America Flashcards
Democratic Party (donkey)
- intervened in other peoples lives; favoured helping most vulnerable
- more liberal (prepared to change things
Republican Party (donkey)
- preserved traditions
- ‘laissez-faire’ policy (stayed out of people’s lives)
Order of American politics
- Federal (central) Government
- President, Congress, Supreme Court
- House of Representatives, US Senate
- State (local) Government
- Voters
What was the Federal Government?
- Based in Washington DC
- controls currency, foreign policy and US defence
- System of ‘checks and balances’ to make sure one section isn’t more powerful than another
Who was the President?
- lives in White House
- elected every 4 years (voted for directly)
- 3 main roles: Head of Government, Head of state and Chief In Army/ navy
What is the congress?
- made laws (legislative powers)
- can accept/ reject president’s policies
- declare war/ peace
- made of 2 houses (bothe elected by people
What is the Supreme Court?
- 9 judges (chosen by president)
- endures President is acting in a “constitutional” way
What is the House of Representatives?
- 435 members elected every 2 years
- the larger the state, the more Representatives
What is the Us Senate?
- 100 members elected every 2 years
- 2 senators for each state regardless of size
What is the State Government?
- made up of three branches: Governor, State legislature and State Court
- laws passed only apply to that state e.g. 18 or 21 to drink alcohol
Who are the voters?
- after 1870 men could vote; women after 1920
- minority groups couldn’t vote in practice
- democracy ; vote directly for all positions
What were reasons for economic boom?
- Hire Purchase Scheme: available to buy goods on credit, ordinary families can afford new inventions/ luxury goods
- 1WW: learnt skills like propaganda and use it for selling goods + munition firms made huge profits selling weapons to allies
- Advertising: radio broadcasting, travelling salesmen, posters and cinema adverts
- Mass production: cheaper + faster; more people could buy, more jobs
- Shares: start companies by selling ‘shares’ (portion of ownership of company and share prices increased when company made profits
- Laissez-faire Government attitudes: lower taxes, more people affording goods and businessmen free to produce profits as they wished
Timeline of Henry Ford and the Motor Industry
- 1896: Henry Ford made his first vehicle
- 1891: became superintendent of Detroit automobile company (built 20 cars in 2 years).
- October 10th 1901: built powerful lightweight car, earned reputation to raise money for his own firm
- 1903: Henry Ford Motor Industry established in 5 years made + sold 8 different models. Built 100 in a day
- 1911: announced he could make a cheap, large car from mass production (model-T) 1 min to make a car. 10,000 sold in first year
- mid 20’s: one of every 2 cars were model-T. He was really wealthy
How does the Stock market work?
- To set up a company you need money for equipment, wages, land etc.
- Most companies get money from investors. In return, investors own a share of the company - they become shareholders.
- A shareholder makes money by: receiving a share from the companies profits each year (dividend) or selling their share for a higher price than they bought if for
What is buying on the margin?
Buying shares with money they borrowed from the banks. Could risk the share they bought decreasing in price and not being able to pay back to the bank.
How many farmers lost their jobs in 1924 due to decrease in price and demand?
600,000
Why was there less demand for cotton and wool in the 1920’s?
Popularity of man-made fibres like Rayon. Fashion for shorter dresses (less fabric used).
Why was there poverty in the countryside in the 1920’s?
- after 1WW less demand for American imports in Europe
- some countries taxed US products
- high-tech machinery lead to overproduction of food
- some farmers borrowed money to buy machines, land; couldn’t repay the loan so were evicted
Why was there poverty among African American workers?
- many were farm labourers or sharecroppers (rented small areas of farmland from farmer)
- farming industry already suffered; hit particularly hard as already desperately poor
- many moved to cities; only found low-paid jobs
Why was life exceptionally hard for American Indians?
- mining companies seized their land; traditional way of life lost
- forced to move into reservations; poor soil so extremely hard to grow crops
- lived in extreme poverty, poorly educated and lower life expectancy than other ethnic groups in US society
What happened in 1927 that was important in the development of the film industry?
First feature- length film includes sound (talkie) called Jazz Singer.
What are some examples of crazy crazes?
- Mahjong (Chinese board game)
- crossword puzzles
- marathon dancing (how long can you dance for)
- pole sitting (how long till you fall off)
- dance crazes; Charleston, One step, tango, black bottom
How was jazz music popular?
- originated in Southern states and known for its improvisation, fast tempos and lively rhythms
- most popular music style in bars, dancehalls, nightclubs
- great opportunities for Black musicians e.g. Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith
What are some examples of celebrities in sport in the ‘roaring twenties’?
- Babe Ruth (baseball)
- Bobby Jones (golf)