What were the main features of the 1920s boom in America?
… American industry had expanded during World War l, making weapons, uniforms, equipment. This expansion continued after the war, which was helped by the fact that America was rich in natural resources such as coal and iron. High tariffs made foreign goods expensive to ensure that American goods were bought. Some industries were also given support by the government, which increased their profits. So as a result a boom occurred. The greatest boom was in consumer goods e.g. cars (where nearly 27 million were registered in the USA), refrigerators, radios, cookers, telephones etc. Ordinary people were encouraged through advertising to buy these goods and many could now afford what had been luxuries before the war. The reason for this was that they earned higher wages because of the boom. Another reason was hire purchase, which was a new system, which was introduced. This meant that people could spread the cost …
