America - 1920s Flashcards
1
Q
Consumer goods - what happened?
A
- Mass-produced products experienced a significant surge in availability.
- Products like washing machines, TVs, and radios became more affordable due to mass production.
- Companies like Hoover became household names.
2
Q
Consumer goods - why it happened?
A
- Mass production made goods cheaper, broader market.
- Increasing consumerism (People thought buying lots of stuff was normal and good for the economy)
3
Q
Hire purchase - what happened?
A
- Hire purchase schemes emerged, enabling people to purchase items immediately and pay for them over time.
- This allowed consumers to “buy now, pay later.”
4
Q
Hire purchase - why it happened?
A
- Let people buy more things even if they didn’t have all the money upfront.
- Helped boost spending and the economy.
5
Q
Advertising - what happened?
A
- Industries employed advanced marketing and sales techniques to promote their products.
- Advertising mediums included poster adverts, radio adverts, and door-to-door salesmen.
- The aim was to entice consumers to purchase the latest goods.
6
Q
Advertising - why it happened?
A
- Ads made people want to buy more.
- It became normal to buy things because of ads, which helped the economy grow.
7
Q
Stock market boom - what happened?
A
- Confidence in prosperity led to a stock market surge.
- Many bought shares, expecting profits.
8
Q
Stock market boom - why it happened?
A
- Confidence in growth drove investments.
- High demand raised share prices, funding company expansion.
9
Q
Stock market boom - impact
A
- Increased share prices fueled investment and company growth.
- Investors and companies profited greatly.
10
Q
Red Scare (1919-1920) - racism and fear of communism
A
- In the 1920s, fear of communism worsened racist sentiments towards immigrants.
- The US was alarmed by Russia’s shift to communism after the 1917 Russian Revolution.
11
Q
Red Scare (1919-1920) - strikes and riots
A
- In 1919, the US witnessed a wave of strikes and riots due to economic hardship post-war.
- Many Americans viewed these actions as the work of communists and feared immigrant radicals.
12
Q
Red Scare (1919-1920) - Anarchist Activities
A
- Anarchists distributed pamphlets in major cities, advocating government overthrow.
- Bombings occurred in major US cities in 1919, attributed to anarchists.
13
Q
Red Scare (1919-1920) - Government response
A
- The government deported 10,000 individuals from the USA in 1919-20 in response to perceived threats.
14
Q
Red Scare (1919-1920) - Sacco and Vanzetti
A
- Sacco and Vanzetti, immigrants, were accused of two murders in a 1920 armed robbery.
- Their trial was marked by shaky evidence and prejudice; they were executed in 1927 amid accusations of being anarchists.
15
Q
Republican policies (1920-1932) - what happened?
A
- The Republican Party controlled policies from 1920-1932, sustaining the economic boom.
- Laissez-faire principles guided government, advocating minimal interference in daily lives
16
Q
Republican policies (1920-1932) - tariffs
A
Taxes imposed on imports, making foreign goods more costly for Americans. (Isolationism)
17
Q
Republican policies (1920-1932) - low taxation
A
Reduced taxes left people with more disposable income.
18
Q
Republican policies (1920-1932) - impact
A
- Businessmen enjoyed freedom to maximize profits.
- American industry flourished as consumers favored domestically produced goods
19
Q
Republican policies (1920-1932) - beneficiaries
A
Rich businessmen benefitted most from low taxation, spurring industrial growth.
20
Q
Mass production - what happened?
A
- Henry Ford pioneered the moving production line for cars.
- Each worker had specific tasks as cars moved along the assembly line (making a final car at the end)
21
Q
Mass production - assembly line
A
- Henry Ford’s Innovation (first moving production line for cars)
- Workers handled one or two tasks as the car progressed along the line.
22
Q
Mass production - how many model Ts were produced (1908-1925)
A
Over 15 million
23
Q
Mass production - impact
A
- Motor industry became the USA’s largest by the late 1920s. (Iron belt?)
- Created direct employment for hundreds of thousands and spurred job growth in related industries like glass, leather, and steel.
24
Q
Women - role during WW1
A
- Many women worked in war industries during WWI, gaining experience outside traditional roles.
25
Women - vote
- In 1920, women gained the right to vote in all states, marking a significant milestone for equality.
26
Women - technological advancements
- Introduction of electrical goods like washing machines freed women from extensive household labor, granting them more autonomy.
27
Women - flappers
- Flappers embodied the modern woman, characterised by short dresses, makeup, and social independence.
- They engaged in activities like drinking, smoking, and public displays of affection with men, challenging traditional norms.
28
Entertainment - leisure time + spending
- Economic prosperity provided people with more leisure time and disposable income.
