Roaring Twenties
After World War I, the United States entered a time
of economic growth that improved the lives of many
Americans. Businesses grew in the 1920s,providing
people with new jobs and highjer pay. Many
Americans were able to buy new products such as
automobiles and radios, and vacuum cleaners.
People had more money and more leisure time. In
the cities especially, people looked for more
entertainment. Jazz and dance clubs became
popular. The search for fun in the cities , combined
with illegal alcohol, earned this era the name the
« Roaring Twenties »
Roaring Twenties
Many more Americans were going to movies and
buying books, magazines,and music. Langston
Hughes was an important figure in the Harlem
Renaissance. This was a movement of African
American artists centered in Harlem, a
neighborhood of New York City. Many artists of the
Harlem Renaissance used their writings, paintings,
and music to explain how they felt to be an African
American at the time. The Harlem Renaissance
marked the first time African American artists in the
United States gained national attention for their
work. Hughes expresses his hope for better
treatment of African Americans.
The Great Depression
Essential Question: The stock market crash
of 1929 ended the economic boom of the
1920s and started the Great Depression of
the 1930s.
What were some other causes of the
The
Great
Depression
stock market crash of 1929?
Low wages
Farm prices were depressed
Buying with credit
Overproduction of goods
Investors sold their stock
The Great Depression
The stock market crash of 1929 marked
the end of the economic boom of the
1920s
and the start of the Great Depression
The Great Depression
The economic good times ended for
many more people after the stock
market crash of October 1929. A stock
market is a place where stocks are
bought and sold. If a company needs
to raise money, it often sells stocks to
investors. If the company makes
money, the investor makes a profit.
The center of the stock market is the
New York Stock Exchange on Wall
Street in New York City.
Major factors that contributed to
the depression
• Not everyone could buy the products that
came from American factories.
Wages were low
Farm prices were depressed
Many American consumers bought
using credit
Factories overproduced causing
them to lay off workers
Factors
• When investors saw the economy slowing,
they suddenly began selling off their stock.
• This sale was made worse because some
investors had borrowed in order to buy stocks
and could not pay off their original loans
The Stock Market Crash Resulted
The Great Depression
After the Crash
Unemployment continued to rise
Laid off workers
Decreasing wages
Decreasing buying power
Decreasing prices
Caused businesses to fail. Failed businesses laid
off more workers continuing the downward
spiral
The Great Depression
The Great Depression
Many African Americans had
migrated from the south hoping to
find a better life, job opportunities
and to escape the prejudice in the
south.
A
The Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl
conditions of the
Midwest led
others, such as the
Oakies, to migrate
to California
where they sought
jobs as migrant
workers
Hoovervilles
Stock Market Crash
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisda
y/991029onthisday_big.html#article
Read the New York Times Article from Oct. 29,1929
Right click to open hyperlink
1929
2008
The Great Depression
2008