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Just the Facts: The Emergence of
Modern America uses fascinating historical footage to explore six decades
that shaped modern America. The series examines the Gilded Age in the late
19th century, the Progressive Era of the early 20th century, the Roaring
Twenties, and the Great Depression.
The Gilded Age -- In 1873, Mark
Twain co-authored a satirical novel entitled The Gilded Age. The process of
gilding involves applying a thin layer of gold to an object to make it appear
more valuable. Historians adopted Twain's title to describe a period of
American history characterized by prosperity and industrialization that
thinly disguised blatant corruption in politics and business. This program
explores many facets of the Gilded Age, including industrialization and the
growth of big business, the urbanization of America, the grueling working
conditions many endured, and the influence of Victorian culture on American
society.
The Progressive Era -- This program explores our history and
culture during the early 20th century, when a wave of reforms changed our
political system and attempted to remedy the social and economic inequities
arising from industrialization and urbanization. Progressive President Theodore
Roosevelt helped set the tone of the era by supporting regulation of
industry, initiating government reforms, and promoting conservation of public
lands.
The Roaring Twenties -- In the presidential election of 1920,
war-weary Americans elected Warren G. Harding, who promised a return to
"normalcy." His inauguration in 1921 ushered in an exciting era of
prosperity, rapid industrialization, social experimentation, and artistic
renaissance -- the Roaring Twenties, also known as the Jazz Age. This program
explores the enormous social and cultural changes of this era.
The Great Depression -- With the crash of the stock market on
October 29, 1929, America's economic expansion and prosperity came to an
abrupt end, and citizens faced extraordinary hardships that persisted
throughout the era that President Hoover named the Depression. This program
examines the many factors that led to the Depression, Hoover's attempts to
counter the nation's economic woes, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal
programs
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