BOOM

Question 1

What was the USA’s view on immigration before the war?

Answer 1

• The USA was a nation built on immigration.
• Between 1850 and 19 14/40,000,000 people left the old world for America figure equating to approximately 10% of the European population of that period.

Question 2

Describe the US society in the Early 1900s

Answer 2

-most of the population was white, Anglo-Saxon and Protestant who descended from immigrants but now opposed to the increasing numbers of immigrants entering the USA fearing the dilation of the account kind.
-Immigration reached an all-time high between 1901–10 as Russian Jews fled persecution in Italian sought to escape from poverty.
– There was an increasing tendency for ethnic groups to resist a simulation, clinging to the form identity and becoming ‘hyphenated’, for example the Irish-Americans or The Italian-Americans.

Question 3

What were factors that Provoked opposition to immigration?

Answer 3

• The first world war: 4 million soldiers Came back home 1919 and at the same time industries laid off workers as many industries didn’t need to produce as much now that the war was over, leading to unemployment. This led to America wanting to stay out of European problems and wanting to go back to normalcy and as a result didn’t want immigrants from Europe.
• The Russian revolution / radicalism - Two Communist parties were established in 1919 and on anarchists started a wave of bomb attacks. Worried about people coming from Eastern Europe who wanted to bring communism to the USA, there was a growth in resentment for immigration.
• Immigration ghettos: immigrant ghettos started appearing and they were dangerous places and Americans blamed immigrants for these places.
• Race riots: many black people were under the attack from white communities and there was an increase of tension between different groups and as a result lots of division, making people opposed to immigration.
• Mechanisation of industry: industry became more mechanised so less work as we needed and they were laid off and unemployment rose.
• ‘ Quality’ Of immigrants: lots of immigrants that came with Paul Lee rows with a little formal education, this leads to immigrants being seen as uneducated.
• Red scare (1919–21): After the war there were strikes in major US industries. In 1919 there were 3600 strikes involving 400,000 workers. These were due to terrible working conditions and low pay but the government blames Communist agitators attempting to undermine US society. Bombs were sent to prominent US politicians including Attorney General Mitchell Palmer. Palmer ordered the arrest of several thousand suspected socialists. During these Palmer raids 4000–6000 suspects were arrested and 556 deported in a wave of anti-Communist hysteria.

Question 4

What was done to limit immigration?

Answer 4

-1917 A literary test was introduced ensuring immigrants could understand English.
-1919 the American Legion and was formed whose purpose was to uphold the traditional values of the WASPs along with law and order.
- 1921 the immigration quota act was introduced: new immigrants were allowed in in proportion to the number of people of the same nationality who had been in America in 1910. The figure was set at 3%.
-1924 the National Origins Act: The quota was reduced to 2% of the 1890 census. Since they have been more people from northern Europe in America in 1890 more of these groups are allowed to enter.
-  1929 Quoata/ Restrictions: Only 150,000 immigrants per year were allowed in, there were to be no Asians at all but northern and western Europeans were to be allocated to 85% of all places. The intention of the nationality based creators what’s the restrict the number of people from southern and eastern Europe, Japan and China. By 1930, immigration to the USA from these areas had virtually stopped.

Question 5

What was Isolationism?

Answer 5

• During the 1800s are USA deliberately avoided any political responsibilities overseas.
• The US looked to protect its own interests and by being such a vast country rich in land and natural resources, had no need to engage in overseas expansion. It was only after prolonged debates and with grey roots of the US into the first world war in 1917.

Question 6

What were Wilson’s arguments for ratified the treaty of Versailles and joining the league of Nations?

Answer 6

-Germany deserve punishment it got and terms of fair and will ensure future peace.
- The league will collapse if the US isn’t involved.
- The structure of the league news of the US will not be forced to do anything they don’t want to do.
-Joining the league is the right thing to do.
- Moral power of nations collectively is very important

Question 7

What were Henry Cabot Lodge’s arguments for isolationism?

