Summary Of The Roaring 20's

Causes
The Roaring 20’s were kick-started by the end of World War One. Thanks to the American victory, confidence in the distinctly American ideals of freedom and government was at an all-time high. Mass production of goods such as laundry machines and cars meant more of these products could now be bought on credit. Machines such as these freed up time for leisure, which could be spent listening to the radio, partying, or drinking.
Political Corruption & Prohibition
Politically, the twenties were a time of corruption. Warren G. Harding was president from 1921-1923. He was a notorious flirt who had a child with at least one of his mistresses. He was involved in the Teapot Dome Scandal, which was considered the best example of political corruption

was President from 1923 to 1929. He perhaps best encapsulated the country’s raging nationalism in this quote from his 1923 State Of The Union address: “America must be kept American.” Such sentiments led to the passing of many laws limiting immigration. One such law was the Emergency Quota Act in 1921, which restricted the number of immigrants to the US to 357,000 per year. Then, the Immigration Act of 1924 caused 87% of the few immigration permits (visas) available to be given to European immigrants, completely excluding Asian immigrants. These laws were in place until the introduction of the Immigration and Nationality Act in

In the 20’s, wages rose approximately 22% and national wealth almost doubled because of the new consumer-based economy. This increase in wealth led to a boom in electricity; by 1930, 68.2% of households had electricity. Other innovations took hold of the country in these times, such as the automobile, which was expensive. Therefore, 60% of families bought cars on credit. Such reliance on credit and reckless speculation (investment with the risk of loss) in the stock market eventually led to the crumble of economic prosperity.
Cracks in the foundation of the economy, however, were already showing by the mid-20’s. Mass-production techniques and the rapid growth of cities like New York, led small farmers to bankruptcy. Six million farmers moved from their failing farms to cities in the 1920’s. Another 60% of Americans lived below the poverty line, which is the estimated minimum income necessary to survive.
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