1920s Flashcards
What was Laissez Faire?
The system of govt used which emphasised a lack of regulations and providing more power to businesses.
What groups missed out on prosperity in the 1920s?
Farmers, women, racial minorities(Natives, black Americans, Mexicans)
When did women gain the right to vote
August 1920
Did women have proper political representation?
No, only 2 women out of 435 in house of representatives
How did black Americans live in this period?
Many tried to migrate north, they faced discrimination in housing and jobs, lived in poor overcrowded conditions.
Why did farmers suffer?
Higher living standards meant people bought less cereal. Prohibition hugely cut demand for grain. Tractors were used so farmers became unemployed. 66% of farmers operated at a loss.
What were the main causes of the wall street crash?
The bull market, overproduction, Land speculation, weakness of the banking system, Laissez Faire/Easy credit system.
What was the issue with the bull market?
People were inside trading and artificially inflating the value of stocks. When outsiders invested they all sold and the value of the stocks plummeted.
What was the issue with easy credit?
Credit was given out in the form of loans and people bought luxury items with money that they could not afford or pay back.
What was land speculation?
People bought land in Florida to build homes/hotels. These were destroyed by natural disaster and the land was ruined and went down in value, causing a lot of money to be lost.
What was the issue of overproduction?
American goods were not sold abroad. Americans could not buy the amount of technological luxuries that companies thought they would be able to afford so things like washing machines and fridges were overproduced. A lot of food wasn’t sold off so farmers were losing money.
What were the weaknesses of the banking system?
Banks could regulate without govt interference. Most banks were small so could not cope with financial problems. Interest rates were kept low.
Why were people afraid of immigration in the 1920s?
Many thought immigrants would take their jobs as they would work for lower wages. People were concerned about the survival of the Anglo-Saxon race and they thought immigrants were a threat to traditional values.
What was the 1921 emergency immigration law?
It was a law imposing an annul ceiling of immigration from any European country, limiting it to 3% of nationals from that country living in the USA in 1911.
Why did the 1921 immigration law favor white Protestants?
They were the group who had moved to the US in the biggest numbers before 1911 and so a larger number could move to the US.
What was the 1924 Johnson-Reed immigration act?
Banned immigration from Japan. Set a ceiling of immigration at 150,000 per year which didn’t apply to Mexicans.
What was the red scare?
The fear of the rise of communism in America. There was a fear it was going to disrupt and overthrow the American way of life. there were over 6,000 arrests in early 1920 during the Palmer raids.
What was the case of Sacco and Vanzetti?
They were two Italian immigrants accused of carrying out armed robbery. They claimed to be anarchists and despite little evidence of crime they were executed. This caused uproar in north but garnered support in the south.
Who were the main groups advocating for prohibition?
Women’s groups - Saw alcohol as a way for men to oppress them.
Big business - Saw drunkenness’ leading to danger and inefficiency in the workplace.
Religious groups - believed that alcohol was the work of the devil and overwhelmingly responsible for sin.
Why did prohibition fail?
Crime leaders started to see opportunities. They started illegally selling alcohol which led to large violence and gang control. People drank in speakeasies which were places to dance, drink and listen to jazz. America needed alcohol to boost their economy during the great depression as millions were being lost. The leaders of the movement pushed the poisoning of alcohol and lost popularity. Many advocates of the movement drank themselves.
What did the 18th amendment state?
The sale, transportation and manufacture of intoxicating liquor was banned. ( anything more than5%)
How did chemists contribute to the failure of the prohibition?
Could sell alcohol on doctors prescriptions. Many people known as bootleggers sold alcohol illegally.
What good did prohibition do?
Alcohol consumption fell from 2.6 gallons to one gallon per person per year. Arrests for drunkenness’ fell as did deaths from alcoholism. Roads were safer and fewer accidents in the workplace.
What were typical qualities of flappers?
Women more provocative, styled hair, smoking, drinking, revealing clothes.
