Consumerism In The 1920s Essay

Keturah Lynch

Jason Newton

History 1161

April 14, 2023

Since the 1910s, society has begun to move toward a more urban form of living. As people began to move from suburban development to more urban and industrial areas, consumerism has been on the rise. Consumerism inhabits 5 core elements: job creation and work production, economics and politics, competition and corporate culture, social class, and gender and race. In the 1920s, consumerism began to boom as more middle-class families were able to afford items that were once considered luxuries such as electric refrigerators and vacuum cleaners. Consumerism changed the world as it was known and allowed for more advancements in communications, labor production and force, and so much more. The

America intervened in World World I as Germany prevented Britain from transporting goods to the United States. Even after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, America continued to enter wars such as World War 2 and the Cold War. George Herring said “The most glaring deficiency is that in an extraordinarily complex was there was no real strategy. President Johnson and Secretary of Defense Rober S. McNamara provided no firm strategic guidance to those military and civilian advisers…” America had switched a “Broken Window Economy.” which meant that many leaders believed that by joining these wars and collecting debt, they would benefit society, but in reality, they did not. However, these wars did help to push America out of the Great Depression and begin to boost the economy again. The government spending budget had increased from $9 billion in 1939 to $100 billion in 1945. The supply of workers increased by almost 20% and the “no strike” pledge put into place during wartime allowed for production to

Throughout history, consumerism has been defined and changed by aspects such as war, changes in work and production, and government policies. Americans have been able to consume more luxuries over time and have had more control over the way the economy progress and even when to call it to a halt. Consumerism has benefitted American citizens by putting money back into their pockets through policies and procedures such as the New Deal and the increase in union power. Workers’ wages have increased due to consumer and their unions have become more powerful over time. Consumerism is not a thing of the past, but rather a favorable advantage of the future that has allowed America to progress and benefitted American