Question

What was a characteristic of american companies in the 1920

Answer 1

 Before the Crash in 1929, it was a time of rapid change. Cars were becoming more common, there was probably a baby boom, though smaller than the one after WWII, when the soldiers returning from WWI settled down and started families. 

Commercial radio started about 1920 and by the end of the decade probably a large percentage of the population had a radio. Movies were fairly cheap and 'talkes' started about 1927. 

The upper classes often had children who went to college and college football, fraternities, etc were getting popular. Most of the middle class and poor had high school educations or dropped out to work. A few middle class or poor students went to college on scholarships or by working their way through school. 

The rich and even some of the middle class were buying stocks and making money fairly fast. Corporations were growing and big business was probably seen as a good thing, But when the stock market crashed, many of the wealthy investors lost everything. 

Fashions were changing, women were wearing shorter skirts, make-up and short hair. Smoking, which in years would lead to a huge increase in heart disease and cancer, was getting more common with men and women. 

Prohibition of alcohol sales was in effect, but many drank illegal liquor and "Speak Easies" or illegal establishments that sold liquor were flourishing. Jazz, originally only an African American music was gaining huge popularity with Whites and Blacks, and not only in the US. Some Black entertainers were getting popular, like Louis Armstrong. Movie stars were huge celebrities even then. When movie idol and early sex symbol Rudolph Valentino died in the mid 20's, thousands tried to attend his funeral. (Sound like any recent events?) The Charleston was a very popular dance. Teenaged or young adult women were sometimes called "Flappers". 

It was the era when the "White Picket Fence" dream was popular. Many families were big. Houses were fairly inexpensive for the middle class and often extended families lived together or close together. Of course there were very poor people, including sharecroppers, Black and White in the South. They did not lose much in the Depression in some cases, because they had little to lose to begin with.