INTRODUCTION
The Politics of Prosperity: The 1920s
World War I may not have made the world
safe for democracy, but it did help to lay the groundwork for a decade of
American economic expansion. The 1920s saw the growth of the culture of
consumerism--many Americans began to work fewer hours, earn higher salaries,
invest in the stock market, and buy everything from washing machines to Model T
Fords. The culture of consumerism of the 1920s changed the politics of American
society and set the tone for American attitudes about money in coming decades.
The Politics of Frustration: The 1920s
Not all Americans benefited from the
"politics of prosperity" in the 1920s. Many
servicemen had trouble finding jobs when they returned home from World War I.
Furthermore, the nation experienced an upswing in racism and xenophobia.
Moreover, by the 1920s, many Americans had grown weary of two decades of
crusades for reform, seemingly endless attempts to pass moral legislation, and
involvement in a brutal war. Many longed for a time when life was simpler, even
if these "good old days" existed only in the popular
imagination.