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Cause and effects of great depression
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The American Consumerism in the 1950s During the middle of the nineteenth century, the American business market began to change in dramatic ways. With the economic boom during the 1950s, the overall economy grew by 37% while the unemployment dropped to as low as 4.5%. People of that time had been living with the bare essentials for two decades, and the Great Depression and the War had severely stopped spending.In the 1950s, because of the prosperous economy, people wanted to spend money on more items than before. The industry which responded to the huge consumer demand were also significantly improved. Moreover, as the economy boomed, the ways of spending seemed changed a lot.These have all changed the lives of people from different social levels in the mid-twentieth century. …show more content…
They, like many young couples after World War II, managed to but their first house, and as Barstow recalled, “the American dream came to fulfilled.” However, like many Americans, the Barstow took vacations but could not afford their dream trip to the newly opened Disneyland in California. Because of winning a contest for the best advertising tribute to Scotch tape, the Barstow family got a exciting chance to fly across the country on an airplane and spend a week touring the Disneyland. During the trip, the Barstow enjoyed what Robbins called “the by-gone days of…upper-class style and elegance.” The trip through the park recorded an optimistic history of the United States. As Robbins said, the Disneyland was just like a special place for people’s imagination such as being a prince or princess, and more and more could enjoy the emerging middle-class part of the United States. The trip also made their “marvelous Disneyland dream actually come true.” The trip was recorded by Robbins with a movie camera and evoked the wonder and possibility of a middle-class
Another significant element to the 1950’s was the economy, creating a generation of materialism. The economy was thriving because the government had put
However, American consumerism was praised as contributing to the ultimate success of the American way of life. People wanted televisions, cars, washing machines, refrigerators, toasters, and vacuum cleaners (PBA). Between 1945 and 1949, Americans purchased 20 million refrigerators, 21.4 million cars, and 5.5 million stoves (PBS).... ... middle of paper ...
The 1950’s were a great time and one main reason was because most people were happy with their lives because everything was going well. In the 1950’s most men had their wives , their kids, and their cars, and that was all they needed to survive. The economy of the 1950’s was a relatively stale period of time. Because it was much of an uneventful era, the economy did not experience any major problems or breakthroughs. The reasons everyone had jobs was because the economy was doing good. In the 50’s, Americans were able to enjoy a much higher standard of living because of higher paying jobs. With the United States producing half of the world’s goods, at that point, 60% of Americans were part of the middle class.
The bureaucratization of business in the 1920’s meant that more people could be employed in higher paying white-collar jobs than before, including, for the first time, housewives. This new income combined with the reduced prices for goods that resulted from mechanized production, assembly lines and a general decrease in the cost of technology created a thriving consumerist middle class that went on to fuel the economy in all sectors, especially the upper classes. Likewise, during World War II Americans saved up around 150 billion dollars, and this sum combined with the income of the GI Bill allowed normal people to buy expensive things, from houses to cars to electronics to education at a rapid rate, fueling the trademark prosperity of the 1950’s. The new automobile culture of the 50’s spawned new businesses that catered to mobile Americans, such as nicer and more standardized hotels like Holiday Inn, and drive-up restaurants like McDonalds. Just as the culture of the 1920’s was transformed by modernist ideas, the world of the 1950’s was reinvigorated by the introduction of the automobile to the middle class....
There were many revolutionary changes in the economy of the roaring twenties that affected the American Dream. Among these were the rapid expansion of the radio, film, advertising, and automobile industries. These all grew exponentially in the 20’s, a decade of economic expansion. “Between 1919 and 1929 horsepower per wage earner in manufacturing skyrocketed by 50 percent, signaling a robust wave of mechanization that increased productivity by 72 percent in manufacturing, 33 percent in railroads, and 41 percent in mining” (Lehrman 2). In the midst of a vastly expanded economy that lasted until 1929, the film industry was one of many that grew. During this prosperous decade, move theatre ticket sales exponentially increased. The radio became an advertising tool not just for companies, but for events as crucial as presidential debates that lead to the outcome of elections. These were just a few of...
