‘1923’: Why the Great Depression Is Already Underway in Montana

The new Taylor Sheridan series 1923 takes place during an important period of time in United States history. When many people think of this decade, they picture the elegant outfits and elaborate parties of the Roaring ’20s, when economic growth in social change abound. Some may not realize that for some areas of the country, the depression that would sweep the nation in the years to come had already begun.

What is Taylor Sheridan’s series ‘1923’ about?

Taylor Sheridan’s latest series, 1923, tells the story of the Duttons 40 years after they originally settled in Montana. James Dutton’s brother Jacob is now the patriarch, and the early 20th-century family has plenty to handle to protect their land.

The series synopsis, shared by Town and Country, reads, “1923 focuses on the Dutton family’s next two generations as they struggle to survive historic drought, lawlessness and prohibition, and an epidemic of cattle theft; all battled beneath the cloud of Montana’s great depression, which preceded the nation by almost a decade.”

The Great Depression had already begun in Montana by 1923

In 1923, most of the United States was enjoying a period of economic growth. Jazz and other arts flourished, women rallied for the right to vote, and booze flowed freely at speakeasies, despite the ban known as Prohibition.

Those who paid attention in history class may recall that the Great Depression in the United States officially took place between 1929 and 1939. The stock market crash of 1929 kicked off this era, sending Wall Street into a panic. By 1933, an estimated 15 million Americans were unemployed, and close to half the country’s banks had failed.

So why does 1923 promise to detail the Great Depression if it is set six years prior to the stock market crash? As the series synopsis points out, trouble for farmers in the treasure state began much earlier. “The Great Depression came early to Montana, beginning in 1918 while the rest of the country thrived,” says an article from Historic Montana.

“Drought and reduced demand for agricultural products following World War I forced many farmers to default on wartime loans, causing widespread bank failure. Debilitating droughts continued to ravage Montana intermittently throughout the 1920s.”

Prohibition and lawlessness set the scene for ‘1923’

As well as the Great Depression in Montana, 1923 takes place in the middle of Prohibition. In 1920, the Volstead Act federally banned the production and distribution of alcohol. A new issue emerged as criminal gangs took hold of the distribution of liquor and beer in many states. Interestingly, Montana was also the first state to repeal the enforcement of prohibition in 1926.

The series synopsis for 1923 promises lawlessness and conflict in the new series. While the Duttons might not be dealing with criminals like Al Capone, they have enemies to face, like Donald Whitfield, the family’s wealthy new neighbor, and others who are after their land.

1923 premieres Sunday, December 18, 2022, on Paramount+.