1920's - Popular histories of the 1920s are filled with dramatic stories of this vibrant decade. According to legend, bold bootleggers made fortunes off the thirsty habits of a nation rebelling against the prohibition against alcohol. High-rolling stock market speculators rode an optimistic wave in American business when money seemed to come easily to those who already had it. Women shortened their hair and hemlines to dance the Charleston in smoke-filled speakeasies (illegal bars). These stories of easy money, frivolous excesses, and general naughtiness carried a kernel of truth and gave the decade such nicknames as "The Jazz Age," "The Lawless Decade," and "The Era of Wonderful Nonsense." To be sure, "The Roaring Twenties" was truly one of the more interesting decades in an interesting century.
1930s: the Great Depression Disrupts America (The Dirty 30's)
After the Roaring Twenties, when business boomed and people thought the future looked bright, the stock market crash on October 29, 1929, seemed a minor problem that would quickly remedy itself. America had suffered hard times before; most Americans thought the economy would soon turn around so people could get on with life. The Great Depression (1929–41) thus came as a huge surprise to most people. Of a population of 122 million in 1930, 750,000 people were laid off without pay and another 2.4 million capable workers had no jobs at all. America was definitely not back on track. The economy showed no sign of turning around. The country's largest, most powerful companies had to cut back. The banking system collapsed. Factory workers, miners, and farmers were left unemployed and in many cases penniless. Schools closed. Children could not get enough food. Married women were fired to favor single women or men. The decade was marred by the suffering of farmers on unworkable "dust bowl" land, hungry children, underpaid workers, and eager, desperate people who could not find work of any kind.
1940s: the Pivotal Decade (The Fabulous 40's)
It is impossible to underestimate the importance of World War II on history. Canada joined the fighting in 1939, the USA became involved in the conflict after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by Japanese aircraft. From that moment, massive changes swept the nation, changes that would be felt for the rest of the century. Our countries were at War in another continent, men were lost, many married overseas bring brides back with them. Many things were put on hold til the war ended then teh baby boom happen when they all returned.
1950s: Pop Culture Explodes in a Decade of Conformity (The Nifty 50's)
The 1950s are most often remembered as a quiet decade, a decade of conformity, stability, and normalcy. After the tumult of the 1930s and 1940s—with their sustained economic depression (1929–41) and world war (1939–45)—the 1950s did seem quiet. America was at peace once the conflict in Korea (1950–53) ended. The economy was booming, bringing millions of Americans into the middle class; politics were stable and the president, World War II hero Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), was beloved by many. For most Americans, the 1950s saw a return to normalcy after the crazy war years. Americans had children in record numbers, continuing a "baby boom" that had begun in the 1940s. They also moved to suburbs in record numbers, and the home construction industry boomed to meet their demand. Popular TV shows of the period like Leave It to Beaver (1957–63), Father Knows Best (1954–63), and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–56) all reflected back to America this calming sense of happy normalcy.