This document provides an overview of major economic and cultural trends in the United States from the 1920s through the present. It discusses the Roaring Twenties era of conspicuous consumption, followed by economic hard times during the Great Depression. After World War II, suburbanization and consumerism increased as the US economy dominated globally. Shopping malls then replaced downtown department stores to better serve consumers in the suburbs. More recently, "big box" retailers and online shopping have challenged traditional malls.