Acts Became More Open With the Spread of Cars
In the 1920s, it was the age of the automobile. More and more people were able to afford cars and as time went on, more and more young people were able to own cars or borrow their parents’ car. As teenagers and young adults become more mobile they were able to be more independent and it wasn’t long before they noticed that cars had another advantage. Cars were basically a cheap, mobile hotel room. It was easy to find a secluded spot and then have some fun making out or even going further.
It was quickly realized that cars were potentially degrading American morals. Men were able to use cars to find their way to brothels and prostitutes were able to proposition men on street corners. It was now possible for men to simply enjoy a prostitute within their own car rather than having to travel to a hotel room. But more alarming was the way that cars allowed teens and young adults a way to be free of parental supervision. Pre-marital act was on the rise from 1910-1930 as cars became a common household item.
The proliferation of cars was also coming at a time when women were becoming more independent and less cloistered. They were dancing the Charleston, listening to jazz music, wearing pants and riding bicycles. Women were seeking education and jobs and dating was becoming a regular thing. Now a man would pick up a girl at her home and take her out for dinner and entertainment. As it became the custom for the man to pay, a working girl was often expected to offer him something in return. As it was often the only way a woman could afford such luxuries they often obliged the requests of their date to go all the way in the backseat of the car.
The use of the car for an easy way to hook up and have an act only increased throughout the 50s and 60s and was attributed as part of the revolution. Now young adults often owned their own cars or households would have more than one car which allowed for even more ease of transportation and privacy. As the norms loosened with women becoming more independent and young adults being more interested in free love and fighting against the stiff cultural norms, the rate of premarital acts skyrocketed. The car, the prosperity of the 50s and the rise of teenagers with their own cars led to drastically changing attitudes about intercourse among young Americans and future generations.