U.S. History Collection
You Decide: Were the 1920s the “Roaring ’20s”?

The Rise of American Consumerism

Technology and Economy

Did new access to technological inventions and consumer goods increase Americans’ economic prosperity or increase the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”?

For wealthy Americans, the 1920s meant excess. New technologies put electricity in more homes and led to increased forms of production, transportation, and communication. Consumer goods became standardized and could easily be sent across the entire country, encouraging people nationwide to participate in popular trends.

At the same time, the rise of a new consumer culture paved the way for buying items on a line of credit, where the purchaser could pay for their goods later, in installments, instead of purchasing the item upfront. Advertisements convinced Americans to buy products—from Listerine to cigarettes, silverware to luxury cars—and created a new demand while encouraging Americans to take on increasing levels of financial debt.

Examine this magazine ad from 1925 and then fill in the table with your observations:

Take Notes

Examine this magazine ad from 1925, and fill in the table with your observations:

Advertisement for Whitman's Chocolates. Click to see a larger version.

A September 1925 advertisement for Whitman's Chocolates shows fashionably dressed white adults on a golf course with a large country club situated uphill. Another group is in a Model T car of the time period. A woman outside the car is sharing a box of choclates with a woman in the car. Below that is a large, ornate box with the Whitman name over the profile of a fancifully dressed woman. Several types of chocolates are arranged below it. Text below the chocolates reads, "Salmagundi. Ideal companion for 'roughing it' out-of-doors. The handsome metal box gives protection to this popular assortment of Whitman's. Text on the left side of the ad reads, "Sweets after Sports. Concentrated energy in chocolates answers the call of that 'empty feeling' that follows a round of golf, a morning in the surf, or a battle royal at tennis. People eat far more of Whitman's Chocolates in the summer than they did formerly, and for three reasons. They have discovered that chocolates give 'pep.' Whitman's Chocolates are carefully packed and protected against summer's heat. The exclusive plan of Whitman distribution, direct to exclusive sales agencies, even in the most remote summer resorts, assures fresh chocolates in good condition, and guaranteed. Whenever you see the sign you know that the dealer's stock comes, not from a jobber, but direct from Whitman's. For your guests out-of-doors, supply Whitman's Chocolates."

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