The beginning of the 1920s was a period of prosperity for most Americans. “The years between 1920 and 1929 are sometimes known as the “Roaring Twenties” or the “Jazz Age” (Bingham 6). World War I had ended and Americans were looking at an economic boom. “When World War I ended, American soldiers expected to reap the benefits of the productivity and prosperity the war had brought to the United States. But the sudden decrease in demand for the exported food and wartime goods brought on by the war’s end did not result in a corresponding reduction in production levels” (George 14). Americans were buying cars and new products, for example vacuum cleaners and refrigerators that were rolling off the assembly lines. This period in time was also called the “Coolidge Prosperity”, named after President Coolidge who was the U.S. President from 1923 to 1929. There were problems starting to occur during this time but most of the Americans
The additional incomes for families caused the living standard to rise for the wealthy. “From 1922 to 1929, the national income increased more than 40 percent, from $60.7 billion annually to $87.2 billion” (“The Roaring Twenties” Worldbook). The reason for this is because products were being made faster and cheaper. The items being made were household items and cars (“The Roaring Twenties”History). A lot of people could not actually afford these products on their salaries, but a new idea of credit came up. Buying on credit is when someone pays for an item over time. This was good short term, but an evil long term solution (Mr. Martin). Radios were a big hit during the Twenties because for the first time ever, families could get together and sit around the table. With this, came advertisement. Advertisement really helped businesses because it would get their product out into the public. Advertisement was actually present before the Twenties, it just was not as big as in the Twenties. The reason for the advertisement boom was because companies were competing with each other and took it too far. These companies were using new techniques that made the victim think the he/s/ needs that product (“Consumer”UShistory).
...ame needs as an effect of consumerism on the baby boom generation. The same materialism of the 1950s conceived a new consciousness in the 1960s, equating to new values for the baby boom generation, such as self-actualization, social consciousness and tolerance. During the 1950s, the U.S. achieved the highest standard of living in the world, metamorphosing the working class into the new middle class (Monhollon xvi). The richest generation in North American history and the 21st century has left behind a plethora of valuable lessons that will not be forgotten soon. In conclusion, the baby boom, which lead to a long cycle of prosperity and growth in the post-WWII years is crucial because it redefined the traditional and rigid values people wrongfully harbored in the past and spearheaded dramatic change on a global level, bringing the West and the World closer than ever.
The 1920’s was the decade that redefined American culture and made the United States what is is today. Advancements in science, engineering, and music are just the tip of the iceberg in the 1920’s. This was an exceptionally prosperous time for the majority of the country in a surplus of ways. More specifically, there was a sizable change in the lives of people during this period in history due to the new idea of consumer credit. This is the decade that changes the entire way of buying and selling goods.
The 1950s were a time where ignorance was bliss. Technology was advancing rapidly, consumerism was on the rise, and suburban life was the status quo. However, underneath all of this, Americans dwelled in fear. With nuclear war becoming more of a reality, U.S. citizens occupied themselves with the latest trends. This was especially prevalent in advertisements.
Income had spread around more evenly and the market received many new consumers, a culture of consumerism was created. Culture and consumerism were a constant exchange, each bouncing off of one another. A part of the culture was conspicuous consumption, people spending their money on items that would showcase their wealth and social class. Being a consumer also exposed you to the culture, buying a television meant seeing the pop culture that had taken over the mass media.
From my infant years extending into my teenage years my grandparents have taken me on trips to Walt Disney World just about every other year. In being a child my first couple of vacations were focused on all the vibrant scenery and meeting all the characters from my favorite animated movies that I grew up with. I always had aspirations to be a member of the Disney family as I continued visiting Orlando, yet as I matured I began to comprehend how I specifically wanted to fit into the company I grew to adore. It wasn’t until I was an adolescent that I fully began to appreciate all of the creativity and precision the imagineers invested into all of the attractions, their creations that people alike I have cherished.
In the latter half of the 19th century, the Second Industrial Revolution produced new engineering and science-based technology, such as railroads, petroleum, and the assembly line, which allowed large corporations to produce, and export, enormous quantities of goods at a faster rate than before. While transforming the American economy for the better, these new inventions drastically changed our society as massive quantities of low cost products became accessible to all, and coupled with a rapid growing population, it ushered in a new era of Mass Consumption. This era essentially changed the United States from a work-based society to a consumer society as people raised the question ‘Why have the old model?’. Soon enough this philosophy led people
My favorite summer vacation was when my Father took me to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. What made it even more memorable was the fact that it was my very first time on an airplane. I cannot recall another time in my life when I experienced so much joy. That trip to Universal Studios was the first time my Father and I actually did something together, just the two of us and was something brought me close to my Father. In this essay I will tell you about my plane ride over there, what I did right when I got there, and about my time at Universal Studios.
Americans have had in the last fifty years decades of unprecedented economic growth which has all but solved the economic problems of how to secure the necessities of life and most people are living lives of luxury and comfort (Alexander 1). This has caused the consumer industry to skyrocket. Everywhere one looks, there are advertisements being thrown at them. These items are not advertised as luxury items, but as something someone needs to survive. The consequences of consumerism is people are saving less money and feel they need to keep earning more money to keep up with the demands of society (Etzioni 1).