THEME: THE 1920's"The Lost Generation" -disenchanted with where America is going-write critical commentaries about the U.S. and American society in the 1920's-a dark era that sees a lot of intolerance - Klu Klux Klan is reborn1923 - immigration restriction â National Origin Quota Act (Johnson-Reed Act), very small quotas, eugenics are still believed in1.What is Fordism or mass production? How was labor transformed by the twenties?-included expensive machinery and big factories (only big businesses could afford it)-mass production involved extensive use of interchangeable parts, simple and accurate tools, and electric power in order to speed output-used conveyor belts and chains to send subassemblies past groups of stationary workers-instead of making an entire subassembly a worker might tighten a few bolts or install a single part-assembly line method led to a huge increase in output-to speed up production, the managers at many factories had to control their workers and speed up the labor process (Fordism was not enough)-workers were laboring under tighter supervision than they had been before and were pushed to work harder and faster-in textile factories there was a higher quota of looms that they had to meet-unhappy workers began to quit their jobs due to the less satisfying work that accompanied mass production2.
United States
We Made It - Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum -...
Literary Digest interview with Henry FordHow did consumerism change the quality of lives of Americans in the twenties?-consumerism - people sought pleasure through the consumption of goods and services-people were being paid more and enjoyed more free time (middle-class workers had vacations and blue-collar workers were spending less time on the job)-for those that worked in the factories, mass production made the job unfavorable and less satisfying-there was much money being spent on advertising campaigns which were deeply influenced by the emerging modern culture of that time-the act of purchasing consumer goods was marketed as a...