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The Rise of Popular Consumerism in the Late 19 th Century

The Rise of Popular Consumerism in the Late 19 th Century. Why do so many Americans carry credit card debt?. Vocabulary:. Consumerism - The idea that an ever-expanding consumption of goods is good for the economy

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The Rise of Popular Consumerism in the Late 19 th Century

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  1. The Rise of Popular Consumerism in the Late 19th Century

  2. Why do so many Americans carry credit card debt?
  3. Vocabulary: Consumerism - The idea that an ever-expanding consumption of goods is good for the economy Deflation - A fall in the general price level or a contraction of credit and available money Circulation - The distribution of copies of a periodical among readers Credit – A purchaser's ability to obtain goods or services from a seller without immediate payment on the promise to pay later
  4. The Emerging Middle Class Americans devoted themselves to spending money as well as making it Deflation and mass production slashed prices An ever-larger range of consumer products available to more Americans
  5. Publications Advances in printing led to mass circulation Newspapers, magazines, illustrated books, posters, and trading cards
  6. Advertising subsidized much of the production costs Lowering subscription costs Allowed companies to reach a broader audience
  7. Rail & Telegraph Used by wholesalers and advertisers to build nationwide marketing networks
  8. Mass Consumer Culture With their pace of life accelerating, Americans were captivated by a host of new convenience products The promise of material comfort and pleasure was offered to anyone who could raise the cash
  9. Hand-held cameras Gillette safety razor w/ disposable blades 5 cent pre-rolled cigarette packs Jell-O Aunt Jemima mixes Uneeda biscuits
  10. Companies offered consumers energy to compete in the economy Coffee Coca-Cola Sugar also took on mass market forms: Tootsie Rolls Cracker Jack Chewing Gum Chocolate
  11. Advertisement not well-regulated at the time Companies made claims that were: Exaggerated Impossible to prove Just plain untrue
  12. Debt problems Social pressure to keep up with the times compelled many people to purchase new “solutions to modern living” Eager consumers, given the chance to purchase items on credit, overspent their means and found themselves with debt problems
  13. Respectable middle-class women, lost in the fantasy world of department stores, began to steal Doctors were puzzled why a well-to-do woman would shoplift … they labeled it “kleptomania”
  14. Please observe these advertisements from the Gilded Age and think about the meaning and content of the ads
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