During the 1920s, the United States witnessed tremendous economic growth, driven in large part by an unprecedented surge in consumer spending. This surge was fueled by a number of factors, including an increase in available real wages, the emergence of installment buying and increased access to banking services. These changes accompanied a social and cultural transformation, with the surge in consumer spending both contributing to and reflecting the values of the decade.
The increased purchasing power of consumers throughout the 1920s accounted for most of the decades economic growth. The average real wage for workers rose by 14.4% between 1920 and 1929. This increase was accompanied by a decrease in income inequality, with the share of wealth held by the top 5% of the population decreasing from 46.3% to 41.5%.
The growth in consumer spending was further strengthened by the emergence of installment buying. This method of purchase enabled people with limited means to purchase durable goods such as radios, refrigerators and cars. Traditional lending institutions such as banks and loan companies provided most of the capital for these purchases, but credit companies and retailers also began financing consumer purchases.
The increase in consumer spending was broadly supported by improved access to banking services. The number of banks in the United States doubled over the course of the 1920s, offering increased access to deposits, withdrawals, loans and other services. As the decade wore on, more and more banks began offering savings accounts, lines of credit and mortgages, dramatically increasing the range of services available for the average consumer.
In addition to providing the framework for economic growth, the surge in consumer spending also reflected the values of the decade. The 1920s were a time of unprecedented optimism and enthusiasm for the future, with people eager to purchase the latest goods and gadgets. This excitement was encapsulated in the emergence of leisure activities such as dance marathons and other forms of competition.
By the end of the decade, the surge in consumer spending had transformed the American economy, setting the stage for the Great Depression that would follow. But despite the economic turmoil that marked the end of the 1920s, the sharp increase in consumer spending had left its mark: the American economy was now driven by consumer spending, and this shift had driven a period of unprecedented economic growth.
In conclusion, the 1920s marked a period of unprecedented economic growth, driven in large part by an unprecedented surge in consumer spending. This surge was fueled by a number of factors, including an increase in available real wages, the emergence of installment buying and increased access to banking services. The resulting shift in the American economy toward consumer spending had far-reaching consequences, setting the stage for the Great Depression that followed.