THE 1920s BOOM
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Between 1922 and 1929 the annual
GNP
of the USA increased by
. The average income per head increased by 27%.
FEATURES OF THE BOOM [
CI SUCCESS
]
a.
C
onsumer boom
– growth of personal possessions (c.f. Woolworths, hire purchase,
).
b.
I
nnovation in production methods
– especially in the motor industry (by 1925 Ford were producing a car every 10 seconds); this pushed down prices and made goods more accessible for ordinary people (the ‘
’ cost $850 in 1910, only $295 in 1920).
c.
S
ynthetics
– the invention of
(the first plastic), cellophane and nylon - and chemicals.
d.
U
psurge in car ownership
– esp. the Ford Model T;
had been produced by 1927, and the number of Americans owning cars rose from 8 to 23 million.
e.
/electrical goods – fridges, washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, record players.
f.
C
ommunications revolution
– number of
doubled/ number of radios increased from 60,000 to 10 million.
g.
E
ntertainment industry
– Hollywood, Charlie Chaplin, the ‘
’ and cinemas, jazz clubs and
.
h.
S
tock market
– Wall Street boomed (a '
' market) with many people buying shares to make a profit. Many new businesses were 'floated' on the stock market.
i.
S
kyscrapers
, highways and urban development.
WHY INDUSTRY BOOMED [
PAT GOT CASH
]
a.
P
opulation
– growing rapidly increased demand for consumer goods.
b.
A
bundant
– esp. coal, iron and oil – allowed cheap production
c.
– protected American industry from competition
d.
G
overnment
– the government relaxed regulations and reduced taxes (this is called ‘
’)
e.
O
pportunities of New Technology
– e.g. electrical goods, radio, film,
f.
T
echniques of production
– Ford’s Assembly line method, and Frederick Taylor’s
g.
– increased prosperity increased prosperity.
h.
A
dvertising
– e.g. billboards, radio commercials
i.
S
ales methods
– e.g. commercial travellers, mail order, chain stores such as Woolworths
j.
H
ire Purchase
–
allowed people to buy now, pay later.
OK