The Age of Reform

The first decades of the 20th century were characterized by technological advancements. Chief among these was the replacement of horse-drawn vehicles by the gasoline-powered car, which necessitated the development of a nationwide infrastructure of paved highways and filling stations. The racial landscape of America was altered as well by the exodus of large numbers of African Americans from the rural south to such cities as Chicago, St. Louis, and New York. While America's participation in World War I was limited due to a lengthy neutrality policy, the conflict produced a shift in the country's morals that shaped both popular and political culture throughout the rest of the century, exemplified by the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 which granted women the right to vote.