was in allegiance to the "Old South" as long as its values, while his mother was the daughter of a wealthy Irish immigrant. https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/irvin_dept_special_collections/collections/matthew_arlyn_bruccoli_collection_of_f_scott_fitzgerald/life_of_fitzgerald/index.php -
Henry Ford had created the first automobile by using a conveyor belt-based assembly-line to mass produce an engineering feat. By using a gasoline powered engine, the first ever horseless carriage was invented and changed America forever. https://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1900a.shtml -
Fitzgerald attended "Newman School" which is a Catholic prep school in New Jersey. Through his education, he met "Father Sigourney Fay" who was a big motivation for letting Fitzgerald reach his personal ambitions. Because of this, Fitzgerald focused on his literary dreams more than educational. https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/irvin_dept_special_collections/collections/matthew_arlyn_bruccoli_collection_of_f_scott_fitzgerald/life_of_fitzgerald/index.php
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Serbia, Russia, France, Britain, Italy and the U.S. were against Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire in WW1. WW1 was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history and was started because the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-first-world-war#:~:text=The%20majority%20joined%20on%20the,together%20formed%20the%20Central%20Powers.
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The United States join Great Britain and France in war to go against autocratic Germany and Austria-Hungary. Americans during this generation wanted to make the world a more democratic place, so influencing their political beliefs and defeating another was a great way to showcase that. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/progressive-era-to-new-era-1900-1929/overview/ -
Because of Fitzgerald's academic record, he joined the army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He himself thought his life was going to end in the war, so he wrote, "The Romantic Egotist". https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/irvin_dept_special_collections/collections/matthew_arlyn_bruccoli_collection_of_f_scott_fitzgerald/life_of_fitzgerald/index.php -
Because of Fitzgerald's military duties, he was stationed near Montgomery, Alabama where he met Zelda Sayre. This new spark in his life gave new motivation for his novel. https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/irvin_dept_special_collections/collections/matthew_arlyn_bruccoli_collection_of_f_scott_fitzgerald/life_of_fitzgerald/index.php -
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty that was signed to document the events and repercussions that Germany had to undergo because of WW1. The famous League of Nations was formed because of this treaty and still stands today. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/treaty-of-versailles-1 -
This act banned beverages that had an alcohol content that was greater than 2.75%. Eventually, the 18th amendment would take effect in 1920 and banned all alcoholic beverages https://www.historicpatterson.org/Exhibits/ExhProhibition.php -
Fitzgerald quit his job on July 1919 and began working on "This Side of Paradise". Through his other connections he began to produce "moneymaking popular fiction". Some of h is stories contain: The Offshore Pirate, Bernice Bobs Her Hair, May Day, and The Diamond as Big as the Ritz. https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/irvin_dept_special_collections/collections/matthew_arlyn_bruccoli_collection_of_f_scott_fitzgerald/life_of_fitzgerald/index.php
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The publication of This Side of Paradise made Fitzgerald famous overnight. Because of the fame, Zelda Sayre and Fitzgerald got married a week later and lived their young life as celebrities. https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/irvin_dept_special_collections/collections/matthew_arlyn_bruccoli_collection_of_f_scott_fitzgerald/life_of_fitzgerald/index.php -
The Nineteenth Amendment granted the right to vote if you're a women. Something which was very progressive for this time and age. https://networks.h-net.org/node/5301/pages/1030420/timeline-federal-history -
Western society and culture was booming during this time period as many companies were launching new brands, investors were making money, jazz music was making an appearance and everybody was happy. Unfortunately, this paradisiacal lifestyle would come to an end with the beginning of: "The Great Depression". https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/crash-roaring-20s/#:~:text=Many%20Americans%20spent%20the%201920s,market%20in%20liquor%20after%20Prohibition.
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The Fitzgerald family had a problem with alcohol. Fitzgerald was increasing his alcohol consumption because of the environment he was in but usually wrote his stories sober. This reputation as a drinker swayed literary opinions to pin Fitzgerald as a, "irresponsible writer". https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/irvin_dept_special_collections/collections/matthew_arlyn_bruccoli_collection_of_f_scott_fitzgerald/life_of_fitzgerald/index.php -
"The Great Gatsby" can be considered the "supreme achievement of his career". Many literature lovers acclaim this book for taking place in the "Jazz Age" and represents many quarrels. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Great-Gatsby/F-Scott-Fitzgerald/9781982146702#:~:text=The%20Great%20Gatsby%2C%20Fitzgerald's%20third,acclaimed%20by%20generations%20of%20readers. -
The Great Depression was an economic depression that haunted the U.S. due to not only economical problems, but environmental problems as well. Because of the distrust that banks have put on themselves, the previous roaring twenties came to an end and was the farthest from the roaring twenties that you could possibly be. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/great-depression#:~:text=The%20Great%20Depression%20began%20in,financial%20crises%20punctuated%20the%20contraction.
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Due to the resentment that the public has towards the Prohibition Act, speakeasies were hidden throughout towns and created jobs with significant tax revenues. The irony with this is that the number of speakeasies that were popping up far exceeded the amount of restaurants and bars that previously sold alcoholic beverages. https://www.historicpatterson.org/Exhibits/ExhProhibition.php -
With the 21st Amendment being ratified into the U.S. Constitution, relief came over America whether you the drinker, or the server of alcohol beverages. Even though the act came to an end, it only brought up a new set of rules, which society was a lot kinder towards than the previous attempts. https://www.historicpatterson.org/Exhibits/ExhProhibition.php -
The first ballpoint pen was invented by Lazlo, and Georg Biro. By combining the knowledge of a chemist, and a newspaper editor, they created a pen that was practical to use every day by developing a new type of ink. https://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1900a.shtml -
Because Fitzgerald was ill, drunk, and in debt, he was unable to write commercial stories. With all of these problems, they had to admit Zelda into the hospital, live in hotels, and sent their daughter to a boarding school with a different family. https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/irvin_dept_special_collections/collections/matthew_arlyn_bruccoli_collection_of_f_scott_fitzgerald/life_of_fitzgerald/index.php
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World War 2 was a global conflict that can be considered the, "deadliest, and most destructive war in history. Although a horrible event, this war is what pulled America out of the Great Depression https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II
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Fitzgerald was forced to work as a freelance script writer and mainly partnered with Esquire to making a living. By the time he completed a bit more than 50% of his Hollywood novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon, he died of a heart attack. https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/irvin_dept_special_collections/collections/matthew_arlyn_bruccoli_collection_of_f_scott_fitzgerald/life_of_fitzgerald/index.php -
Because of the war going on at the time, the U.S. dropped 2 atomic bombs on Japan; Hiroshima was bombed with "Little Boy" while Nagasaki was bombed with "Fat Man". https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki -
The Instrument of Surrender was as document that was signed between Japanese representatives and the U.S. This document ended WW2. https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/616720/5-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-end-of-world-war-ii/#:~:text=The%20Instrument%20of%20Surrender%20was%20actually%20signed%20off%20the%20coast,end%20of%20World%20War%20II.