The 1990s was the best decade of the 20th century.

If you didn't notice, I deactivated my account, but I am back. We each forfeited a round so I would say we are equal. I had to deactivate my account because my boss kept on catching me on this site when I should've been working but he can't see me on this site at 3 in the morning. The German market was not as important as either the French or the British markets. Sales to Britain and France soared from $825 million in 1914 to $3.2 billion in 1916. By 1915, President Wilson, while preaching peace, had begun to gear up for warfare, expanding the United States army and navy. Because of increased German submarine attacks on American ships, America entered the war on the side of the Allies in 1917, and almost immediately tipped the balance in their favor. In full retreat, Germany asked for an armistice, which was granted on November 11, 1918. The effect of the war on Germany, France, Great Britain, and Russia was devastating, both to their economies and in the loss of human life. America, on the other hand, came out of the war relatively unscathed. American soldiers (called "doughboys" because the large buttons on their uniforms resembled a deep-fried bread of the same name) returned home in May 1919 to ticker-tape parades and the promise of a prosperous decade. Of course, there were problems as well. The transition from a war-time to a peace-time economy caused economic dislocation for industrial workers, loss of income for farmers, and renewed racism and nativism against African-Americans and foreign immigrants. Many Americans, however, reveled in the new culture of consumerism. In search of prosperity, Americans elected three Republican Presidents during this decade. Each of these men promised to promote the politics of prosperity: Warren G. Harding (1865-1923). Elected to the Presidency in the 1920s, Harding urged a "return to normalcy." The policies of his administration were generally conservative, especially regarding taxes, tariffs, immigration restriction, labor rights, and business regulation. Harding's administration was marked by corruption and scandal, although most of the scandals did not become public knowledge until after he died of a stroke in office in August 1923. Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933). Coolidge did little as Warren G. Harding's vice president (1921-23), but when he assumed the presidency after Harding's death, he acted quickly to repair the damage of the Harding administrations scandals and to secure the 1924 presidential nomination. He was easily elected over Democrat John W. Davis and Progressive Robert M. La Follette. Near the end of his second term, Coolidge decided not to run for president again and retired from politics. Many of Coolidge's policies, including federal tax cuts and high tariffs, were very popular during his tenure as president, but lost favor during the Great Depression. Herbert Hoover (1874-1964). Having served as secretary of commerce under both Harding and Coolidge, Hoover was elected to the presidency in 1928, helped by the prevailing prosperity in the country. Hoover had been in office just a few months when the Great Depression began. In 1932, he lost the presidential election to Franklin D. Roosevelt. On the whole, the United States economy experienced steady growth and expansion during the 1920s. Three factors fueled this economic growth: Machines Factories The Process of Standardized Mass Production These factors created a self-perpetuating cycle: standardized mass production led to better machinery in factories, which led to higher production and higher wages, which led to more demand for consumer goods which led back to more standardized mass production. This upward spiral continued until 1929. There were five main sources of the 1920s economic boom: Effect of WWI on technology. Scientific management: "Taylorism" Rapid increase in worker productivity Psychology of consumption Relations between the federal government and big business 1. Effect of WWI on Technology. During the war, a significant labor shortage, combined with the need for increased production, necessitated new, more efficient methods of production. The War stimulated a number of old industries, such as petroleum and steel, and helped create a host of new industries, such as plastic and rayon production. One measure of these accelerated technological changes is the money spent on new machinery for industry. In 1915, the total annual expenditure was $600 million, which grew to $2.5 billion by 1918. 2. Scientific management known popularly as "Taylorism." We've already discussed "Taylorism" in Lecture 11, with its mathematical formula for labor, streamlining of tasks, and increase in production. In the 1920s, American industries implemented scientific management on a grand scale, pouring millions of dollars into industrial research. 3. Rapid increase in worker productivity. As scientific management and new technology increased worker productivity, workers earned higher wages and became better consumers. A new innovation appeared: the installment plan, which encouraged Americans to build up debt in order to buy consumer goods. I hope you aren't angry at me.