America in the 1920’s Flashcards
Why did capitalism develop
Because of the industrial revoluiton.
What seemed showed the success of capitalism in America
The booming economy
what did many people interpret to be the final collapse of the capitalist system
The economic crisis caused by underlying causes
What is capitalism
It is a n economic system based on private ownership and individual wealth
What did people use capitalism to do
Wealthy people used it to build factories, buy machinery, and start businesses.
What did wealth people use their profits for and what did it led to
They invested their profit in more businesses and they used it to produce more goods and services. It led to the rich getting richer and it created lots of jobs
What was capitalism based on
Free market
What was free market
It encouraged competition without government interference
What is another word for free market
Free enterprise
What did capitalist critics believe about free market
They believed it resulted in the exploitation of worker because it was their labour that was producing the profits. They believed that the government should pas laws to protect workers.
What type of laws did capitalist critics think the government should pass
Laws about minimum wage and hours of work per weak and abolishing child labour.
What did the critics of capitalism also point out
That capitalism led to inequality between rich and poor, and between employers and workers.
Where else did capitalism develop
In other countries in Europe
Were specifically did industrial capitalism grow in America
In large cities of the north : New York and Chicago
What are the key features of capitalism
Private ownership of resources
Opportunities to make money
Little government interference
Emphasis on private service
Belief that competition is healthy and leads to economic growth
Possibility of success and fear of failure pushes people to excel
Freedom from government control
Rights of the individual are more important than equality
Private ownership of resources
Land, mines, factories … profit goes to individuals, but they carry the cost of failure
Opportunities to make money
But uneven distribution of wealth
Little government interference
Free market economy
Possibility of success or fear of failure
Pushes people to excel and invent new ways of doing things
Why did immigrants go to America
Was called the land of opportunity. They wanted jobs, higher wages and more opportunities to make a fortune. There was also more freedom.
How did people think they could make the dream become reality
With ambition, self reliance and hard work.
Who was an example of someone that went from very poor to very rich
President Herbert hoover
What did hoover believe
He believed in “rugged individualism” the idea that people could succeed through own hard work and efforts
What happened in the 1920’s
An economic boom
What were the foundations of the economic boom
Raw materials, skilled labour force, growing market for manufactured goods
What were the raw materials that were the foundation of the economic boom
Coal, iron and oil
What also assisted the economic boom
The ecomic policy of the republic pearl
What did the economic policy say
Little government interference
High customs duties on imported goods
Low taxes
Weak trade unions
Why did the Republican Party want high customs unties on imported goods
It encouraged people to buy locally
Why did the Republican Party want low taxes
So people had more money to spend on goods and to encourage the wealthy to invest
Why did the Republican Party want weak trade unions
So that workers didn’t have power to demand higher wages
What was the most dramatic growth in
Motor cars
What did Henry ford introduce
The assembly line. It was used to speed up production and prices dropped meaning more people could afford to buy them
What was the most famous car
The Model T Ford (the Tin Lizzie )
What types of jobs did the growth of car sales create
In the motor industry and other related industries such as: iron, steal, rubber and glass. It also led to the building of highways, petrol stations, hotels and restaurants
What other inventions became available
Telephones, radios, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, electric typewriters telephone switchboards and the passenger lift.
What did advertising do
It encourage credit and increased demand for goods. Advertisers also learnt how to control public taste