Click on the category to learn more about the era of the Great Gatsby.....

* Surges in Nationalism after WWI created a renewed sense of pride in the US, however, it came at the expense of increased intolerance of ethnic diversity and immigration.

* The Russian Revolution, which began at the end years of WWI, was responsible for transforming Russia to a Communist government. Seeing this many Americans feared the same transformation could happen in the US as well. Many American responded with extreme hostility and hatred toward new immigrants and those with “extreme” views.

* Due to this fear, immigration dropped in the US significantly in the 20s. Immigration in 1890-1900 had capped out at over 1 million, in the 20s that number decreased to only 110,00. Moreover, congress passed laws to limit numbers of persons immigrating in general, and banned immigration all together from nations such as Russia and Italy.

In 1913 Fords assembly lines were rolling out model Ts to all who could afford them. By 1927 all the parts for the cars were made on the spot and production efficiency skyrocketed

Ford’s goal was to have every person in America behind the wheel of a model T. To achieve this goal families could drive off with a car with only a few dollars down, paying the rest later.

For the first time in history, women got behind the wheel and learned to drive in greater numbers than ever before.

The most popular car in America was the Ford Model A. Ford and Chevrolet dominated the auto market until the stock market crash.

The automobile industry boomed after World War I. Ownership of an automobile aside from making everyday life more convenient came to symbolize economic status and independence

The Lavish lifestyle came to a grinding halt inOctober of 1929. In just four days stocks dropped to more than half their value. Fortunes were lost and the despair of the great depression began.