A different example of the boom was transport. 1920’s transport saw Hugh improvements. And in the 1930s the paved roads and doubled in miles. The increasing number of cars and trucks on the road had tripled to 3.5million by 1929, also buses increased. Aircraft for civil flights made first appearances by the 1920’s by 1929 16200 flights were made for luxury. As airplanes were used originally for transporting good, as in the 1920s and leisure and for business mainly. In 1919, 9 million people had cars, then in 1929 when 26 million had cars.
Another boom that went on was in the construction industry. In the 1920’s construction was the busiest it had ever been. Industrial growth created demand for new factories all over America. As it was rapidly growing the number of banks, insurance and advertising companies, show rooms for cars, as there was more transport, and new electrical products’ had a big boom. It was the age of the skyscraper. Confident America soared. Large companies wanted to show of power by building there work offices and building bigger and bigger, it became a competition to show wealth, and a great growth in wealth helped build schools, hospitals and other public building to be used. And in 1929 the Empire State building started to be built.
There was also a growth in advertising in this time. As advertising companies grew largely they were advertising new products and had made up catch phrases to go with them, they were being bigger and bolder with brighter colours. Radio now had advertising on it to lure the customers in; this was brand new to advertising and had never been done before. There was more and more advertising in magazines and newspapers.
With all this money and wealth in America they wanted more and more entertainment. It was a largely growing industry. Sports had a large part, they betted on it, the players became famous and newspapers and magazine published it. Also you could have a day out to support your team. The cinema became a place to be and in 1930 40 millions people per week went to watch a movie. As well new gadgets kept people entertained people had 10 million telephones in 1975 and in 1930 20 million had them.
However it did not seem so much of a boom to all people in America. Farmers suffered hugely. More than 3 million farmers were earning less than $2000 a year. Farmers were extremely poor at this time. Farmers had new machinery as well; an example of this could be a combine harvester which made people loses work as they weren’t harvesting it by hand. Also the black Americans didn’t benefit, discrimination was hugh, and if people needed to lose jobs they would be the first to go. 60% of black women in Milwaukee were servants. New immigrants did not benefit as were in low paid jobs, and it became harder to enter America. The old industries were not growing an example was cold; wages were not increasing fast enough.
Therefore I think overall there was a boom in the 19
20s in America. It was not all over the country’s as some suffered still, but the bigger picture there was. But where there is a boom there has to be a downfall.
Holly Freeland
