Why was prosperity in the 1920 superficial

Using the resources in this section, write a "newsreel" that reflects s prosperity from another perspective, e. Wertenbaker, or black leader W. Du Bois. To what extent did Republicans and Democrats acknowledge each others' viewpoints on prosperity? How did Republicans acknowledge the "friction of modern industrialism"? How did Democrats acknowledge that "prosperity. Complete the chart of political cartoonists to analyze their viewpoints and the visual devices they used to convey them, e.

Drawing evidence from the readings and cartoons in this section, write a brief overview of the economic prosperity of the s, beginning or ending with one of these statements from the resources: - "Every man and woman knows that their comfort, their hopes and their confidence for the future are higher this day than they were seven and one-half years ago.

Daisy W. Calvin Coolidge, address, 15th meeting of the Business Organization of the Government, June 11, Al Smith, Democratic presidential candidate, nomination acceptance address, August 22, Wertenbaker, "What's Wrong with the United States? Democratic Party donkey in a political cartoon, Public Ledger , Philadelphia, n.

Framing Questions What factors nurtured or weakened the unprecedented prosperity of the s? How did "prosperity" become a hallmark of national pride? How was the word adapted for political and psychological aspirations of the nation? What role did "workingmen" and labor unions play in the economic panorama of the period? Compare the Twenties' boom-and-bust with similar economic cycles before and after the decade.

This caused the impression that people were very prosperous and that they could all afford expensive things. It was, however, largely an illusion. When the illusion crashed and people were not able to repay the large amount of loans they had acquired, it launched the Great Depression. For someone to be economically prosperous, it means that they are able to afford clothing, food, health care, education, housing and other necessities for themselves and their family.

In the s, people pretended that they could afford these things and more. When too many families exhaust their funds, then shopping slows to a minimum, businesses go bankrupt, people lose their jobs and the cycle repeats. True prosperity includes having enough money for emergencies, your children's education and retirement.

Salaries in a prosperous economy allow for a comfortable standard of living plus extra for contingencies and future planning. Superficial prosperity focuses on the moment. Some thought might be given to the future, but the assumption in a superficial economy is that growth is infinite and planning unnecessary. This philosophy allows people to take risks and try new, innovative things which can lead to either growth or poverty with little insurance for unforeseen events.

Meredyth Glass has been writing for educational institutions since She contributes to eHow in the areas of parenting, child development, language and social skill development and the importance of play.