29
Entertainment - radio
- Radio ownership became widespread in the USA, with people purchasing sets even on credit.
- Nearly everyone tuned in, making radio a central part of daily life.
30
Entertainment- jazz
- Jazz music, brought to cities by African Americans, captivated young people.
- The 1920s became known as the "jazz age" due to the genre's popularity.
31
Entertainment- sports
- Sports like baseball, featuring legendary teams like the New York Yankees, gained popularity.
- Big money flowed into sports, reflecting their cultural significance.
32
Entertainment - cinema
- Hollywood's film industry flourished, featuring stars like Charlie Chaplin.
- Cinemas became a multi-million dollar business, with over 100 million tickets sold weekly by the decade's end.
33
Prohibition - campaign
- Nationwide campaign in the USA aimed to ban alcohol, driven by "dries" who believed alcohol caused societal problems.
34
Prohibition- Volstead Act
- Passed in 1920, the Volstead Act prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.
35
Prohibition - enforcement challenges
- Prohibition enforcement faced difficulties in cities due to inadequate resources, leading to widespread non-compliance.
36
Prohibition - bootleggers + speakeasies
- Bootleggers made vast fortunes supplying illegal alcohol
- speakeasies proliferated in urban areas.
37
Prohibition - moonshine
- Illegal distilleries emerged, producing dangerous moonshine as people sought alternatives to legal alcohol.
38
Prohibition - failure
- Prohibition fueled major corruption and ultimately failed to achieve its objectives.
- Repealed in 1933 due to its ineffectiveness.
39
Organised crime - illegal alcohol trade
Organized crime syndicates earned approximately $2 billion from selling illegal alcohol during Prohibition.
40
Organised crime - gang warfare
Rival gangs engaged in violent conflicts to dominate the liquor trade.
41
Organised crime - speakeasies and vice
Gangs operated speakeasies (illegal bars) and controlled gambling and prostitution rings.
42
Organised crime - Al Capone
- Chicago became infamous for organized crime, led by gangster boss Al Capone.
- Capone maintained control through violence, including the Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929.
43
Organised crime - Valentine’s Day massacre
- In 1929, Al Capone's gang perpetrated the Valentine's Day Massacre, killing seven rival gang members.
- The event shocked the public and sparked widespread condemnation of organized crime violence.
44
Racial tension - discrimination
Despite abolition of slavery in 1863, African Americans faced widespread racial discrimination in the 1920s.
45
Racial tensions - northern migration
Many Southern African Americans migrated to the North seeking better job opportunities and education.
46
Racial tensions - northern segregation
African Americans in northern cities often faced hostility, leading to settlement in isolated ghettos.
47
Racial tension - economic discrimination
Black Americans received the lowest wages, faced job discrimination, and were often the first to be laid off.
48
Racial tensions - KKK
- The KKK, a white supremacy movement, employed violence, parades, beatings, and lynchings to intimidate African Americans.
- Lynchings were brutal executions carried out by mobs, aiming to instill fear in the African American community.
49
Immigration - past
Immigration to the USA peaked at the turn of the 20th century, with large immigrant groups settling in major cities.
50
Immigration - literacy tests
In 1917, the government implemented literacy tests for immigrants to assess their basic English reading skills.
51
Immigration - quotas + restrictions
- In 1921, quotas were introduced to limit the number of immigrants allowed into the USA.
- Further restrictions were imposed in 1924, reducing immigration to only 150,000 people per year.
52
Immigration - disappointment + economic struggle
- Immigrants arriving during the 1920s found it challenging to participate in the economic boom.
- Many lived in impoverished, overcrowded areas and were forced to accept low-paying jobs.
53
Immigration - social marginalisation
Immigrant communities, living close together for support, were perceived as "foreigners," leading to social marginalisation.
54
Inequalities of wealth - what happened?
(Persistant poverty)
Despite the economic boom, over half of the American population remained impoverished.
55
Inequalities of wealth - what happened?
(Struggles for farmers)
Farmers were excluded from the 1920s prosperity, largely due to overproduction of crops.
56
Inequalities of wealth - what happened?
(Challenges for workers)
Workers in older industries like coal and textiles faced difficulties as new materials were developed, reducing demand for their products.
57
Inequalities of wealth - what happened?
(Unemployment)
- Automation and mechanisation led to unemployment as machines replaced manual labor.
- Minority groups, including African Americans, Hispanics, and immigrants, were disproportionately affected.
58
Inequalities of wealth - consequences (impact on consumer demand)
Widespread poverty hindered the purchasing power of families, leading to decreased demand for consumer goods.
59
Inequalities of wealth - consequences (decline in consumer demand)
Decreased demand for consumer goods adversely affected American industry, leading to economic repercussions.
