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Changing Role Of American Consumers In The 1950s

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American consumers had lots of money saved and earned throughout WW2. This money was invested into living places like the suburbs, leading many Americans to move out of cities. Consumers eventually started to spend money on things like vehicles, more specifically automobiles. Vehicles were changed in the 1950s which spiked American consumers' interest in these vehicles, since Americans had saved throughout the war and wanted to have access to these vehicles, they would make vehicles a monumental change in American history. With the industrialization of the suburban neighborhoods, Americans wanted a lifestyle that matched everyone else's. American consumers had saved money throughout the war, which caused major consumer spending in this era. Some Americans spend …show more content…

Therefore, automobiles were used to get from one place to another quickly, the use of automobiles relied on the speed of automobiles. American car companies such as GM, Chrysler, and Ford wanted to make something different than the average everyday car, they wanted to create something with more speed that stood out from the rest of the automobiles. In 1954 GM came out with the first sports car with a new body and sleek paint, it was the Corvette. The 1954 Chevrolet Corvette had a v6 engine with an automatic transmission, around 3,640 of these Corvettes were produced. They were produced in St. Louis, Missouri with a starting price of $2,774 and a fuel capacity of 17.25 gallons. At this point, American automobiles were used in people's everyday lives, normally just for transportation. But by the 1950s, American car producers came out with bigger vehicles with more uses. These vehicles were known as trucks and had utility uses like being able to tow things and moving heavy loads around. Each American car producer has a truck of their

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Although there were already automobiles available, the ones who owned them were the wealthy, due to their high expenses. Henry Ford was the first person to make owning a car highly possible with his creation of Model T . Although this car was made in 1908, the sales did not flourish until 1920, during the economic boom, an era also known as, “the Roaring 20s.” Within this time, people of all classes gained money, making it possible to purchase many items, such as cars. The reason that cars were high in expense was due to the time it took to produce a single

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My topic will be on the rise of Consumerism in the roaring 1920’s. I will include the development of the department store. From the importation of the British business model to New York, to the development of the Marshall Field & CO store in Chicago that revolutionized the shopping experience. I will also focus on the rise of factories and the large-scale industrialization of the US in this time. Through the use of techniques such as the assembly line among the large number of factories in the north, there was a large output of goods that fueled consumerism in the 1920’s.

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1 - Consumerism developed in America during the early twentieth century in large part due to the boom in industry created by Europe 's inability to create goods after World War I. Combined this with American inventions such as Henry Ford’s assembly line and Americans had money to spend (Schultz, 2013). With the advent of an electrical distribution system, Americans had electricity in their homes for the first time, which led to the desire for all types of electrical appliances to make life easier. All these new products meant that companies had to get the word out about their products which ignited the advertising industry, which led to even more consumerism. Mix into this recipe, the growing credit industry, and you had consumerism like

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During the 1920s, the United States experienced a period of economic prosperity characterized by an economic boom and increased consumerism. This era, often referred to as the "Roaring Twenties," saw significant advancements in technology, communication, and industrial production. The economic boom was fueled by factors such as the growth of industries like automobiles, radio, and aviation, leading to increased employment opportunities and rising wages for many Americans. As a result, consumerism flourished, with people purchasing a wide range of goods and services, from household appliances to new forms of entertainment. One key concept that gained prominence during this time was installment buying.

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The 1920s were marked by an increase in consumerism due to a booming economy post-World War I (CrashCourse, 2013), the increasing popularity of consumer debt (CrashCourse, 2013) and an increase in the mass production of consumer goods (Osburn, n.d.). Coupled with technological advances, families now had access to mass media (in the form of the radio and television) and modern conveniences, such as household appliances and automobiles. Radio and television broadcasts helped to build a mass culture, where consumers were watching, listening, purchasing and emulating the same things across the nation (Osburn, n.d.). Women’s suffrage granted women the right to vote; some women took this new found voting freedom as license to break from traditional female roles in other areas and began dressing and

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The 1920’s was a time when Americans were recovering from World War 1. The economy was better than it had ever been for most Americans. There were many opportunities, choices and personal freedoms during this era that pushed religious and moral boundaries. Although prohibition was still in place, speakeasies provided liquor in its nightclub atmosphere. Corruption also occurred as politicians and law enforcement was bribed to “look the other way” as these activities occurred.

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Consumerism rapidly swept through American Society throughout the 1920’s. This wave of new innovation caused people to buy new and expensive products, such as the washing machine and the radio; however, most did not have the income to afford these devices. So installment plans came about and because of this people began to go into debt. Another huge source of debt came with over speculation, as people who could not afford stock themselves bought it on margin. The 1920’s became all about appearance and throwing caution to the winds when it came to expenses.

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However, automobiles like the Chevrolet, the Rambler and the Hudson Hornet were huge successes when it came to consumerism in the economy. Manufacturers in the automobile industry, would make small changes to every year’s model. These changes would persuade consumers to buy the new model and that they needed to update their cars every couple of years and ultimately expanded purchasing growth in the 50’s society.

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During the 1950s consumerism became widespread, the Golden Age was a period of economic growth that benefited both capitalist and workers. More production equalled higher wages. Inventions such as vacuums and dishwashers became household items. These appliances enabled the idea of more leisure time intertwining the notion of freedom, the symbol of America. The introduction to credit cards made purchases easier; giving Americans the feeling of being rich and wealthy.

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The 1950s is often referred to as the Post-War era as well as the era of the Baby Boomers. After the end of World War Two tensions, both politically and militarily, were high. Cold War tensions were building and with the first telecast of an atomic explosion in the February of 1951, Cold War paranoia was inflated. As a response to this society alerted their focus from militaristic activities to the rise of the common household and person. This was notable due to the rise of advertisements in this era.

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Automobiles were affordable and were designed carefully. The majority of these cars were produced by the Ford Motor Company, led by Henry Ford, who designed a different model each year to satisfy the insatiable crowd. Many of the automotive innovations that we think of as being modern—like electric powered cars, four wheel drive, front wheel drive, hybrid fuel and electric cars—were introduced during the 1920s. The automobiles had various different colors in order to get the attention of people, especially woman, and through time, they evolved to become more comfortable to drive for men (Scott ,1). The automobiles were beneficial to the U.S because they expanded the area of habitat.

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The Rise of the Automobile in 1920s in The Great Gatsby Perhaps no invention affected American everyday life in the 20th century more than the automobile. The invention and improvement of the automobile not only changed the America society, but also the whole world. The rapidly growing automobile industry led by Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company produced new and better models every year to supply the insatiable public demand. Increased wages and lower cost vehicles made possible through mass production meant that cars became increasingly affordable, although 3 out of 4 cars were bought on installment plans.

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