Roaring Twenties and how they led to the Great Depression
The "Roaring Twenties" represent a positive era in American history sandwiched between two difficult times, World War I and the Great Depression. The "Roaring Twenties" was a period classified by innovation, prosperity, reform, and a thriving economy in America. An explosion of new inventions and technological breakthroughs transformed popular lifestyles. Shorter workweeks and increased wages led to a revolution in communications, transportation and recreation. For the first time in United States history, free time and leisure activities were becoming part of everyday lives. After the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended the Great War, the attitude of the American people toward the rest of the world became one of indifference. The American people wanted to distance themselves from Europe and its problems. There was also an atmosphere of reform that was beginning to surround the country (Sullivan, 301). One such reform that had dramatic affects on the western world, was the addition of the 18th amendment to the Constitution. Also, know as the Prohibition Act, the 18th amendment took effect on January 16, 1920 and outlawed the sale or consumption of liquor in the United States. Another reform was the 1
The "Roaring Twenties" ushered in an age of technological advancement. The so-called "boyish" look, was the trend of the period, as short hair was considered sexy. With the growing number of cars, there was a big demand for paved roads. We had just entered the Jazz Age and were experiencing the greatest music of the time. The invention of the radio had similar affects on the American culture and economy as the automobile did. Men's styles were not nearly as radical as those of women. After the stock market hit rock bottom in 1929, thousands of people found themselves without a job and unable to feed their families. Women's short dresses were complemented with long necklaces and short, bobbed hair. The "Roaring Twenties" set the stage for the stock market crash in 1929, which led further into the Great Depression. New technology was changing the way that Americans lived, it was making life easier, and allowing more time to be spent doing other activities (Garraty, 34). Most obvious is that fact that World War I had devastated European business. But it brought the curtain down on the "Roaring '20s" and woke Americans up to the tragic economic journey they were only just beginning. While the automotive industry was thriving in the 1920's, some industries, agriculture in particular, were declining steadily.
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