During the “Roaring Twenties”, an era of wealth and prosperity, Americans relied solely on speculation to be successful in their investments. For instance, investors based their gamble on luck and those who had never invested in stock prior to the middle of the 1920s …show more content…
In the decade following, economically, “thousands of banks and businesses failed, and millions of people were unemployed and penniless.” To relieve financial burdens, prices of commodities, including oil/petroleum and natural gas, were reduced. The nation fell into a psychological depression, too. Instantly, Americans turned to alcohol, drugs, and even suicide as an outlet to cope and heal. According to statistics, suicide rates rose from 12.1 per 100,000 people prior to the depression to 18.9 during the economy’s demise. In fact, unemployment was considered a risk factor for suicide. The economic depression “doused the spirit of optimism that shaped so many lives and attitudes during the