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History > America > Flashcards

America Flashcards

1
Q

Who were the ‘Brains Trust’

A

Roosevelt’s advisors who helped him make policies and measures

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2
Q

What did Roosevelt do in his Hundred Days

A

Shut down all except 5000 banks and propped them up with money
Fireside chats

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3
Q

What was the FERA?

A

Federal Emergency Relief Administration

$500 million spent to help poor on soup kitchens, blankets, employment schemes and nursery school

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4
Q

What was the CCC?

A

Civilian Conservation Corps
Aimed at young unemployed men who couldn’t find work
Could sign to work on environmental projects in national parks and make money

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5
Q

What was the AAA?

A

Agricultural Adjustment Administration
Set quotas to reduce farm production to force price upwards and forced farmers to modernise and use farming methods that protected soil
Put farm labourers out of work however

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6
Q

What was the NIRA?

A

National Industrial Recovery Act
Set up PWA that used government money to build schools, roads, dams, bridges and airports
Created millions of jobs
Set up NRA to improve working conditions and set fair wages. Voluntary but employers had a blue eagle badge as presidential approval

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7
Q

What was the HOLC?

A

Home Owners Loan Corporation

Took over mortgages of middle income Americans struggling to pay them off

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8
Q

What was the TVA?

A

Tennessee Valley Authority they built dams across Tennessee river
Reduced flooding and droughts and created jobs

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9
Q

What was the Wagner Act?

A

Forced employers to allow trade unions to operate within companies and let them negotiate with employers for better pay and conditions
Made sacking a worker for being in a union illegal

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10
Q

What was the Social Security Act?

A

Provided pensions for elderly and widows

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11
Q

Who was against the New Deal?

A

The Supreme Court and Republicans - made up of republicans mostly. Said it went too far as the government wasn’t meant to help that much.
Radical politicians said Roosevelt wasn’t going enough.
Huey Long was a senator that said it was too extreme.

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12
Q

Popular culture in 30s

A

Sport - people went to watch and listen on their radios

Cinema - people with cars could go visit and watch. People empathised with lines because of depression

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13
Q

Success/failure of New Deal - society

A

Restored faith of people in their government
Huge social and economic programme that would not have been possible before Roosevelt.
Divided USA, he was accused of being communist
Undermined local government

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14
Q

Success/failure of New Deal - industry

A

Strengthen labour unions against industrial giants
Made corporations negotiate with support unions
Big business stayed very powerful however
Unions were treated with suspicion and strikes were broken by violence

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15
Q

Success/failure of New Deal - unemployment and economy

A

Created millions of jobs
Stabilised banking system
Cut number of business failures
Improved standards of living in deprived parts (TVA)
Never solved underlying problems (Europe recovered much quicker than USA)
Confidence in investment was low after bust
Entry into war brought unemployment to end

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16
Q

WW2 - Lend Lease

A

USA loaned war material to allies that would be returned at end of war, but not charged for if destroyed

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17
Q

Wartime production in WW2

A

USA producing half weapons being made in the world
Many jobs and employment
Roosevelt could raise taxes and spend as much as he wanted
Industrialists backed Roosevelt

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18
Q

New workers in WW2

A

African Americans found work in the industry and so did women as they joined armed forces and workforce

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19
Q

Economic recovery

A

Many new businesses started during the war such as Coca-Cola and Wrigley’a chewing gum
Ended unemployment
Farmers had to make food to export to allies
Wages increased, people payed bonds to support war with interest paid back

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20
Q

Social developments after WW2

A

Federal government got more involved with society
Government expenditure went up
African Americans joined armed forces and wartime production
Women got into the industry and were as good as men and earning higher wages

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21
Q

American Dream

A

Having lots of consumer goods
Advertisements in newspapers showed this life
Possible due to hire purchase

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22
Q

Teenagers

A

Youth who were seen as rebellious in movies, unsuitable role models

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23
Q

Rock and Roll

A

Elvis Presley, new music of 50s

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24
Q

Television

A

Ownership increased by 80% in the 50s

Full of adverts

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25
Q

McCarthyism

A

Suspected many people of being communist
Senator McCarthy started campaigns against people through lies and rumours, people found guilty without much proof
HUAC investigated the film industry

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26
Q

Brown vs Board of Education 1954

A

American black girl had to walk miles to school instead of attending a white school nearby
NAACP won a case in the Supreme Court and disallowed segregated education
Chief Justice Earl Warren ordered southern states to desegregate with deliberate speed (no time frame)

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27
Q

Little Rock Nine 1957

A

Arkansas, Supreme Court told Governor of Arkansas to let 9 black students attend Little Rock High but he blocked them with state troops.
President Eisenhower let them in with federal troops
1 graduated

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28
Q

Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955-56

A

Rosa Parks refused to give up seat and was arrested
Martin Luther King had speech as President of Montgomery Improvement Association
Black people boycotted and bus company lost 65% of income
1956, segregation laws in buses made illegal
MLK arrested twice

