SOCIAL BACKGROUND


THE ROARING TWENTIES

The 1920s, known as "The Roaring Twenties", were a period of rapid change and economic prosperity in the USA. The main reasons for the rapid economic growth were the technological progress and the production of durable goods.

The car industry is the best example of mass production during the 1920s. The three big car manufacturers were Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. Henry Ford pioneered mass production techniques in the car industry. His aim was to produce affordable cars for the public by using new technology. The best known was the Ford Model T car. Moreover Henry Ford introduced the assembly line, which allowed goods to be produced more quickly and in larger quantities.

The US economy has grown considerably. Its Gross National Product (GNP) increased from $ 78 billion to $ 103 billion. In the 1920s, electricity consumption doubled, providing the energy needed in factories and consumers' homes. In addition, there was a construction boom as more and more factories, office buildings and streets were needed.

Despite economic growth, the 1920s were a decade of poverty for many Americans. More than 60% of Americans lived just below the poverty line. In general, groups such as farmers, black Americans, immigrants, traditional industrial workers and the female working class did not enjoy the prosperity of the "Roaring Twenties".


Let’s face now the POLITICAL SITUATION at the time.

POLITICAL SITUATION

Democratic President Woodrow Wilson, when elected for the second time in 1917, promised the Americans that the USA would remain neutral in the First World War. As we know, this was not the case, indeed the same year Wilson decided to go to war to help the allies: France and England. For this reason, in the 1921 elections, the people voted for Harding, a Republican president.

The USA, during the 1920s, was led by three Republican Presidents. They were:

All three Republican presidents had fairly similar economic policies, which aimed to help the country's economy.

To this end, a period of isolationism has begun, that is, of disinterest in events outside one's own country. Additionally, they lowered taxes, so companies had more money to invest and the public had more money to spend on consumer items.

Moreover, to implement protectionist policies, the Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act 1922 imposed high tariffs on goods from other countries. This made foreign products more expensive than domestic ones, which encouraged Americans to buy only American goods.


A social issue which became remarkable was PROHIBITIONISM. Go to the next page to learn more about it!