Crisis of Identity 1920 - 1945 Flashcards
1
Q
Warren Harding’s achievements
A
- Made a number of able appointments - Andrew Mellon as secretary of state for the treasury (not using spoils system)
- Sheppard-Towner Maternity Aid Act
- Cuts to government spending - 1922 $3,333
- belief in limited gov - reflected general public mood
2
Q
Warren Harding’s shortcumings
A
- reputation tainted by affairs
- Corruption - Alien Property Custodian accepted bribes
3
Q
Calvin Coolidge Qualities
A
- man of the people - from a small town
- little gov intervention
- Honest & incorruptible
- pro business - low tax low interest rates &min gov spending
4
Q
Calvin Coolidge failings
A
- as a president is was determined to do less rather than more
5
Q
FP - Aims
A
- USA was convinced WW1 was caused by selfish rivalries of EU powers and wanted to avoid conflicts
- USA wanted to remain status Quo in Naval power and Far east
- USA wanted to protect their interests esp. trade
6
Q
FP - reasons for Washington conference
A
- Attended by US, GB, JAP, FRA, ITA
- USA keen on this conference:
+ prevent renewal of Anglo-Japanese Alliance 1922 (GB keen to renew)
+ USSA wished to maintain Status Quo e.g. Open Door policy
+ USA feared the growth of Japanese influence in Far East
7
Q
FP - Achievements of the Washington Conference
A
- agreement on arms limitation and brought stability and peace in Pacific - USA, GB, JAP, FRA, ITA
- signed 4 power treaty
- BUT - imposed no limitation on the size of the armies or air forces. Agreement had no methods of enforcement
8
Q
FP - Kellogg - Briand Pact 1928
A
- International agreement
- signed because; France were keen on an alliance with the USA- HOWEVER, the USA did not want any commitments in Europe
- Signed by 15 countries - agreed not to go to war except in self-defence
9
Q
FP - USA & Europe - loans
A
- USA was prepared to lend moeny to countries after the war to restore prosperity and prevent spread of Communism
10
Q
FP - USA & Europe - Dawes and Young plans
A
Dawes plan
- USA was also keen on a stable Germany to prevent communist revolution and was directly involved with Dawes and Young Plans
- reduce German reparations to $250m/yr
over an increased 5 yrs
Young Plan
- reduced reparations to $25b to be paid over 59yrs
11
Q
US FP - involvement in Latin America - economic involvement
A
- US investment in Latin America doubled from 1924-29 from $1.5b to $3b
- including automobile firms, 1923 set up the American and Foreign power Company
- Kemmerer Plan 1924 helped stabilised and develop the economists of countries by offering advice on sound currency and central banks
12
Q
US FP - involvement in Latin America Settling disputes
A
- US settled disputes with troops - often replaced by loyal local militia
- USA gave Colombia $25m in compensation for its support for the independence of Panama
- 1925 US troops withdrawn from Nicaragua in order to improve relations between 2 countries
13
Q
What were the short term reasons for economic book in the 1920s?
A
- Laissez-faire
+ Coolidge held the veiw that gov would be involvement as little as possible - businessmen left alone to make their own decisions (high profits, more jobs, good wages)
+ Low taxes and few regulations meant businessmen could chase profits without fear of interference - Rugged individualism
+ Successive Republican pres. - Hoover believed that people achieved success by their own hard work - Protectionism
+ Rep gov put tariffs on imported good in order to limit the competition from foreign imports
+ Fordney-McCumber Tarif 1922 - raised imported duties on good
+ reduction of income tax rates
14
Q
What technological change occurred in the 1920s?
A
- Development of electricity - provided cheaper, more reliable and flexible form of power for factories
- electricity stimulates the growth of fridges, vacuum and radios
- Car industry was sped up by conveyor belt
- Plastics were developed
15
Q
What new business models occurred in the 1920s?
A
- 1929, the largest 200 corporations possessed 20% of the nations wealth
- Cartels - to fix prices
16
Q
What are the reasons for consumerism during the 1920s?
