Daily Life, 1920-1940 in the United States

 
Many of the recent ancestors of particular interest in my family tree and hubby's family tree were born or came of age in the United States during the period between the two World Wars. All four of my immigrant grandparents settled in New York City during these three decades, and my parents were very young but growing up. My husband's mother and father were in high school and then he went on to college during the Roaring Twenties.

No wonder I was drawn to this concise and readable book by David E. Kyvig, Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940. Only 300 pages plus notes and bibliography and a detailed index. See table of contents below.

Unlike conventional history books, Kyvig's book looks at local, national, and international events, plus politics and law, social movements, religion, economic developments, technology, transportation, entertainment and more--all through the lens of how they affected people living in the States, both in rural communities and in busy metropolitan areas. Solid historical and social context, covering well-known events with the focus on the consequences for everyday people going about their daily lives.

Kyvig examines trends revealed by Census data and by numerous studies such as the 1929/1937 books about Muncie, Indiana to understand how American daily life changed in communities from coast to coast after the "Great War," during the Great Depression, and as the economy finally began to turn around. The author examines influences like: Prohibition. Radio. Movies. Car culture. These and other changes gave me more insights into how my ancestors probably lived during the period.

If your local library doesn't have this informative book, you can find it on the Internet Archive here. Dip in and dig a little deeper into how your US ancestors might lived at that time! 

PS There are similar books that explore daily life during other periods in history. I'm checking them out to better understand my older ancestors too.