Why Did The United States Roar In The 1920's

The Year was 1918 and on the eleventh of November; the war to end all wars had lastly reached its culmination. Europe was left devastated by the ruins of once great cities and tremendous death. Entire generations were lost in the Great War. New nations were formed as well as new forms of political beliefs. For example, in Russia, the communist party arose from the ashes of the old Russian Empire. But It was also a time for Prosperity for countries like the United States. America will roar in the 1920’s. It was an age of melodramatic and political change. The Cleveland Indians won their first world series in 1920.On January 1, 1920 - For the first time, the 1920 census indicates a population in the United States over 100
million people. Also around this time, Women were given the right to vote. Time Magazine is published for the first time. The first sound on film motion picture is shown in the Rivoli Theatre in New York City by Lee de Forest. The nation's total wealth more than doubled between 1920 and 1929, and this economic growth swept many Americans into an affluent but unfamiliar “consumer society.” The United States boasted the largest economy in the world at the time. Europeans struggled while Americans flourished. Upon succeeding to the Presidency, Herbert Hoover predicted that the United States would soon see the day when poverty was eradicated. Then, in a moment of apparent triumph, everything fell apart. Many believe erroneously that the stock market crash that occurred on Black Tuesday, on October 29, 1929 was the main cause for the Great Depression. In fact, it was one of the major causes that led to the Great Depression. But a series of events unfolded that eventually led to the crash. Many dominos fell over that pushed our country into a dark age and several major events really made matters worse. 2 While not a direct cause of the Great Depression, the drought that occurred in the Mississippi Valley in 1930 was of such proportions that many could not even pay their taxes or other debts and had to sell their farms for no profit to themselves. The area was nicknamed "The Dust Bowl." As businesses began failing at the same time; the government created the Smoot-Hawley Tariff in 1930 to help protect American companies. This charged a high tax for imports from foreign countries. The unintentional consequence of this tariff was that less trade occurred between America and foreign countries. With the stock market crash and the fears of further economic distresses, individuals from all classes stopped purchasing items. This then led to a reduction in the number of items produced and thus a reduction in the workforce. As people lost their jobs, they were unable to keep up with paying for items they had bought through installment plans and their items were repossessed. More and more inventory began to accumulate. The unemployment rate rose above 25% which meant, of course, even less spending to help alleviate the economic situation. Banks operated without guarantees to their customers, creating a climate of panic when times got tough. Few regulations were placed on banks and they lent money to those who speculated recklessly in stocks. When President Hoover was inaugurated, the American economy was walking on a thin rope. Unable to provide the proper relief for hard times, his popularity decreased as more and more Americans lost their jobs. His minimalist approach to government intervention made little impact. The economy shrank with each successive year of his Presidency. As middle class Americans stood in the same soup lines previously graced only by the nation's poorest, the entire social fabric of America was forever altered.

3 In the 1932 presidential elections, the campaigned unfolded during the darkest days of the Great Depression.
Herbert Hoover was running for reelection against a democratic politician named Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Herbert Hoover, was the man many Americans (perhaps unfairly) held personally responsible for their misery. The Democrats, who had elected only one president since 1896, knew they had a great chance at victory, and thus competition for the party's nomination was fierce. When FDR emerged victorious, he gave an acceptance speech in which he said,” I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people. Let us all here assembled constitute ourselves prophets of a new order of competence and of courage. This is more than a political campaign; it is a call to arms. Give me your help, not to win votes alone, but to win in this crusade to restore America to its own
people.” As soon as Franklin D. Roosevelt got into office, he began to work on turning the country around. Some of the “NEW DEALS” were PWA, NYA, CWA, EBRA, NIRA, and NRA to name a few. Many of the programs created jobs and provided relief to Americans who desperately needed it. The country was beginning to walk on its feet again. FDR plans were working. But his greatest creation was the Civil Conservation Corps(CCC). The Civil Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families as part of the New Deal. Originally for young men ages 18–23, it was eventually expanded to young men ages 17–28. The pay was $30 a month, $25 of which was sent to the worker's parents. The $5 that was left seemed quite enough, as food, shelter, clothing, and medical care were provided by the government. Later, a category for unemployed veterans was added, which opened the way for older men with families to participate. Before the program ended in 1942, over 2.5 million men 4 worked under the CCC. The program was a hit with the public from the beginning. Participants became healthier with regular meals. They also gained confidence, work skills, and travel experience. The money sent back home boosted the economy. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had the unique goal of preserving the country’s natural resources through the establishment of conservation jobs. This meant that more than three million men went to work in the parks and forests performing tasks such as “planting trees, building flood barriers, fighting fires, and maintaining roads and trails.” One of the legacies of the CCC was that over three billion trees were planted in just nine years. The CCC not only showed that the federal government valued protecting the environment, but also that many government agencies could join together in the face of the national struggle to create a stronger nation. The work of these young men would become the foundations of the National Parks. The Civilian Conservation Corps was one of the most successful New Deal programs of the Great Depression. It existed for less than 10 years, but left a legacy of strong, beautiful roads, bridges, and structures throughout the United States. The program's goal was to preserve the country's natural resources while providing jobs for young men and it did just that. It was a public works project intended to promote environmental conservation and to build good citizens through vigorous, disciplined outdoor labor. The CCC combined FDR’s interests in conservation and universal service for youth. He believed that this civilian “tree army” would relieve the rural unemployed and keep youth off the streets. Like many other programs under the New Deal, the Civilian Conservation Corps brought hope to young American’s.

5 The program was successful doing the fact of support that followed the CCC.
It brought hope to America in its darkest time. Men began to take pride on the things that they were able to achieve. It brought reinsurance to their hearts. Americans knew they had a job at the CCC and would return day after day because it paid. The U.S. economy needs money circulating and with all these new jobs, Americans were buying products and returning to banks. The effects of service in the CCC would feel for years, even decades, afterwards. Following the depression, when the job market picked up, businessmen indicated a preference for hiring a man who had been in the CCC, and the reason was simple. Employers believed that anyone who had been in the CCC would know what a full day's work meant, and how to carry out orders in a disciplined. The Civilian Conservation Corps was one of many Franklin D. Roosevelts’ greatest
creations. The Great Depression was a dark and terrifying time in our country’s history. Many lost their jobs and homes. Parents would send their children to family members who weren’t hit as hard so the kids wouldn’t have to starve. Our country was devastated and so was our economy. America needed new hope and fast. That is exactly what FDR and the CCC did. It gave our country an economic boost that we desperately needed. The CCC had a huge impact that still influences us till this day. The Civilian Conservation Corps was Franklin Delano Roosevelt most successful program under his New Deal for the reason that it created jobs and improved our country economically and made our nation beautiful in our ugliest times.