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The Roaring Twenties (Parts 1 - 4):

Andrew Mellon

The influential U.S. Secretary of the Treasury during the 1920s and the architect of the decade's pro-business economic policies.

Fiscal Conservatism

An economic philosophy that advocates for lower taxes, reduced government spending, and minimal government intervention in the economy.

Deregulation

The reduction or elimination of government regulations in a particular industry or the economy as a whole.

Stock Market

A place where shares of publicly held companies are bought and sold. The 1920s saw a massive speculative boom in the stock market. 

Global Reserve Currency

A currency held in significant quantities by governments and institutions worldwide. The U.S. dollar replaced the British pound as the primary reserve currency after WWI.

Income Inequality

The unequal distribution of income across a population. Critics argued that the policies of the 1920s exacerbated this.

Mass Production & Consumer Culture

The new economic model of the 1920s, based on factories producing large quantities of goods and a culture that encouraged people to buy them, often on credit. 

Supply-Side Economics

A modern economic theory arguing that economic growth can be most effectively created by lowering taxes and decreasing regulation.

Benjamin Strong

The total amount of money in circulation in an economy. The Gold Rush caused a massive increase in the global money supply.

Monetary Policy

Actions undertaken by a central bank to manipulate the money supply and credit conditions to stimulate or restrain economic activity.

Open Market Operations

The buying and selling of government securities by a central bank to influence the money supply. 

Discount Rate

The interest rate at which commercial banks can borrow money directly from the central bank. 

Reserve Requirements

The portion of a bank's deposits that it must hold in reserve and cannot lend out. 

Interest Rates

The cost of borrowing money. The Fed's policy of low interest rates fueled the 1920s boom. 

Speculation

The practice of engaging in risky financial transactions in an attempt to profit from short-term market fluctuations. 

Jesse Livermore

A legendary stock market speculator who was a major figure during the 1920s boom and subsequent crash.

Speculative Bubble

A situation in which asset prices rise far above their intrinsic value, driven by speculation and irrational exuberance rather than fundamental analysis. 

Margin Trading

The practice of buying stocks with borrowed money from a broker, which amplifies both potential gains and potential losses.

Financial Innovation

The development of new financial products and services. In the 1920s, this included investment trusts. 

Investment Trusts

Companies that pool money from individual investors to buy a diversified portfolio of stocks and other assets, making it easier for the public to participate in the market. 

John J. Raskob

A prominent businessman and financier known for his optimistic views on the stock market, famously encouraging everyone to invest. 

The Great Crash

The stock market crash of October 1929, particularly the events of "Black Thursday" (October 24) and "Black Tuesday" (October 29), which marked the end of the Roaring Twenties and the beginning of the Great Depression. 

Herbert Hoover

The President of the United States at the time of the Great Crash.

Margin Trading

The practice of buying stocks with borrowed money. During the crash, "margin calls" forced investors to sell, creating a downward spiral in prices.

Sources for The Roaring Twenties (Part 1): The Age of Excess

  • "The Roaring Twenties" by Frederick Lewis Allen
  • "Only Yesterday" by Frederick Lewis Allen
  • "The Great Crash 1929" by John Kenneth Galbraith
  • "A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960" by Milton Friedman and Anna Jacobson Schwartz
  • "Mellon: The Man and His Work" by John Kennedy Ohl

Sources for The Roaring Twenties (Part 2): The Fed and the Boom

  • "A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960" by Milton Friedman and Anna Jacobson Schwartz
  • "The Federal Reserve System: Purposes and Functions" by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
  • "The Great Crash 1929" by John Kenneth Galbraith
  • "Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World" by Liaquat Ahamed

Sources for The Roaring Twenties (Part 3): The Stock Market Frenzy

  • "The Great Crash 1929" by John Kenneth Galbraith
  • "Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises" by Charles P. Kindleberger
  • "The Lords of Easy Money" by Christopher Leonard
  • "Reminiscences of a Stock Operator" by Edwin Lefèvre (a fictionalized account of Jesse Livermore's life)

Sources for The Roaring Twenties (Part 4): The Great Crash

  • "The Great Crash 1929" by John Kenneth Galbraith
  • "A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960" by Milton Friedman and Anna Jacobson Schwartz
  • "Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression" by Studs Terkel
  • "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?: The Great Depression, 1929-1933" by Milton Meltzer
  • "The Hoover Years: Affliction of Prosperity" by David Burner

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