APUSH
Chapter 24: The New Era
1. The 1920s experienced a sharp rejection of the reform-mindedness of the two previous decades because of business influence. The urgency for political and economic reform that had moved the previous generation faded in the 1920s. In post-war America, the progressive reforms of the early twentieth century were viewed as being too burdensome on the economy. The reform effort was redirected toward improved transportation, education, and public services. The old-time progressive reformers had hoped that government intervention on behalf of labor during World War I would continue into peacetime, but the War Industries Board was dissolved soon after the Armistice, and federal controls on the economy were discontinued. The war had a role on this shift. Because of the war, there came a boom in consumerism, an explosion in artistic expression, and a growth in leisure time. Consumerism flourished in the 1920s. It was felt that reform wasn’t needed because unlike the Progressive era, few people worried about the abuses of private power. Everything had changed and so had the Americans. The need for reform still existed. State and local governments, extending the reach of public authority, undertook important reforms. Many states created employee-funded old-age pension and welfare programs. The nation’s statehouses, city halls, and universities trained a brand new generation of reformers who ended up influencing nation affairs. All in all, in the 1920s, interest in reform certainly did fade but it still occurred at state and local levels.
2. America had become truly urban by the 1920s. The total value of all goods and services produced in the United States had increased by forty percent. New products and services were now available to more than just the rich people. People had more purchasing power and technology was reaching to more people. Many families were able to afford goods such as radios, washing machines, and movie tickets because of
1. The 1920s experienced a sharp rejection of the reform-mindedness of the two previous decades because of business influence. The urgency for political and economic reform that had moved the previous generation faded in the 1920s. In post-war America, the progressive reforms of the early twentieth century were viewed as being too burdensome on the economy. The reform effort was redirected toward improved transportation, education, and public services. The old-time progressive reformers had hoped that government intervention on behalf of labor during World War I would continue into peacetime, but the War Industries Board was dissolved soon after the Armistice, and federal controls on the economy were discontinued. The war had a role on this shift. Because of the war, there came a boom in consumerism, an explosion in artistic expression, and a growth in leisure time. Consumerism flourished in the 1920s. It was felt that reform wasn’t needed because unlike the Progressive era, few people worried about the abuses of private power. Everything had changed and so had the Americans. The need for reform still existed. State and local governments, extending the reach of public authority, undertook important reforms. Many states created employee-funded old-age pension and welfare programs. The nation’s statehouses, city halls, and universities trained a brand new generation of reformers who ended up influencing nation affairs. All in all, in the 1920s, interest in reform certainly did fade but it still occurred at state and local levels.
2. America had become truly urban by the 1920s. The total value of all goods and services produced in the United States had increased by forty percent. New products and services were now available to more than just the rich people. People had more purchasing power and technology was reaching to more people. Many families were able to afford goods such as radios, washing machines, and movie tickets because of