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Connecticut
During the Early 20th Century
Early 20th century American history is full of important
events and trends, including reform, war, and depression.
Connecticut, as a highly industrialized urban society,
strongly felt the need for reform, the call for
war support, and the devastation of the Great Depression.
Following the pattern set by the leaders of the
state during past wars, Connecticut again took its
position as the "Provisions State" during both of
the World Wars. Connecticut used its manufacturing
economy to support the war effort, providing ammunition,
firearms, and textiles. During the Second World
War, demands on the manufacturing economy were increased.
Millions of government dollars were invested in
Connecticut's economy, creating a war boom of unprecedented
proportions.
Between
the wars, Connecticut's economy both boomed and
busted. The 1920s brought a general prosperity to
the state, as it did much of the country. Popular
culture was forever changed by the growth of the
radio and film industries, and the automobile became
a solid fixture in American transportation. Through
media and transportation, the country became connected
in a way that it never had been. Cars made the rural
areas seem closer, and radios brought news and entertainment
to everyone. Connecticut's manufacturing economy
used the new ideas of "scientific management," to
increase productivity, which resulted in above normal
earnings for the decade. No one anticipated the
crash and lingering depression that was to come.
| Immediately
following the Stock Market Crash of
1929, Connecticut's manufacturers remained
optimistic, but their confidence did
not hold for long; by 1930, 50,809 Connecticut
workers were unemployed. Just two years
later, that number had risen to 140,000.(12)
Public and private welfare agencies
were overwhelmed by the increasing numbers
of needy people, and were much relieved
by the New Deal. The relief efforts
of the New Deal, including work projects
such as the Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC), and the Works Projects Administration
(WPA), brought immediate help to the
state's unemployed. Although highly
controversial, the New Deal Programs
did succeed in keeping the country's
populations alive until the recuperation
brought by the Second World War. In
Connecticut, the CCC had employed about
18,000 people. It is estimated that
$90,000,000 was invested solely in Connecticut
through direct relief, work relief,
homeowner loans, and other New Deal
funding agencies.
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|
Number of Connecticut
Citizens in the Armed
Forces, WWII
-
Army
& Air Force 145,294
-
Navy
54,445
-
Marine
Corps 8,561
-
Coast
Guard 2,591
-
Total
210,891
|
American
entry in the Second World War, and its immediate
demands for products, proved strong enough to lift
the country out of the Great Depression and into
an era of prosperity. As before, Connecticut used
its industrial economy to create war products and
sent thousands of her own into battle. The efforts
of Connecticut's people were once again used for
the greater good of the country.
Connecticut's
history can seem highly cyclical at times, going
from depression, to war, to economic prosperity,
and back again. However, between those major trends,
Connecticut created a unique culture. The people
of Connecticut have worked to produce an economy
of varied industries, using diversification successfully.
Scores of different people have settled in the state,
ranging from religious radicals of the 17th century,
to immigrants in flight of poverty in the 19th and
20th centuries. These people have come together
to create a solid, yet diverse, cultural, political,
and economic history.
(12) Dusen,
298.
Bibliography
Fraser, Bruce. "Connecticut to 1763," Laptop
Encyclopedia of Connecticut History,
<www.ctheritage.org/encyclopedia.htm>.
Koeing, Samuel. Immigrant Settlements in Connecticut:
Their Growth and Characteristics, Hartford,
Connecticut: Connecticut State Department of Education,
1938.
Lewis, Thomas R. and Harmon, John, E. Connecticut,
A Geography, (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press,
1986.
Roth, David M. Connecticut: A Bicentennial History,
New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1979.
Van Dusen, Albert E. Connecticut, New York: Random
House, 1961.
Click
here to continue
By
Rickie Lazzerini
Historian
BA History
University of California, Santa Barbara
Index
of Historical Reviews
© 2006 Rickie Lazzerini,
All Rights Reserved
This page may be freely linked to but may not
be reproduced
in any form without prior written consent from
the author.
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