The Business of America

Chapter 20 Section 3

I America’s Standard of Living

• Automobile changes landscape of America• Built roads/houses w/ garages

• 1st auto traffic signal in Detroit (early 1920s)• Holland Tunnel=1st underwater tunnel• Liberated previously isolated rural

families• Women & young ppl become more

independent w/ increased mobility

B. The Young Airplane Industry• Airplane ind. Began by carrying

mail for gov’t• Airplane became useful means of

trans.• Invention of weather forecasting,

radio, & navigational equipment helped airplane industry prosper

C. Electrical Conveniences• Gas powered much of 1920s boom but so

did electricity• Many machines ran on electricity

• Alternating currents & transofrmers allowed electricity to be transmitted to suburbs• Electrical appliances made (radio, washing

machine, vaccuum, etc.)• Made life of housewife easierfreed them up

for other activitiesincrease of women working outside the home

• Mass culture (movies, sports, newspapers) led to new lifestyle

D. Dawn of Mass Advertising• Growing # of

applincesrelying on advertising• No longer focused on informing

the publichired psych. To study appeal of buyers• Ex.= “Say it with flowers”/

“reach for a lucky instead of a sweet”

• Goods that were once luxuries now seemed a necessity• Listerine advertisement on PG

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II Superficial ProsperityA. Producing Great Quantities of Goods

• Various mergers took place• Chain stores opened up (Five-

and-dimes/Woolworth’s)• As business grew so did income

gap between workers and managers

B. Buying many Goods of Credit• Businesses also made easy credit

available to lure customers• Installment plan= enabled ppl to buy goods

and pay for them over time w/o putting much money down

• Banks provided low interest while advertiser pushed slogans• “Enjoy while you pay”

• Americans focused on the present w/ little concern for the future