The early United States was predominately rural. The number of Americans living in cities did not surpass the number living in rural areas until 1920. The economic opportunities brought on by the industrial revolution had people flocking to the central cities, which in turn grew immensely. Prior to World War I, 42% of all Americans lived on a farm. By the end of the twenties this percentage had dropped to 25%. As most Americans were too busy enjoying the prosperity of the 1920s, most were unconcerned about the dark side of life. The 1920s is also known as the Jazz age.
[...] ("America in the 1920s.") The 1920s was the decade when women and men began wearing more comfortable and casual clothes. Men first began wearing sports clothes and women began wearing shorter skirts and pants. The fashion most famously associated with the “roaring twenties” began later in the decade, after 1925. Women cut their hair in a short a bold move at the time so that they could fit under the popular hats. Fashion modeled after the Greek and Roman tunics began to appear, being design for freedom of movement, and to draw more awareness to the body underneath the clothes. [...]
[...] Other than that encouragement, the government kept a “hands-off” policy and the economy was a free market. This was good for business but eventually detrimental to mortgage rates. The president at this time, Calvin Coolidge, was one of the first to appoint a businessman to his cabinet, which he did in appointing Andrew Mellon as Secretary of Treasury. Mellon came into office with a goal of reducing the huge federal debt from World War I. His plan had four main points: Cut the top income tax rate from 77 to 25 percent, cut taxes on low incomes, reduce the Federal Estate tax and create more efficiency in the government. [...]
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