The 1920s were a time of change for the American people and began with a boom. This boom was initially caused by the combination of America's inherent rich natural resources and World War I, and was further driven by the lack of business regulation promoted by the Republican government and new, different, and improved ways of doing business and of businesses. industry. Although the boom would never have occurred without the initial causes, the boom would never have had such a profound impact on all aspects of the economy and society as it had if it were not for the revolution in industry and its effect on the state of mind of the American population. The main reason for the boom in the 1920s was the confidence and new attitude of the population, which caused and were caused by the boom, and which therefore supported the boom. The boom began as a result of America's immense industrial might. This was caused largely by World War I and the unique nature of American involvement in it. For much of the war America did not actively participate, but instead lent money and exported weapons, ammunition, and food supplies to the Allies (Walsh 187). They also took the opportunity to expand their markets into the colonies of the warring countries and reaped economic benefits from it. Furthermore, the war conveniently destroyed their industrial competitors; after the war, the industries of many countries were impoverished. Their steel, coal, oil, and textile industries remained strong after the war, and the chemical and film industries developed; America was the industrial leader of the world (Walsh 186). Furthermore, the growth and actions of these businesses have not been regulated by the predominantly Republican government... middle of paper... their industries, the economy and futures, with the result that continued investment and consumption have continued to fuel the boom. The boom began as a result of circumstances largely irrelevant to the American population at large, but once set in motion the machine was driven by the people. People had the time and money to purchase goods and invest in the economy, and it thrived; thus unemployment decreased and wages increased. More and more people were employed and had money, which they used to purchase consumer products, which then continued to fuel the booming economy. Therefore the main reason for the boom of the 1920s was the increased accessibility of consumer products and the resulting empowerment of consumers. The boom of the 1920s marked the birth of the mass market and consumer-driven economy. Works Cited Walsh, Ben. GCSE Modern World History. 2nd ed. 1996. London: John Murray, 2001.Print.