Consumerism In The 1920s Essay

Consumerism came into its own throughout the 1920s as a result of mass production, new products on the market, and improved advertising techniques. With more leisure time available and money to spend, Americans were eager to own the latest items. Advertisers used this to their advantage, often stressing luxury and convenience. Through mediums like radio and print advertisements, consumer culture was more visible than ever before.
From the colonial era until the late nineteenth century, the United States was a producer-oriented nation. Simply, most Americans produced what they needed, generating only what their immediate families or villages could use. Farmers—sometimes inaccurately called "subsistence farmers"—grew a variety of crops and vegetables

on small acreages, stored what their families could use, and peddled whatever surplus there might be in the nearest town. The raising of livestock usually centered on one or two family dairy cows and some swine and fowl for slaughter. Few large commercial herds existed. After World War I, everything sounded like it changed in some way, shape or form nothing was the same for better or worse. Consumerism also contributed greatly to the liberal thrust of the Progressive Era and spawned a long-running trend of consumer advocacy and consumer protection legislation.Consumerism in my eyes is what improved life after the war, it is what made society easy to live through. America has had it's ups and downs through a lot of obstacles but there was always an individual such as Hoover or Roosevelt that changed it around for the sake of the environment around them.
Consumerism. (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2018, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/united-states-and-canada/us-history/consumerism

The foundation of modern America was born during the progressive era (Chambers, 1980).

Progressivism refers to the different responses to the economic and social evolutions that occurred as a result of America’s rapid urbanization and industrialization at the end of the 19th century. In the late 1800s, millions of Americans migrated west and into urban areas, and hundreds of thousands of African Americans moved to northern cities. Moreover, the United States experienced unprecedented levels of immigration at this time (George Washington University, n.d.).Rapid advances in technology and industrialization took its toll on Americans. While urban areas benefited from electricity and running water, rural farmers struggled to maintain their farms as they battled increased competition, costly machinery, and falling prices. Thus, progressivism began as a social movement to cope with the various social needs of the time and ultimately evolved into a reform movement. Early progressives rejected Social Darwinism and believed that society’s problems, such as poverty, poor health, violence, greed, racism, and class warfare, could be best eradicated through better education, a safer environment, a more efficient workplace, and a more honest government. Progressives at this time were primarily college-educated urban dwellers who believed that the government could be used as a tool for change (George Washington University, n.d.).On a national level, progressivism garnered further support

when Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901. He believed that, while strong corporations were good for America, they must be sufficiently monitored for corruption and greed (George Washington University, n.d.)
The progressive era came to an end with World War I as the horrors of war exposed humanity’s potential for large-scale cruelty. Many Americans began to associate President Woodrow Wilson's progressivism with the war (George Washington University, n.d.).
Progressive Era. (2018, February 26). Retrieved March 06, 2018, from https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/civil-war-reconstruction/progressive-era/

A stock market crush was occured during the precidency of Herbert Hoover in October 24, 1929. Lots of economic experts including Hoover guessed that this situation happened due to the recession .
The steps he took were very much in keeping with his philosophy of limited government, a philosophy that many had shared with him until the upheavals of the Great Depression made it clear that a more direct government response was required. But Hoover was stubborn in his refusal to give “handouts,” as he saw direct government aid. He called for a spirit of volunteerism among America’s businesses, asking them to keep workers employed, and he exhorted the American people to tighten their belts and make do in the spirit of “rugged individualism.” While Hoover’s philosophy and his appeal to the country were very much in keeping with his character, it was not enough to keep the economy from plummeting further into economic chaos.As in an individual, he sounds like he was a tough cookie to deal with and the Great Depression took a big toll on him. Chaos is what I pictured when I learned information in regards to this question automatically because of everything that went on during this era of time. The cause of Depression was drastic and hurtful on so many different levels but the way it was handled is an area I found interest in because that is a tough "pill to swallow" as the old saying was.

The stock market crash of 1929 set in motion a chain of events that would plunge the United States into a deep depression. The Great Depression of the 1930's spelled the end of an era of economic prosperity during the 1920's. Herbert Hoover was the unlucky president to preside over this economic downturn, and he bore the brunt of the blame for the depression. Hoover believed the root cause of the depression was international, and he therefore believed that restoring the gold standard would ultimately drag the United States out of depression by reviving international trade. Hoover initiated many new domestic works programs aimed at creating jobs, but it seemed to have no effect as the unemployment rate continued to rise. The Democrats nominated Franklin Roosevelt as their candidate for president in 1932 against the incumbent Hoover. Roosevelt was elected in a landslide victory in part due to his platform called "The New Deal". Summarizing what I have learned and read about this specific question, The Depression took a toll on everyone and the opposition he faced could not be anymore dwelling than usual.The campaign was never really fully explained prior to his election because it was something Hoover was not prepared for, Although he was not prepared mentally he became the best president he could be and made things back then a little easier than they were. He faced tough situations but as the president he had no choice but to overcome that stress level and make things comfortable and better for the community.
FDRs Response to the Great Depression. (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2018, from http://www.123helpme.com/fdrs-response-to-the-great-depression--view.asp?id=156863

At the end of World War II, huge swaths of Europe and Asia had been reduced to ruins.

Borders were redrawn and homecomings, expulsions, and burials were under way. But the massive efforts to rebuild had just begun. When the war began in the late 1930s, the world's population was approximately 2 billion. In less than a decade, the war between the Axis the Allied powers had resulted in 80 million deaths -- killing off about 4 percent of the whole world. Allied forces now became occupiers, taking control of Germany, Japan, and much of the territory they had formerly ruled. Efforts were made to permanently dismantle the war-making abilities of those nations, as factories were destroyed and former leadership was removed or prosecuted. War crimes trials took place in Europe and Asia, leading to many executions and prison sentences. Millions of Germans and Japanese were forcibly expelled from territories they called home. Allied occupations and United Nations decisions led to many long-lasting problems in the future, including the tensions that created East and West Germany, and divergent plans on the Korean Peninsula that led to the creation of North and South Korea and -- the Korean War in 1950. The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine paved the way for Israel to declare its independence in 1948 and marked the start of the continuing Arab-Israeli conflict. The growing tensions between Western powers and the Soviet Eastern Bloc developed into the Cold War, and the

development and proliferation of nuclear weapons raised the very real specter of an unimaginable World War III if common ground could not be found. From learning and reading the response to this question, World War II was something that nobody wanted to go through, but for the people who did I commend them in every way. Things were brought to an end but nobody should ever have to face the situations they faced.