US History › Section I · The West and big business › Topic I.8
A new consumer culture
By 1900, factories, railways and new ways of selling had turned many Americans from people who made most of what they used into consumers who bought it. Department stores, chain stores, mail-order catalogues, brands, advertising and credit shaped a culture that still defines American life.
In this topic
- From making to buying
- Department stores
- Chain stores
- Mail order reaches the countryside
- Worked example: reading a mail-order catalogue
- Brands and advertising
- Buying on credit
- Who could take part?
- Leisure for sale
- Worked example: why a national market emerged
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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