Things in 1865 and 1866 started looking up for some African Americans with Sherman’s Field Order #15 that gave blacks 40 acres and a mule and the Homestead Act. This gave African Americans the ability to have land and work. For other minorities migration to cities to find work seemed more appealing. It turned out to be a hard life for many as finding jobs and residence proved to be very hard. Along with their many difficulties they faced discrimination from many in the south the most well known group was the KKK. Groups such as these ignored the many laws put into to place to prevent such violent discrimination and have an equal nation; Laws such as the Civil Rights Acts, the 14th Amendment and the 15th Amendment. Was allowing this part of Reconstruction? Did the efforts to reconstruct really work? I don�

By 1920 a great new era emerged for many, yet the agriculture industry was still suffering. The minorities and immigrants still suffered as well from discrimination and constant cultural conflict. These groups were essentially left out of the new era in more ways than one. Many were isolated in ghettos (African Americans) and barrios (Mexican Americans) and left with very little income or access to things like electricity and decent jobs. Again the middle class urban population continued to prosper with massive technology and machinery increasing productivity people were pouring into the cities. Those with high positions and wealth moved up and got wealthier with ever growing corporate power.

In the wide spectrum of it all most Americans were traditional and did not prosper or approve of the rapid growth of this century, or what it was doing to divide the nation. Many have suffered economically and morally. More than 40% of the population on this day July 4th, 1929 has an income of less than $1,500 per year. Equality has expanded to some degree, but not enough. The technological advancement of this century has been astounding and has changed life for all Americans forever! Our government has gained more control and passed many new laws, but in many cases worked more for themselves than for “We the People”. One thing has fed off of another and things do have to grow and change, but changing at such a rapid, sometimes careless pace can be dangerous. As they say what goes up must come down! We will see…

A factor controlled by the government that helped increase this consumerism was the reduction of taxes. This thanks to Mellon, a wealthy banker who pushed congress to reduce taxes promoting the trickle down affect. He was wrong nothing trickled down. “Other factors controlled by the Republican dominated government was the appointing of big business advocates to the regulating agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve.”(pp789 American Journal). A big mistake this is a time when neutrality should have come into play. As far as the Presidency it stayed basically the same. Hoover (1928) seemed to follow Harding’s (1920) footsteps on at least one aspect, the support of big business. President Coolidge (1924) seemed to oppose Harding’s ways but did little to change things, he was just mean.

For the most part attempts at reconstruction failed, especially for the farmer. With prices down for crops and slavery a thing of the past, many farmers began to rely heavily on tenancy and sharecropping just to stay afloat. Things just kept getting worse for the farmer. On the other hand by the late 1800’s other industries were growing. Factories were being built employing many, as well as railroads. The New South was emerging with more jobs; more people were migrating to the towns and cities. The growth seemed to stay in the towns and cities, because urban areas had public school, health care, electricity and telephones and the rural areas did not. Although with travel easier rural areas began to get newspapers and some products from the urban areas, therefore were in some way being influ

Some topics in this essay:
Bank England, American Journal, Rights Acts, Laurel Hardy, African American, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Reserve Act, World War, President Coolidge, stock market, african americans, value dollar, july 4th 1929, decreased value dollar, commission federal, stay neutral, middle class, mass production, trade commission, money stock, money stock market, federal trade commission, federal trade, trade commission federal,