Book Review: Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940 The way Americans lived their lives was drastically changed between the years of 1920 and 1940. Many different events and advances in technology happened within the country during this time period. Events such as the stock market crash in 1929, the dust bowl of the 1930’s, and, due to an increase in urbanization, the uprising of major cities. Also advances in technology transpired, such as the invention of the radio and Henry Ford’s assembly line. These events and advances are all illustrated in great detail in the novel, Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940 by David E. Kyvig. His thesis explains that during the two decades, the American life style was changed in such a
It allowed a “nationwide community of people…” (Kyvig p.72) , to share the same informative experience at the exact same time. The radio became a very large part of the everyday life of an American and it changed the way Americans spent their leisure time as well. Families would sit down and listen to things such as sports and the “Fireside Chats” hosted by President Roosevelt himself. Having the ability to be able to hear the president speak on the radio helped Americans become more informed in politics and in turn increased the popularity of President Roosevelt. Branching off from the invention of the radio came the add-on of sound in movie productions. Going to the movies became a very popular way to spend leisure time. In fact it had grown so much that it began to impact the adolescence culture in such a way that people would want to dress just like the movie stars. Furthermore movie theatres became a popular way to spend leisure time throughout these two decades. Kyvig’s evidence used in his book compared to the evidence used in the textbook are both one in the same. The evidence that Kyvig uses in his book matches up parallel to the evidence that is used in the textbook. Both books state many topics in the same way, like how the automobile drastically changed the American peoples’ daily lives and how the radio affected the popularity of President Roosevelt. Many of the subject manners also lined up well in comparison with the class