A
- Increased demand for consumer goods
- 1927 2/3 US homes had electricity
- Growth in female employment also increased the need for labour saving devices
17
Q
Growth of Credit in the 1920s
A
- growth of credit made it easier for people to buy goods even though they did not have enough cash to pay immediately
- 1/2 of the good sold in 1920s were paid for by hire purchase
18
Q
The car industry
A
- 1913 ford introduced the assembly line. 1920 a car produced every 10s
- 1914 ford doubled wages to $5/day - encouraged people to work for him, reduced the number of hours to 8 and introduced a third shift - allowed for 24hr factory
- Used steel, petrol, wood, rubber and leather - provided jobs for 5m workers
19
Q
Road building
A
- Breaking the policy of lassiez-faire, the fed gov expanded
- Federal Highway act 1921 - 10,000 miles built by 1929
20
Q
The stock market boom
A
- 1920s, stock market seemed to be a link to prosperity
- By 1926 about 451m shares traded
- 1929 - 1.1b shares sold
21
Q
What was the impact of the WW1 on women?
A
- 21,000 clerks (women)
- WW1 proved women could work in heavy duty industries and encouraged greater freedom
- 1920s boom created labour saving devices which allowed more time for women to find jobs
- Jazz era bought furhter employment and entertainment
22
Q
Employment changes for women after 1917
A
- 1930 - 2m more women were employed than 1920
- Men were still higher paid than women
23
Q
Political changes for women after 1917
A
- Women were given the vote in 1920
- most women were not interested in politics
24
Q
New forms of entertainments 1920s
A
- Sport: made more popular by radio
+ major influence on younger generations
+ 1924 67,000 watched a match - Radio: grew dramatically
+ 1922 - 500 stations nationwide - Cinema: allowed people to see themselves in a different life through actor
- Jazz music: popular with middle age youth
25
Prohibition
- prohibiting alcohol for moral reasons
- 1918 Wilson banned beer production until the war ended
- Drove drinkers underground, speakeasies (NY +30,000)
- early 1930s clear opposition to Prohibition
26
Gangsters and organised crime
- Prohibition led to huge growth in gangsters and crime
- transported liquor
- Gangsters were easily able to control politicians
27
Was there a changing attitude towards immigrants?
- Immigrants became less welcome as they provided competition for jobs
- US involvement in WW1 fuelled an anti-German feeling and encouraged support for restrictions on immigration
28
Where there any changes in immigration policy?
- 1917 literacy act - all foreigners wanting to enter the US had to take a literacy test
- Immigration Quota Act 1921
+ National Origins Act reduced the quota to 2% of 1890 census
29
KKK - reasons for revival
- release of the film Birth of nation 1915
- bour tensions rose as veterans tried to re-enter workforces
- increased industrialisation bought more workers to cities
30
KKK - organisations and activities & decline
- 1925 - 5m members
- carried out lynching of AA and beat up anyone who they considered their enemy
Decline
- After one of the leaders was convicted of a crime - it discredited the KKK
- divisons among tactics
31
Problems in the economy - falling demand for consumer goods
- falling demand for consumer goods
+ by 1929 most Americans tat could afford a car already had one - production fell 2 months before Wall street crash
+ unequal distribution of wealth - 50% of American families had an income of less than $2,000 a year - the min to survive
- USA could not sell surplus prodcuts to other countries as many countries had high tarrifs on American goods
32
Problems in the economy - instability of get-rich-quick schemes
- Ponzi promised a 50% profit within 90 days
The Florida land boom - Ponzi found employment selling land in Florida - 1925 - 1.2m people - demand tailed off in 1926
33
Problems with the economy - problems with agriculture
