America Roaring Twenties
Background
Economic Boom of the 1920s
Mass Production
faster and cheaper production of goods
-Henry Ford’s T-Model used electricity to power assembly lines
-less workers were needed as they were replaced by machinery (12 hours for skilled workers vs 10 seconds for machinery by October 1925
new consumer goods produced(radios, vaccums, refridgerators)
-these were affordable for ordinary families for the first time
-it created a consumer society which benifited buisnesses leading to the cycle of prosperity
Hire Purchase
allowed for people to pay for goods in small installments over a period of time until they fully paid and owned it
-this opened up the market to people who could not previously afford expensive items
-companies profited from new buyers
it was a feature of the 1920s economic boom
-by 1928, 75% of cars were bought with hire purchase
-more money was put into the motoring industry as buisnesses benifited and hugely contributed to the cycle of prosperity
Advertising and Consumerism
people were introduced to new products
-by advertising on the radio people heared adverts in their leisure time
-this encouraged consumerism and shopping became a leisure activity particually for women
spending increased
-1 million fridges were sold in 1929 and the economy grew
-2 billion was spent on advertising by companies resulting in a materialistic society
Stock Market Popularity
people bought shares in companies
-with the help of loans, 1.5 million Americans bought shares on the stock market which helped buisnesses grow
-this created a cycle of selling the shares when the shares to earn money to buy more shares
shares began to rise in price
-as more people invested, share prices of companies increased so they would sell more shares
-by 1929, there were over 1 million shares on the stock market
Farming and Older Industries
problems in farming
overproduction from higher supply than demand
-prohibition meant less wheat was needed and decreasing demand from Europe due to taraffs resulted in decreased demand
-2/3 of farmers went bankrupt
increased machinery on farms
-10x more tractors on farms in 1920 than 1915 replacing horses
-fewer people needed to work on farms resulting in unemployment
Decline of older industries
faced competition against newer industries
-coal mining fell as 550,000 homes were fueled by oil by 1929
-mass production of cars resulted in decreases use of the railways
jobs were lost
-companies sacked workers to combat the decreasing demand
-however this reilted in violent stikes and an economic decline in some areas
Leisure Industry
Cinema
many went to the cinema for entertainment
-in 1924, 40 million cinema tickets were sold each week
-Hollywood generated large profits as stars like Charlie Chaplin became popular
new entertainment technology was created
-in 1922, films were shown in colour which increased appeal
-in 1927, films with sound were released such as The Jazz Singer bring in more of an audience
Jazz and Dance
became popular with America’s youth
-stars like Louis Armstrong and the Cotton Club in New York brought popularity
-dances like the Charleston were performed by couples at speakeasies
they were controversial
-many disliked it as it was associated with black culture and speakeasies
-furthemore, Christians disliked the intimacy of the Charleston between young couples
Sports, Radios and Adverts
people spent leisure time watching/listening to them
-by 1929, 10 million radios were sold in the USA, these aired sports commentaries such as baseball
-adverts on the radio encouraged people to buy tickets to sports games
people and companies gained popularites
-Bobby Jones,golfer, became a sporting hero as people bought tickets to watch him play
-adverts such as for Colgate toothpaste, reulted in an increase in customers
Motoring
car ownership increased
-mass production meant 26 milliuon cars were sold in 1929
-more models became available allowing for motoring to become a leisure activity
increased travel
-400,000km of road were built, allowing for people to travel for trips
-shopping centers became more accessable and popular which then resulted in an increase in shopping as a leisure activity
Position of Women
Changing position of Women
women were given more freedom
-2 million women joined the workforce and the 19th ammendment allowed them to vote
-divorce rate rose by 7% as women became less reliant on men#
women became flappers
-women challeged traditions by smoking, wearing shorter skirts and wearing makeup
-Clara Bow became a role model for young women to become flappers