Customer Reviews

The Big Change: America Transforms Itself 1900-1950

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Well, this book was recommended to me by a teacher who was surprised by the fact I went through my US History class without learning much about the first half of the twentieth century. I only knew about the New Deal & FDR. This book is wonderful. It gives a more colorful perspective on the first half of the twentieth than a textbook could ever and what's ironic is it doesn't talk about the New Deal as much as my US History teacher did. From this book, I've learned more what America was like and who were the truly big movers and shakers, and it wasn't always the president! If you like history and you want to read something from someone who actually lived through the "big change" (and want to read something less formal that a textbook and chuckle about situations of the past), I truly recommend this book. What's even more ironic is the book I have was one of the original copies which only cost 85 cents. Now it's up to about $25. For a paperback! What a change!

Nice piece of work that does a good job of tracing the transformations that took place in the first half of the century. I found an old copy at a bookstore for $20 in mint condition...on-line you may find it cheaper at an auction. Writing style is a bit dry, so the book does plod in some places. Still, a good starter for anyone wanting to better understand the growth of the USA from rural/isolationist to global superpower.

I thought this was a good book as it discussed the Changes that happened in one of the most dyanimc times in American History. Two world wars, a world wide depression and the assimilation of new technologies, many new (airplane, radio and TV) and others maturing (telephones, electricity, and automobiles). The complete change in the quality and pace of life for individuals and society from 1900 to 1950 were dramatic. This is a good book to explain the changes and the effect it had. It also, without knowing it at the time sets up, as a precursor, the changes of the next 50 years.

The Big Change, Frederick Lewis Allen

This 1952 book has eighteen chapters, an Appendix, and Index to record the changes in the first half of the twentieth century. The `Foreword' explains its purpose in describing the changing standard of living in America (but not its cause). The old views of the US being controlled by Wall Street is outdated, he says (p.x). This book will explain the differences in today's America to counter European views of America (as seen by the author). This book has the advantages of hindsight. The bicycling craze of the 1880s taught people they could go where they wanted when they wanted, and led to a future demand for automobiles. Electric trolleys were booming a century ago, only to go bust during the Great Depression. Is this book now as outdated as the events it described sixty years ago?

Part One tells about "The Old Order". A century ago the biggest item would be the great number of horses for motive power (p.7). Play was spontaneous and democratic, people did not want special costumes or "supervised play" (p.24). People depended on locally-owned newspapers (p.23). Local Society (big landowners or local businesses) was powerful (p.39). One sign of decadence was the fashion in marrying European nobility (p.42). Allen's idea that an automobile is more costly than a horse and carriage is quite wrong (p.44). His non-recognition of cheap labor (pp.45-47) is another error. (He admits this on page 48.) Chapter 3 tells about immigration but not what caused this surge from Europe. Chapter 4 is the most important in its short history of corporations, stock manipulation, trusts, and holding companies. "Classical economics" was a set of beliefs or fantasies (p.66). Chapter 5 tells how the Ruling Class controlled the Federal Government (the Senate picks the judges who make the legal decisions). Getting elected to Congress resulted in getting wealthy (p.88). People were seemingly ignorant of the effects of business on politicians (p.90). Yet the Tariff Question was an important political topic.

Part Two tells how changes came in the 20th century. Teddy Roosevelt used the Antitrust Act to break up Northern Securities. Magazines reported on the crooks in business and politics (p.99). Wall Street controlled large sections of business (p.103). People were swindled by investments. [The New Deal Securities Laws changed this until they were neutralized after 1993.] The 16th to 19th Amendments were passed in a few years. Chapter 7 discusses mass production. Henry Ford's Model T was revolutionary (p.111). The increasing number of automobiles brought other changes. Selling fraudulent stocks and bonds swindled millions and led to the Great Depression (p.141). The fact was that most people were living in poverty (p.144). Artificially rising prices soon collapsed (Chapter 10). The war benefitted workers who earned a higher wage (p.170). Better food and medicines led to longer lives, a physically bigger and numerically larger population.

Part Three tells about "The New America" (the effects of the New Deal). Does mass advertising control people's thinking (p.224)? Life has become less formal (p.229). Allen describes the "New Style" of corporations in Chapter 16. [No mention of foreign competition.] Chapter 17 tells about cultural changes after the war. Were those `venomous letters' another example of misinformed people (p.283)? Chapter 18 provides a summary of this book. A more equal distribution of income expanded the market for everyone (p.286). Allen discusses the opposing politics of people (p.290). He ends with some suggestions about changing our minds (p.293). The `Appendix' explains the origin of this book, which is a summary arrangement and analysis of familiar data (p.296), not a history. It is a readable and entertaining story about the past. Actually, the real Great Change occurred during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1900) when the modern world began: railroads, telegraph, telephone, electricity, professional sports, the growth of cities, etc.

This book, published in the early 1950's, summarizes the changes to our society during the first half of the 20th century. Comparing these changes to those of the second half, it can be inferred that the pace of historical change has actually slowed down. The world is actually becoming more stable. A fascinating perspective on modern times