The Roaring Twenties and the Stock Market Crash

• The 1920s marked a decade of economic prosperity and excitement in the United States.
• The economy was booming, leading to a period of partying and decadence, known as the Roaring Twenties.
• Popular culture of the decade included flappers, bobbed haircuts, jazz and blues music, and speakeasies.
• Alcohol was prohibited but easily obtained through bootleggers and speakeasies.
• A new craze emerged during the 1920s - playing the stock market. Easy credit allowed people to buy stocks with a small down payment and borrow the rest, a practice known as buying on margin.
• The stock market saw dramatic increases in value due to the demand for stocks and easy credit, leading to overvaluation.
• Indications of economic instability emerged in 1929, with domestic and foreign markets for goods starting to slip.
• Europe had recovered from the war and was less dependent on North American goods, leading to tariffs on imports and stockpiling of goods in American factories.
• Despite warnings from experts, many ignored the signs of an unbalanced marketplace and the impending correction.

Explore the economic prosperity, cultural trends, and stock market craze of the 1920s in the United States, leading to the eventual stock market crash in 1929. Learn about the impact of easy credit, overvaluation of stocks, and indications of economic instability.