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29
Q

Sit-ins 1960

A

Black people weren’t allowed to sit in Woolworth’s food branch in Greensboro so black students sat in the seats and refused to move
400 students doing sit ins and by 1960 lunch counters were desegregated

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30
Q

Freedom Rides 1961

A

States weren’t obeying the Montgomery Bus Laws so freedom riders (CORE activists) rode on these buses in Birmingham. The SNCC did some too, with same extremely violent response. 2 riders spent 40 days in jail. They had no protection until JFK forced governor of Alabama to help

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31
Q

March on Washington 1963

A

MLK gave his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech in order to pressure JFK to pass the civil rights bill 250,000 people attending, including 50,000 white people

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32
Q

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

A

Ran conferences and trained civil rights activists in techniques of non-violent protest and how to handle the police, the law and the media

33
Q

SNCC

A

Student Non-violent Coordinating Comitee

34
Q

CORE

A

Congress Of Racial Equality

35
Q

NAACP

A

National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People

36
Q

Black Power movement

A

People who rejected non-violence of civil rights movement and felt force was justified to get equality for black people
However, some people wanted entire separation

37
Q

Malcolm X

A

Believed civil rights movement held back black people and wanted to achieve equality/separation even through force
Joined the Nation of Islam
Assassinated in 1965

38
Q

Nation of Islam

A

Radical black nationalist group that opposed MLK’s ways of peace and preferred a more forceful method

39
Q

Why did the SNCC become more radical

A

Because if elected a new chairman Carmichael in 1966 who talked about black power in a radical way and was very critical of MLK.

40
Q

Black Panthers

A

A political party that also was a small army with 2000 members.
They believed they should force the white people to give them equal rights through force.
Killed 9 policemen between 1967 and 1969

41
Q

Race riots 1965-1967

A

Caused by poor relations between police and black People because they felt like they didn’t get the same protection as white people.
Most serious riots were in Detroit and Los Angeles (30,000 rioters and 34 deaths)

42
Q

Black Power in the media

A

Misrepresented, misinformed and based on ignorance and fear instead of trying to understand

43
Q

Similarities between Black Power and civil rights movement

A

They both agreed on need to fight poverty
Both opposed Vietnam War
MLK spoke at SCLC conventions

44
Q

Civil Rights Act 1964

A

President Johnson had gotten into power and signed the Civil Rights Act which made it illegal for local government to discriminate in housing and employment
During 20 months after Civil Rights Act, 430,000 black people, registered to vote.

45
Q

Selma 1965

A

He organised a voting rights match through Selma (a place where discrimination was at its worst)
Even though the authorities had banned the march, they still did it and the 600 people who went were brutally attacked - Bloody Sunday. King tried to do the march again but he was shut down and they turned back

46
Q

Voting Rights Act 1965

A

Allowed government agents to inspect voting procedures to make sure that they were taking place properly and ended literacy tests.

47
Q

Civil Rights Act 1968

A

Housing could not be sold or rented on the basis of race, religion, national origin, or sex.

48
Q

Kennedy’s reforms passed through Congress

A

Extension to unemployment benefit
More aid to poor cities to improve housing and transportation
Increases on social security benefits
Aid to economically distressed areas
Expansion of rural electrification programs to help rural farming

49
Q

The Economic Opportunity Act 1964 passed by Johnson

A

Provided training to disadvantaged youths aged 16-21 and recruited volunteers to work and teach in low income areas

50
Q

Medicare and Medicaid 1965 passed by Johnson

A

Provided medical insurance for over-65s and hospital care for the poor

51
Q

The Development Act, 1964 passed by Johnson

A

Money provided for replacing inner city slums with new homes

52
Q

The National Organisation for Women (NOW), 1966

A

A group of women including Friedan who wrote The Feminine Mystique (start of women’s liberation in middle class, 1963) created the organisation and adopted a Bill of Rights at its first national conference in 1967.
Bill of Rights: law banning discrimination in employment, maternity leave rights, equal education, right to control reproductive lives.

53
Q

Fight for equal pay (1960s)

A

Women petitioned, threatened legal action and went on strike to persuade employers to provide equal,opportunities and wages
Equal Pay Act of 1963 established principle of equal pay but too many exceptions
Equal Rights Amendment of 1972 fixed some but still no equal pay

54
Q

Roe vs Wade, 1973

A

Abortion was made legal and a fundamental right for women under US constitution
Limitations after 1st trimester

55
Q

Supreme Court, 1972

A

Contraception made legally available to unmarried couples same as married couples

56
Q

People who opposed the equal rights amendment

A

Individual beliefs couldn’t change overnight
Some women weren’t pro-abortionist or encouraged pre-marital sex
Some women liked their lifestyle
Working class women were only concerned with equal pay
Religious groups used bible to justify male dominance

57
Q

1970 women’s lib protests, what were they against?

A

Sexist magazines that exploited women
Men’s clubs
Criticised women magazines that were about cooking, child rearing and home
Beauty contests

58
Q

Laissez faire

A

Government does as little as possible, businessmen free to do what they want.

