By, Elana Cooper, Safiya Lochan, and Gabriela Patla

 40% of nations people lived in cities  More Americans lived in cities of 2,500+ people than in small towns or rural areas  Immigrants settled in New York due to the open jobs and the fact that they were brought over from Ellis Island.  Immigrants were attracted to the cheap housing and job opportunities in the city  They moved in large groups of mainly young men who hoped to be successful in the city  Foreigners of many different cultures all came in large groups  The percentage of immigrants were cut down each year

 Majority of the male population in high school were drafted into the army due to World War I so school wasn’t a priority.  They often started families and got jobs at an early age unless they were in the war.  Girls were influenced by the flapper style which became the latest trend.  Rock N’ Roll set an example of what men/teenagers should wear which was a leather jacket.

 Prohibition began on January 16, 1920  Speakeasies were created which were hidden rooms in public areas that illegally sold alcohol  Speakeasies used secrets codes that you would have to say in order to fool the police and keep them from finding out about the speakeasy  The people who were involved in speakeasies were usually in gangs and supplied the alcohol, or flappers who would dance all night

 Work was usually hours but it later became 8 hours in the 1930’s due to much protest  Jobs during this time weren’t much different how they are now excluding the fact that women were now starting to get a bit more equality.  Down in the South farming, share croppers and tenant farmers were still in business  New York Had more doctors, shopkeepers, lawyers and clergies  Outside the city there would usually be factories, seamstresses, miners and loggers

 Lived on the outskirts of the cities because the city was overpopulated and they could afford to have a car to transport in and out of the city as much as they needed.  Created separate neighborhoods for themselves in the suburbs.  Built mansions on large empty plots at the edges of cities.  The ones that did live in the city lived on the upper side

 Holland Tunnel opens  Development of railroads, street cars, and trolleys in the 19 th century allowed city boundaries to expand  People didn’t have to live within walking distance of their jobs  The cities roadways could not keep up with the growing demand for automobiles  More than half a million new cars were built but there were no highways constructed.  Because there weren’t any highways, cars traveled through the cities which caused heavy traffic.  transportation video transportation video

 Besides cars as a new invention, many appliances that we use today were invented during this time period as well.  The radio became a big hit for spreading information quickly, the media had a major influence on people.  Because of the crowded streets and accidents the traffic lights were created to ease congestion.  Assembly lines were created to increase production and produce things more quickly and efficiently.

 The great depression began on October 29, 1929 (Also known as Black Tuesday) on the day that the stock market crashed  The stock market crash was only the beginning to the crisis  It left many homeless and unemployed  The US wasn’t the only country to have a depression. France, Germany and England had one as well.  It lasted until 1939

 Much lower than previous decades but still common  3.2 million people were unemployed after the depression  Unemployment rose up to about 25% of the country and even 33% in other countries  People were desperate for money so they sold basically any item they could find.