- farming industry had benefited from WW1 with prices rising by as much as 25%
- After the war, demand fell with prices dropping from $2.5 - $1 per bushel of wheat
- Farmers were producing more food than Americans could eat
- 1928 - over half of American farmers living in Poverty
34
Problems with the economy - problems with old industries
- Coal mining and textiles were stagnating
- Demand for coal fell in 1920 as gas and electricity were more widely spread and there was more foreign competition that was cheaper
35
Wall Street Crash - reasons for the crash - the banking system
- the banking system
+ US banking system was out of date by 1920s
+12 regulatory reserve banks were headed by the Federal Reserve Board
+ The reserve banks acted in the interests of bankers rather than the nation
+ local banks were not part of the centralised system 1920s there were over 30,000 banks
36
Wall Street Crash - reasons for the crash - over-speculation on the stock market
- speculation on the stock market
+ During the 1920s, more and more Americans bought shares on the stock exchange and prices kept rising - bull market
+ 1928 - shares did not rise as much as in pervious yrs. This was because companies were not selling as many goods so profits fell
+ 1929 - valued $87b
37
Wall Street Crash - reasons for the crash - availability of easy credit
- Availability of easy credit
+ growth of credit made it much easier for people to buy goods even tough they did not have enough cash to buy it
38
Wall Street Crash - reasons for the crash - loss of confidence
- Loss of confidence
+ market structure was maintained largely by the confidence that people had in it
+ Rumours that the Federal Reserve Bank was about to tighten credit facilities by making it more difficult to borrow
39
Wall Street Crash - Events leading up the Crash
- Event leading to the crash
+ 1929 Sep: There was a sharp fall in prices but no real financial panic
+ Sat 19th Oct 1929: Shareholders began to panic with nearly 3.5m shares bought and sold - prices began to fall
+ Tues 22nd Oct 1929: Stock market seemed to recover with prices slightly improving
+ Thu 24th Oct 1929: Black Thursday - prices fell quickly - 13m shares sold
+ Fri 25th Oct 1929: Bankers met to stabilized - worked short term
+ Sat 26th Oct 1929: Hoover assured all American that the panic was over
+ Tues 29th Oct 1929: Black Tuesday - nearly 16.5m shares traded
40
Wall Street Crash - Effects of the Crash
- led to collapse of many business with individuals losing billions
- People who had lost so much could not afford to consume or invest
- Crash led to the Collapse of credit with loans
- Crash destroyed confidence in the US economy
41
Hoover beleifs
- firm believer in rugged individualism
42
Hoovers policies
- Agriculture
+ Agricultural Marketing Act 1930 - gov lend money to farmers
+ agricultural polcies failed as Hoover paid artificially high prices
- Industry
+ tried to reduce fed spending - Reconstruction Finance Corporation - lent $b to banks
- Emergency relief act - $300m to sate gov to help unemployed
- Bonus marchers
+Hoovers treatment of the marchers made him v. unpopular
+ bonus should cost $2.3m but Hoover felt that was too much
43
Impact of the Depression - Economic effect
- Economic effects
+ unemployment 16m
+US economic growth declined - 6.7% 1929 to -14.7% 1932
44
Impact of the Depression - Social effects
- Depression in the cities
+ factories closed down
+ Hoovervilles
+ 1932 - 2m homeless
- Depression in the countryside
+ Bankruptcy among farmers grew
+ drought 1931 - compounded the farmers problems as reduced prices
+ dust bowl effected 20m hectares
45
Roosevelt and the presidential election 1932
- 1932 election - Roosevelt won
- Roosevelts promised were vague
46
The First New Deal 1933-35 - Hundred days
- Session of Congress that lasted 100 days and saw the development of the New Deal
- Roosevelt saved the capitalist system in the USA through his New Deal programme.
