Assess the Impact of Industrialisation on America in the 1920s

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During the 1920s, America experienced rapid industrialisation that impacted US society significantly. The US experienced numerous positive changes such as urbanisation, economic growth and the beginnings of consumerism. However, Industrialisation also impacted negatively in crafting the Great Depression. Industrialisation impacted on America greatly triggering rapid city growth and urbanisation. The increasing urbanisation lead to the development of existing city-centres. Exemplifying this, New York got a brand new skyline. Furthermore, the developing industrialisation lead to a race to build the tallest skyscraper ending in 1931 when the 102-story Empire State Building was erected. These new skyscrapers became an icon of the new US wealth. The skyscrapers fuelled a massive boom in the construction industry and were thought by some as an expression of the great American spirit, a defiant display of American energy and optimism. Industrialisation also lead to extensions of existing cities into suburbs. This was mostly caused by increasing car ownership giving people much greater freedom of movement than ever before. “The spread of suburbia provided further testimony to the influence of the automobile”. The rapid industrialisation increased immigration into the US making necessary city growth. Exemplifying this, the borough of Queens, across from the East River of Manhattan, doubled its population in the 1920s. Similarly, Grosse Point Park near Detroit grew 7000 percent as well as Shaker Heights outside Cleveland growing 1000 percent. Urbanisation was impacted greatly by industrialisation and caused great changes to the US in the 1920s. In the 1920s period, America experienced rapid economic growth. This growth can often be attributed to the growth of raw industries such as: chemicals, electricity, synthetic textiles, aviation and automobiles. Demonstrating this,

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