The 1920-1929 Boom to Bust Period in America - Essay Example

 “The Century: America's Time: 1920-1929: Boom to Bust” Introduction The 1920-1929 Boom to Bust period came after the World War 1. The title ‘Boom to Burst’ is symbolic of what happened in terms of success, in the American economy and the overall citizens’ welfare. Many modern-minded Americans were very eager to get rid of their superannuated traditions and claim new rights and freedoms. These consisted mainly of the women. This period gave rise to a culture of women suffrage, the exploration, prohibition, a new kind of music called jazz, and many others. It was characterized by exceptional prosperity, which gave it this period the title ‘the roaring twenties’. Thesis The boom to burst period is of great importance in citing the US history. This is the period that transformed many things in America ranging from cultural, political, economical activities and the general social life. It is cited as the origin of the America we know today in a wide view. Impacts of 1920-1920 Boom to Burst on U.S Society This period explains how Americans acquired the notions attached to them today. It helps us understand the America history and in turn voyage the present and the future. It illustrates how US transformed over a short period in terms of the notions of power, liberty and equality. It also shows how the changes in America affected the world at large. The historical changes brought about within this period can be resumed under the following headings: Economy: This period brought with it much economic advancement, which helped shape the future of the American economy. Many economic policies came up such as credit purchase, small government and supply side economics proved a great success. 1The reduction of main taxes gave entrepreneurs an incentive to work, invest and save leading to innovations and new discoveries due to venture in risky businesses. Later improved policies such as the fiscal and expansionary policies were introduced. Technology: The boom to burst period is the basis of U.S technological and infrastructural development. It saw the discovery of electrification that made it possible for other innovations for instance radio and motion pictures. 2The availability of money provided people with security and therefore, they were not afraid to try many things. This period also saw the construction of new infrastructure such as roads, bridges and tunnels. Culture and lifestyle: There was introduction of a new culture and way of life that would dominate the rest of the twentieth century. The economic prosperity provided many Americans more spending money and more leisure time, which they directed to making their lives enjoyable for instance theatre, music and other forms of entertainment. Most people in the rural areas migrated to the urban areas in search of jobs. Accumulation of wealth also led to rise of classes due to unequal distribution of income. This led to segregation and clustering of people in different areas according to their classes. Gender Equality: This period saw the rise of women from being discriminated and undermined due to their gender. The expanding markets provided an opportunity for women to get jobs and get paid. Many single working class women held their jobs for the wages and their families. Some held jobs in order to free from parental authority and develop a personal identity. In addition, women also attended colleges and this led to the fading away of the traditional notion about women. All these factors enabled women to become more independent and achieve women rights in the constitutions. Entertainment: In this period, a lot of things changed in the world of entertainment and many others came up. One example is the film industry when Hollywood came to light. Music also advanced with the introduction of the Jazz music by Louis and Duke.3 Many sports such as boxing, golf and baseball, also rose to new heights of popularity. These led to rise of heroes like Babe Ruth in baseball and Jack Dempsey in boxing. Limits of the boom to burst period to understand U.S history Depression: The boom to burst period brought with it a lot of advancement and to some extent it was referred to as the period of prosperity and happiness. However, Americans forgot that every good thing comes with a price and that a big boom is followed by a depression. 4The government and the Central Banks mishandled a mild recession. Irrational fear for deflation led them to interfere with the natural healing price mechanism. They prevented the prices and wages from falling hindering markets from adjusting to the new situation to find a new equilibrium. This intervention led to consequences such as misallocation of scarce resources. Cultural rigidity: The boom to burst period was characterized a wave of a new culture. Many people left their old traditions, cultures and ways of life and adopted the modern ways. However, some people were reluctant to this change. These comprised mainly of people who dwelled in the rural areas. They refused to adopt the new ways and opted to remain with their old cultural traditions and lifestyles. In spite of the technological and machinery developments, they continued to use their simple tools such as hoes. To this people, the boom to burst period neither changed their traditional cultures ways of earning a livelihood. Racism: The boom to burst period came after the World War 1.5 Despite the Black-Americans’ participation in the world war, they were still discriminated in America. Their participation in the war and in the development of U.S was not enough for the American society to accept them and view them as their equals. Therefore, the boom to burst period changed the Americans but did not change their thinking and view of others, especially the immigrants. Conclusion “The Century: America's Time: 1920-1929: Boom to Bust” was a historical time that will remain in the history of the United States as one of the most significant times in the development of America. It was the period that brought many innovations in the US and contributed greatly to their modernization. It is evident that many Americans, and America overall, changed in many aspects after this period. However, some did not move with the flow and were passed by this time. These are those who decided not to adopt the new culture but rather to abide by their indigenous ways. This period gave people incentive to try new ideas and prompted them to enter in businesses as a way of making a living. However, this period failed to change peoples’ view of others races. Racism and segregation continued to embrace America, and this also hindered development. But this has gradually been changing since then and America now has a black American President. Works Cited. 1. John Murrin et al., Liberty, Equality, and Power: A History of the American People, Vol. II: Since 1863, Concise 5th Edition. California: Wadsworth Publishing, 2010. 2. Peter Jennings, The Century: America's Time: 1920-1929: Boom To Bust. Directed by Arthur Bradford, 1999. (New York: American Broadcasting Company, 1999.) Movie 1. 2. Read More