1915 vs 2015: What a long way America has come

BY 1915, the United States was the world's richest nation - and yet, most Americans were dirt poor by today's standards. Adjusted for inflation, men's average wages were about a third of what full-time workers now earn. The average work week in manufacturing hovered around 50 hours, and many employees worked a half day on Saturday. Less than a third of homes had electric lights. Less than a fifth of the adult population were high-school graduates.

How we've changed.

Every so often, we need to take note. For all of today's pessimism, America's long-term trends are mostly positive. We tend to forget that and the parallel lessons. First, dramatic change is a constant; the notion that we're living in a period of exceptional upheaval is short-sighted fiction. And second, America has a solid record of adapting to change, albeit with some setbacks and regrets.