The Roaring 20’s
Henry Ford
Henry Ford Wanted to make cars more affordable Used Assembly Lines to make production more efficient Reduced time 12 hrs.-90min. Model T pricing 1908-$850 1916-$350 1927-$290 That would be $3594.58 in 2008
The Workday Ford reduced the workday from 9 to 8 hours Doubled wages from $2.35 to $5 a day Gave Saturday and Sunday off
Changes Industry-steel, glass, rubber, asphalt, wood, gasoline, insurance, and road construction Service-Gas stations, diners, motels Decline of public transportation Commuters/Suburbs Route 66-California to Illinois
The Economy Advertising took off Installment Buying Buying on Margin Bull market Bear market By 1929 4 million Americans owned stocks
Cities, Suburbs, Farms People moved to cities with ½ of the population settling there Suburbs booming while the inner city was suffering Farm wages plummeting Under $400 per person annually A worker for Ford would make $1300
Prohibition The Noble Experiment Volstead Act The 18th Amendment Ratified January 16, 1919 Forbade manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcohol Volstead Act Legally defined intoxicating beverage Prohibited sale of alcohol Did little to enforce the law
Social Response Crime The Rise of Speakeasies The Flapper Ordinary people broke the law Organized crime Al Capone The Rise of Speakeasies The Flapper
Events to Know Scopes Monkey Trial Rise of the KKK The Harlem Renaissance Warren G. Harding dies in office Calvin Coolidge becomes president Kellogg-Briand Pact Dawes Plan