This paper examines the historical development of American consumer culture. It begins with a timetable of events that shaped contemporary consumer culture. A definition of consumer culture is provided. The paper then explains how these historical events have led to a culture and an identity based largely on consumption. In turn, the paper shows how the interaction of corporate promotional strategy and consumer psychology led to the very world de Tocqueville predicted in the early 1800s. Moreover, although many people think of the U.S. as being the quintessential consumer culture, the events that led to this culture were global in nature and resulted in the spread of consumer culture throughout much of the world.

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Keywords

• Consumer Culture
• History of American Marketing

(30 min. Conference Paper, English)