PRT - The Roaring Twenties (Lesson)

The Roaring Twenties

Consumerism

Central to the concept of the “Roaring Twenties” is a period of strong economic growth following World War I. New technologies teamed with the widespread availability of electricity to homes provided new electric appliances for household use. Items such as the refrigerator, vacuum cleaner and washing machine became standard parts of homes throughout the nation. Consumers’ desire for these “luxury items” was fueled by modern advertising to the point that they became “essential” to the “modern” household.

Advertising agencies utilized psychology to promote products in burgeoning media: radio and movies. Billboards, newspapers, magazines and radio shows inundated Americans with new products to make their lives easy if not more glamorous. While advertising had its beginnings in the Roaring Twenties, it is now an industry that generates hundreds of billions of dollars annually in the United States.

The Model T

One product that appealed to the common American with help from advertising was the Ford Motor Company’s Model T. Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, began to utilize new, more efficient techniques in the factory system. Ford’s assembly line broke down the process of automobile assembly into a series of tiny steps completed over and over again by different individuals. Where once a worker would assembly an entire wheel by themselves, now that process was broken down into several steps with a different person completing just one task in the production of that wheel. Furthermore, Ford moved the vehicle or its parts to the workers using conveyor belts. Every aspect of the workers’ movements were limited and specialized to increase efficiency. The Ford Model T became the first affordable vehicle for Americans because of the increased efficiency and reduced production costs. Almost overnight, the American way of life was forever changed as American households added an automobile and every family “needed” a car to be “in style.” Shopping centers, motels, gas stations and suburbs emerged. Cultural traditions in work, dating and entertainment were forever changed. The Model T was not only a revolution in the automobile industry but also in the American way of life.

Radio and Movies

The assembly line and the increased availability of electricity coincided with the introduction of new forms of media. Thanks to new, cheaper technologies, the radio was more widely available than ever. Ultimately by the 1930s nearly every American household had a radio in their homes. The radio became the center of entertainment and information, much like the television or Internet of today. The radio was also used to promote new products through advertisements and contributed to the expanding economy of the Roaring Twenties. Furthermore, the news, sporting events and variety shows broadcast over the radio created a more unified nation, aware of current events and united by national interests.

Likewise, the introduction of movies and cinemas changed the fabric of American culture. Silent films were available from the first years of the 20^th century, but the recent addition of sound added to the popularity of movies. Americans flocked to theatres to catch up on news from around the nation and world. Entertaining films attracted millions of Americans each week as new “stars” emerged to inspire Americans. The widespread popularity of movies can be partially attributed to an increase in Americans’ leisure time thanks to new appliances to handle part of their workload and an increase in wages that provided Americans with more discretionary income. Often times, movies were at the center of new cultural acceptance in thoughts, fashion, habits and even vernacular language. Together, radio and movies united Americans and changed the way Americans digested information and entertainment forever.

Can you name it?

 

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