BOOM to BUST Georgia Millman-Perlah

Leisure Time

In the 1920s, women had more freedom to have fun and enjoy themselves. Many women in the 1920s were flappers, or dancers at clubs and illegal bars. Women enjoyed their leisure time and did what they wanted.
However, in the 1930s, many families relied on the woman to provide for the family. Women had no more time to dance and enjoy themselves. They were now tasked with providing for a family and figuring out how to make money. Also, sometimes people sought to escape their sadnes and depression so they took their savings and saw a movie or went out for a night
The 1920s was a time of prosperity and opportunity for African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance gave African Americans the chance to express themselves through music and become a part of a community where they fit in.
In the Great Depression, it was almost impossible for a black man or woman to find work because of the lack of jobs in the economy and the amount of discrimination. Most African Americans spent their leisure time looking for a job that they would never get.

The Economy

In the 1920's, economy boomed. Ford invented the assembly line which helped with mass production. There were many new products like cars, washing machines, refrigerators, and more. For the American family, the economy was great. Many families had two working parents and a steady income.
In the 1930s, the economy crashed. The US entered the Great Depression. The unemployment rate skyrocketed to 25% and many people were in debt from buying too much stuff on credit. This was terrible for American families because it caused many parents to lose their jobs. Also, many men abandoned their families to look for work somewhere else.

Role of Governement

In the 1920s, government had very little presence in people's lives. The government believed in big business and laisez faire. For big business men like Henry Ford, this was great because it let them do whatever they wanted and control their business without the government interfering.
In the 1930s, FDR came into office and administrated the new deal which helped people get new jobs and fix the economy. The government now had a presence in other people's lives. This was great for American families because it gave more job opportunities to people and gave their incomes back.

Home Life

In the 1920s, home life was pretty great for families. There were jobs and now that people were buying on credit, their homes were better equipped for a growing family.
In the 1930s, many families had to sell their homes. Many fathers left their wives and children to look for work. People had to live in little shanty towns called hoovervilles.

Narrative/Summary

In conclusion, the 1920’s and the 1930’s were very different. The 1920’s or the “roaring 20’s” was a time of prosperity and opportunity. However, the 1930’s or the great depression was a time of heartache and loss. In the 1920’s, home life prospered. Families had fully furnished homes and nice appliances because of the newest invention, the credit card. The motto of the credit card was “Buy Now, Pay Later!” People could buy whatever they wanted without having the money to pay for what they were buying. In the 1930’s, people were so poor because of losing their jobs that they had to sell all of their stuff. When things got really bad, people had to sell their homes and move to shanty-towns that they named “Hoovervilles”. The shantytowns were called hoovervilles because the American people thought that president Hoover was the reason that they were homeless. Which was accurate because president Hoover did nothing to help them. The economy in the 1920’s boomed. The stock market was as high as it had ever been and almost everyone had jobs. However, in 1929 the stock market crashed and companies lost money which caused them to fire many many workers. Unemployment rate skyrocketed to 25% and the stock market was at a record low. However, the jobs that stayed in the economy were “woman” jobs like teachers or librarians. In the 1920’s the economy was very secure so many people had lots of time on their hands. Many women were flappers that danced in speakeasies. Many African Americans were part of the Harlem Renaissance and they played jazz music and sang in their free time. However, in the 1930’s most women spent their leisure time looking for jobs and providing for their families. In the great depression, the woman was the head of the house. They had to feed their families because a lot of the time husbands would abandon their families or look for a job all the time. Leisure time in the 1930’s was spent doing hard work and not having fun. In conclusion, the 1920’s was a time of prosperity and economic growth but the 1930’s was a time of sadness and loss.

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Created with images by pennyspitter - "1920s flapper"

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