Roaring Twenties

About Roaring Twenties

A decade of economic boom and stock market speculation from 1920 to 1929. The Dow rose from 63 in 1921 to 381 in 1929, a 500 percent increase. Margin buying allowed investors to purchase stocks with just 10 percent down. The decade saw the birth of consumer culture, radio, automobiles, and mass production. Florida land speculation preceded the broader market bubble. The music, dance, and nightlife of the Jazz Age defined the era culturally. The party ended abruptly with the 1929 crash. The contrast between the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression that followed was devastating.