Answer 7

-America doesn’t want to be dragged into other quarrels
-America would have to support Britain’s and France’s empires
- The US may become the bank roll of the league
-Feared they would be out- voted by the league and forced to do things they didn’t want to.
- Against losing US license of the nations quarrels
- The US is doing very well economically and doesn’t need resources from other nations.

Question 8

What were some Republican policies that contributed to the economic boom?

Answer 8

TARIFFS
-were imposed on foreign imports.
-The Fortney McCumber tariff act in 1922 restarts higher than ever before, making imported food extremely expensive.
-Other nations responded by imposing tariffs on US goods but as the US domestic market was so vast this did little harm at first

TAXES
-on individuals and companies were deliberately kept low. Income tax was actually reduced in 1926 and 1928.
-This was so people have more money to spend, more likely to buy things and so there will be more money in going back into the economy.
-It also meant that companies could employ more people and expand their investment.

LARGE TRUSTS
-Were allowed to develop.
- These powerful cartels dominated particular industries fixing and manipulating prices to increase profits.
-The oil industry was dominated by Rockefeller and steel industry by Carnegie.
- This allows companies to make as much money as possible so they can put it back into the economy

TRADE UNIONS
-Were given no protection by the government so employers could use violence to break strikes and refuse to employ union members
-This meant workers could get paid less and tow companies can make more money and recycle them back into the economy.

Question 9

What were the causes of the Boom? (No details)

Answer 9

• resources
• Impact of World War I
• Technology change
• Shares
• Credit
• Confidence
• Republican policies
• Mass- production
• Mass-Marketing
• Motor Car Industry

Question 10

How did resources have an impact on the economic boom?

Answer 10

• The USA was rich in natural resources
  -For example timber, oil, minerals and coal
• USA self – sufficient
• There were lots of water-ways and so transportation was also easier and cheaper

Question 11

How did WWI have an impact on the economic boom?

Answer 11

• Boosted US industry and production
• US didn’t enter World War I until until 1917 and so came out the other end the richest country
• Producing grain for Britain and France markets in World War I boosted its economy
• Producing armaments for Britain and France had the same effect
• US overtook European nations for example by 1918 it was the worlds leader in chemical industry
• There was an increased technological change

Question 12

How did technological change have an impact on the economic boom?

Answer 12

• considerable increase in electric generation means other industries prosper as it becomes cheaper and easier to produce things. Domestic appliances powered by electricity became affordable to ordinary Americans.
• Plastics did the same thing
• Conveyor belts
• Advances in chemicals and synthetics brought rayon, Bakelite and cellophane into common use.
• The Building industry benefited from new machines such as concrete mixers, pneumatic tools and power shovels.
• Communications were speeded up by automatic switchboards, dial phones and teletype machines.

Question 13

How did shares have an impact on the economic boom?

Answer 13

• Soaring share prices
• Buying things on the margin means more people have access to loans
• Generates quick profits for investors
• ‘speculation’ : Gambling that any share would increase its value
• 1929 20 million shareholders in america

Question 14

How did Credit have an impact on the economic boom?

Answer 14

• Expanded the domestic market as people could buy even if they could not pay straight away
• Higher purchase: pay deposit, instalments, and eventually could buy out right
• Catalogues allowed credit
• Even shares could be bought with credit or a loan
• By the end of the 1920s it is estimated 60-70% of cars, 80-90% of furniture, 75% of washing machines, 65% of vacuum cleaners, 18-25% of jewellery and 75% of radios were bought on a payment plan.

Question 15

How did confidence have an impact on the economic boom?

Answer 15

• Companies are prepared to reinvest profits as they had confidence that they would expand and wouldn’t go bankrupt
• more people buy shares leading to share prices rising
• Companies and banks are willing to give Credit and loans as they are confident that people will be able to pay them back
• Consumers willing to spend money as they are confident that they will be able to pay money back

Question 16

How did Mass-Production have an impact on the economic boom?