59
Q

Tariffs

A

Taxes on imports to make people buy home goods

60
Q

Low tax

A

People have more money left to spend

61
Q

Negative consequences of the 1920s

A

Prohibition (1920-1933) - gangsters and organised crime
African Americans and farmers didn’t benefit from the boom.
Racial tension towards black people moving out of their neighbourhoods and KKK became popular.
Immigration melting pot didn’t work as other immigrants looked down on each other.
Red Scare made Americans scared of immigrants and anarchists did terrorist attacks.
Sacco and Vanzetti - biased judgement and case against them led to their death.
Many immigration quotas in 20s.

62
Q

Prohibition

A

Argued alcohol destroyed family life.
Lots of illegal alcohol.
Law enforcement officers were in on liquor trade and they hid through bribing government officials.

63
Q

Organised crime

A

Gangs fought to control liquor trade and used Thompson gun and new automobiles.
Fear and bribery meant law enforcement could not help.
Al Capone was popular.
Ended after St Valentines Day massacre as it made police corrupt and gangsters rich. Also it would create jobs, raise tax revenue and free resources.

64
Q

Immigration

A

Melting pot did not work as immigrants were discriminated by and between each other.
Literacy test introduced in 1917 and quotas introduced during 1920s.
Sacco and Vanzetti showed discrimination.

65
Q

Civil Rights in the 50s

A

Brown vs Board of Education, Little Rock, Arkansas, Montgomery Bus Boycott

66
Q

Civil Rights in the 60s

A

Greensboro Sit-ins

Freedom rides, March on Washington, Race Riots, Civil Rights Act, Selma, Votings Rights Act, Assassination of MLK

67
Q

Why was advertisement so effective in the 20s

A

Advertisers who learnt their skills from wartime propaganda sold consumer times.

68
Q

What made Americans buy so many consumer goods?

A

Advertisement on radios, posters and billboards.
Increased money due to circle of prosperity and low tax.
Hire purchase

69
Q

Causes of the Boom - industrial strength

A

Lots of oil, steel, textile, iron in the ground. Meant they could develop new technologies such as motor cars, telephones. Lots of agriculture.
Growing workforce.
Time and motion studies to check that industries were working effectively with their workforce.
Henry Ford: mass production, assembly line, standardisation of car to speed up. Detroit factory had 80,000 employees. Created jobs.

70
Q

Causes of the boom - the FWW

A

Participated for 1 year so their economy was not drained.

Sold weapons and food to Britain and France which gave their economy a big boost.

71
Q

Causes of the boom - stocks and shares

A

People had confidence in businesses and wanted them to do well. People could start businesses through the investors.

72
Q

Causes of the boom - consumer goods

A

Keeping up with the Jonses, ideal happy family that were advertised on radios and magazines so people bought more households items like washing machines.
Hire purchase meant that more people could buy things now and pay later, increasing sales of consumer goods.

73
Q

Causes of the boom - government policies

A

Laissez-faire: they left businessmen alone to handle their business as they wanted.
Tariffs: E.g. Fordney Mccumber 1922 40% tariff placed on foreign goods so people bought more American goods.
Low taxes: so people would buy more consumer goods with their money which would go back into the economy.
Isolationism: keeping out of foreign affairs. Didn’t have to give money to organisations such as League of Nations and more goods were produced in America than imported.

74
Q

Cycle of prosperity

A 
Increased demand for consumer goods.
Increased production.
Increased employment.
More money available to spend in consumer foods.
Cycle.
75
Q

Social advantages of the boom - women

A

Flapper women challenged traditions around dress and they way they acted. Didn’t need a chaperone and could go out to nightclubs and smoke.
Women started working.
Mostly only happened in big cities and in the North.
Anti-flirt association opposed flapper girls.
Black women didn’t benefit.

76
Q

Social advantages of the Boom - entertainment

A

Baseball spectator sport.
Jazz and Louis Armstrong meant black people benefit.
Cinema and talkies - Walt Disney.
Radio, 1922 508 radio stations.

77
Q

Divided society 1920s - prohibition

A

1919 - 1933
Banned buying and selling of alcohol but not drinking it.
Moonshine was sold on the black market by bootleggers in speakeasies.
Al Capone profited off of the prohibition caused fights like 1929 St Valentine’s Day Massacre.
Caused corruption of the police as they were paid to be quiet and also to drink. Made it hard to convict criminals and people didn’t feel safe.

78
Q

Divided society 1920s - racism

A

Denied higher education, good jobs and the right to vote, discrimination and poverty.
KKK had around 5 million members in early 1920s.
Many murdered by lynching.
Kept in their own neighbourhoods but less racist in the North.

79
Q

Divided society 1920s - Immigration

A

Even though claimed to be a melting pot, quotas that limited the number of immigrants to enter.
They were stuck with menial jobs and other immigrants such as Irish and french looked down on the other Eastern European and Italian immigrants.

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