USA HISTORY

THE GREAT DEPRESSION 1929 1940

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Americans enjoyed a time of great ____ during the 1920s
A
wealth
B
suffering
C
instability
D
None of the above
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -During the 1920s, there was a pronounced shift in wealth and income toward the very rich. Between 1919 and 1929, the share of income received by the wealthiest one percent of Americans rose from 12 percent to 19 percent, while the share received by the richest five percent jumped from 24 percent to 34 percent.

Detailed explanation-2: -The main reasons for America’s economic boom in the 1920s were technological progress which led to the mass production of goods, the electrification of America, new mass marketing techniques, the availability of cheap credit and increased employment which, in turn, created a huge amount of consumers.

Detailed explanation-3: -The nation’s total income rose from $74.3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 1929. However, the rewards of the prosperity of the 1920’s were not shared evenly among all Americans. According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, in 1929 the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42%.

Detailed explanation-4: -For wealthy, white Americans like Raskob, the “Roaring ‘20s” was a time of immense economic prosperity. Yet for most Americans, it wasn’t. Low-wage jobs paid an average of $25 a week for men and $18 for women.

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