unit 1 - the boom

• Early immigrants from Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany fought with naïve Americans, resulting in a population decrease of 250,000 by 1900.
• Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors, made the T-model the first car available to the wide population through mass production, allowing for quicker production.
• The cheap price of $290 led to one in five people owning a car, and the production of Ford opened up opportunities in the glass, leather, steel, and rubber industries.
• The republican government's laissez-faire policies allowed the boom to continue, but it also had weaknesses.
• The rich profited from workers, while the poorest received only 10% of wealth.
• The boom was consumer-led, with many below the poverty line, and the coal and textiles industry was failing.
• In the 1920s, American society saw a shift in traditional roles, with women in rural areas restricted to specific roles.
• Young urban women gained rights like voting ,leading to some women becoming flappers.
• In 1929, 10 million more women had jobs, and the married working-class women's working class increased from 22.8 to 28.8.
• Cinema, radio, jazz, sports, and cars all experienced significant changes, with celebrities like Charlie Chaplin, Clara Bow, and Al Jolson playing significant roles.