BOOM !

The 1920s saw an economic boom that rivaled any other in American history. Following the militarization of the economy during the Great War, markets were again free to operate as desired. Coupled with the conservative notion that the government need not play an influential role in the economy, economic growth was rapid and dramatic.  New products and technologies were released, and thanks to mass production and the proliferation of consumer credit ('buy now, pay later'), many Americans were able to enjoy the fruits of capitalism and a booming economy. 

The 1920s were also a paradoxical time (seemingly contradictory).  Women exerted a newfound sense of social freedom in the way they dressed, danced, or cut their hair. They also enjoyed a new sense of  political power, following the passage of the 19th Amendment (extending the right to vote to all women).  It was also a time that saw ultra-conservative values manifest in a revival of the Ku Klux Klan (even winning congressional seats in Colorado!) as well as the prosecution of a high school science teacher for presenting evolution in a Tennessee school.  Ultra-liberal values led to a rise in socialist and communist ideals in America during the same decade. 

The Harlem Renaissance celebrated new cultural influences from the African American population (including the proliferation of jazz music across America), while the rise of 'nativism' led to a massive shutdown of immigration from abroad. 

The 1920s would prove to be a time of immense social, economic, and political change.