America In The 1920s Flashcards
What happened to farm income?
Between 1919-1928 total US farm income fell from $22 billion to $13 billion.
What was the impact of the war on the USA?
It joined very late into the war and this meant that it was damaged than the other nations. It made money buy selling things to the allies. It became the richest country in the world.
Why did the American farm industry suffer?
They had to compete with the highly efficient Canadian wheat farmers.
Europe was importing less as they couldn’t afford it after the war. Also new tariffs increased the price and Europe introduced it’s own protectionist polices against the USA.
New farming techniques and technologies like combine harvesters and fertilisers. This meant that things were being over produced and they couldn’t be sold.
The American population was falling so there were less mouths to feed.
What were the effects of the slump in agriculture?
In 1921prices fell by 50%.
60 million people were affected by farming problems.
Many African Americans had to leave farms and moved to the farms. They always did the least skilled jobs and few could find employment. 750,000 were unemployed.
Farming communities lived in poverty and squalor with no electricity or sanitation.
How were women liberated in the 1920s?
They wore more revealing clothing which meant exposed arms and legs. Called flappers. Single women no longer needed a chaperone.
In 1920 all women got the vote.
Twice as many divorces in 1929 than in 1914.
Even if they didn’t earn money, they chose what it would be spent on. This meant that advertisers targeted women more.
How were women not liberated in the 1920s?
They were payed less than men when doing the same job.
Some women where outraged by flappers and felt they were giving all women a bad name.
They were encouraged to vote but not to stand at elections.
What happened to people working in traditional industry’s?
Coal miners already had low pay but it suffered from seasonal unemployment and competition from oil and electricity.
The leather and textile industry’s had completion from man made products.
What happened to native Americans in the 1920s?
They had to use poor land which meant bad crops. Their numbers fell to 250,000
White people set out to destroy Native American lives, beliefs and traditions.
Why did progressive reformers want prohibition?
They felt that people in the cites didn’t have the support of religion or family to protect the from political corruption and industrialised society. Drink caused these things.
What did the anti saloon league think?
There was a way between rum shops and the moral fibre of the nation.
Why did industrialists want prohibition?
They thought alcohol was causing workers to come in hungover and to miss days off work. They wanted prohibition to increase production.
What did the women’s temperance movement think about prohibition?
They felt it would allow women to fight for their children homes and families. It would mean children would be kept pure.
What did alcohol makers say in defence to prohibition?
Saloons were part of the community. They were a meeting place.
The industry payed millions of dollars in taxes and if it is abused, it is the fault of the person and not alcohol.
How did prohibition start?
In January 1920 it was put in place nation wide. The mid west already had it. The 18th amendment made buying, selling and transporting it illegal.
Describe Al Capone.
In 1925 he took over and built a network of corrupt policemen and civil servants.
He controlled the mayor of Chicago, William Thompson.
He spent $30,00 on soup kitchens so as to make himself popular.
On February 14th 1929 he had seven men from a rival gang killed in the St Valentines day massacre.
How did prohibition end?
The St valentines day massacre tuned people against gangsters. Murder had become massacre.
Prohibition made the USA lawless, the police corrupt and the gangsters rich.
The depression brought about the end of prohibition. It would provide $11 billion in taxes and save $300 million. It would free up police and provide jobs as well as help industry that needed it like the leisure one.
It was repealed in December 1933
Explain the problems with law enforcement and prohibition.
1 in 12 agents were fired for corruption. They were easy to corrupt as they were poorly paired.
There weren’t enough agents and each covered a large area.
Agents would direct people to speak easyies.
Judges were bribed so people couldn’t be convicted. In 1924 there were 7391 arrests but only 458 convictions.
Explain the lack of public support and prohibition.
Everyone wanted to drink. In 1925 there were more speak easys in New York than there were legal saloons in 1919
Explain organised crime and prohibition.
They were immigrants that came from different back grounds. Polish,Irish and Italian.
Al Capone made $60 million a year. The industry made $2 billion a year.
George Remus once held a party where every women got a car and the men got diamond cufflinks worth $25000
What is speculating?
Putting down a deposit to buy shares and paying it back later.
What is to buy on the margin?
To pay for 10% of the price of a share and pay the rest later.