Answer 16

• The assembly line meant products could be made quicker reducing the cost of making it and so making the product cheaper and affordable to more people. It was made possible by adapting the line production techniques of a Chicago slaughterhouse.
• Created a consumer society
• Was pioneered by Henry Ford with a model – T
• The motorcar industry was right of the US economy has not only did it in the way for mass production but had an impact on other industries. It’s also meant consumers could drive to towns and have access to shops and entertainment.

Question 17

How did Mass-marketing have an impact on the economic boom?

Answer 17

• Large-scale advertising of consumer goods
• Billboards, magazines, newspapers , Radio and mail order catalogue’s expanded the domestic market.

Question 18

Details about the automobile industry

Answer 18

• The assembly line meant that the cost of the car decreased from $850 in 1908 to $290 by 1925
• Between 1908 and 1925 over 15 million Model T fords were produced
• Ford paid his workers double to $5 a day
• In 1927 they came off the production line at a rate of one every ten seconds
• In 1919 there were 19 million cars and by 1929 there were 26 million
• In 1929, 4.8 million cars were made
• By the mid 1920s there was 1 car per five Americans.
• By mid 1920s 75% of US glass production, 90% of petrol, 20% of steel production and 80% of rubber was for cars.

Question 19

What were the limitations of the economic boom?

Answer 19

• The USA became richer but at 1928 it was approximated that 42% of the population lived below the poverty line.
• Most of these people came from Rural areas but some came from large cities.
• The people that benefited were the rich and the middle-class.
• In 1929 third of all income was owned by just 5% of the workforce.
• Laissez Faire policy meant the government didn’t help those living in poverty

Question 20

How did traditional industries suffer ?

Answer 20

-due to new technology many long established industries grew at a slower pace while some declined
- as these industries are already established there was less scope for the market to develop and the industry to expand.
- Increased mechanisation in some cases led to overproduction and consequently falling prices
- COAL - An increase of use of electricity and oil for heating and more effecting ways of burning coal lead to a sharp decline of coal, and many minds were closed while longer hours with works for lower wages and those that survived.
- TEXTILES - The cotton wool industry replaced with artificial fibre such as Rayon. Cheap labour in the south also undercut factories in the north causing many to close. There were strikes in both the coal and textile industries as workers protested for better conditions and fairer wages. In 1926 those who kept their jobs were paid $9 a week


Question 21

How did agriculture face problems during the boom?

Answer 21

• 13 million people earned a living through farming, and it employed more of a quarter of the working population, focusing Midwestern and southern states.
• Gross cash income fell from $438 in 1918 to $229 in 1922
• Farming techniques became so efficient that crops were overproduced and had gone beyond the demands of the domestic market, especially as the First World War came to an end and the allies were no longer buying up excess products.
• International tariff barriers and foreign competition such as Canada and Argentina caused the price of grain to collapse and ruin many farmers.
• Farmers borrowed money and mortgaged their farms in the hope that prices would recover
• When they didn’t, some couldn’t keep up mortgage payments and were evicted while others sold their farms to clear their debts.
• The total income generated by US farms dropped from $22 billion in 1919 to $13 billion (1928)
• Many labourers were out of work as mechanisation increased.
• There were one million fewer farms in 1930 than in 1920.
• The only forms that survived well with those that were large-scale and mechanised such as grain farmers in the midwest and fruit grows in California and Florida.

Question 22

Details on the impacts of mass production

Answer 22

• In 1920 there were 60,000 radios and by 1929 there were 10 million.
• In 1915 there were 10 million telephones and by 1930 there were 20 million.
• For every one fridge in 1921 there was 167 in 1929

Question 23

Which groups of people didn’t benefit from the economic boom?

Answer 23

• Female cotton operatives could be paid $9 a week when $48 was considered to be the minimum necessary to maintain a basic standard of living.
• 60% of American families lived beneath the poverty line in the late 1920s
• Approximately 750,000 of black agricultural workers were laid off after the agricultural slump.
• Most new industries which offered higher wages had a white only employment policy
• Native Americans were forced off their land and lived in reservations provided by the government which consisted of poor soil. Those who remained suffered from poverty, poor education and ill health and those who left were victims of discrimination like the black community.
• New immigrants struggled to find jobs too