- Roosevelts priority was to create economic improvement
47
The First New Deal - 1933-35 - Agriculture
- Agriculture
+ Agricultural Adjustment Act 1933 - Agricultural adjustment administration would pay farmers to reduce production. Total farm income rose from $4.5b 1932 - $6.9b 1935
+ Tennessee Valley Authority 1933 - created to harness the power of the River Tennessee - construct dams, create jobs, develop welfare programmes
48
The First New Deal 1933-35 - Banking and Fianance
- Banking and Finance
+ Emergency Banking Relief Act March 1933 - closed banks for 4 days - tried to restore confidence in the banks by APRIL 1933 $1b had been returned to bank deposits
+ Glass-Steagall act 1933 - commercial banks that relied on small deposits were bank from investment banking, banks couldn't take personal loans from their own banks
+ Regulation of the stock market - Truth in Securities act 1933 - required brokers to offer client realistic info about selling
49
The First New Deal 1933-35 - Industrial recovery
- Industrial recovery
+ National Recovery Administration - encouraged firms to agree to codes of practice to regulate unfair competition such as price cutting - did not help economic recovery but led to Buy Now campagin
+ Public works Administration - funded with $3.3b - hoped that expenditure on public works such as railroads would stimulate the economy
+ Civil Works administration - created with $400m grant to provide emergency relief to the unemployed during the winter 1933-34
50
The First New Deal 1933-35 - Relief
- Relief
+ Federal Emergency Relief Act 1933 - established the Federal Emergency Relief Administration - gave $500m to be divided equally among the states to help provide for the unemployed
+ Civilian Conservation Corps 1933 - programme to help young people get work experience - recruited by Department of Labour
51
The second New Deal - reasons for
- Reasons for:
+ The climate in the new congress was for action and Roosevelt wanted to prevent this
+ Roosevelt was increasingly frustrated the USSC which was beginning to overturn legislation
+ Roosevelt was increasingly frustrated with the wealthy and the force of big buis who were opposing them more and more
52
The second new deal - works progress administration
- Works progress Administration (WPA)
+ recruited people for public work projects by 1941 2m employees
53
The second new deal - Wagner-Connery National Labour Relations Act 1935
- Wagner - Connery National Labour Relations Act 1935
+ Guaranteed workers the rights to collective bargaining through unions of their own choice
+ firs act to give unions rights in law and in the long term committed federal government to an important labour relations role
54
The second New Deal - Social Security Act, August 1935
- Social Security Act 1935
+ first federal measure of direct help as a workers rights and would be built upon in the future
+ provided old-age pensions to be funded by employer and employee contributions and unemployment insurance
+ BUT pensions paid at min $10 max $85 per month and they were not paid until 1940
55
The second New Deal - Banking Act 1935
- Intended to give the federal government control of banking in USA
- Banking system was centralised
- labour unions given a voice
56
Opposition to the First New Deal - right
- The Rights
+ wealthy people turned against him because of the increase in tax, and they opposed too much gov involvement
57
Opposition to the First New Deal - left
- The Left
+ Roosevelt was more concerned about threats from the left - they might join together to form a third party to challenge him
Ideas from left:
+ End Poverty in California (EPIC) - unemployed would be put to work in state-run co-operatives
+ Share our Wealth - all private fortunes over $3m should be confiscated and very family should be given enough money to afford a car, house
58
Opposition of the Supreme Court
- Court supported the New deal laws during the crisis but increasingly declared legislation unconstitutional 1835 - 1836 they found unconstitutional
- Judiciary Reform Bill
+ Roosevelt belived that the justices on the SC were out of touch. He was the issue of non elected officials as undemocratic
+ Senate rejected 70-20
59
Opposition to Roosevelt
- Significant opposition from big Buis and wealthy people who increasingly felt the New Deal had gone too far
60
Achievements of the New Deal - Economic effects
- National total of personal income stood at $86b 1929
- Wages average $25.03 per week 1929 and $23.86 1939
- 1933 - 18m unemployed 1939 9m unemployed
61
Achievements of the New Deal - political effects
- Roosevelt allowed labour unions to take their place in Labour relations
- attempt to reform the SC failed
- expansion of the role of the state and local gov
- Social Security Act and the relief and job creation agencies expanded the role of the gov
62
Achievements of the New Deal - Social effects
Relief - relief agencies such FERA and WPA set up to help people - set up national system of old age pensions and unemployment
63
Achievements of the New Deal - Women
- Women
+ worked against women
+ 1933 Economy Act - forbade members of the same family from working in the federal gov 75% of those who lost their job were women
+ NRA codes allowed for unequal wages
+ some agencies such as CCC barred women entirely
+ 1930s $525/yr
64
Achievements of the New Deal - African Americans
- African Americans
+ Roosevelt needed the vote of S Dems therefore the New Deal saw little civil rights legislation
65
Achievements of the New Deal - Native Americans
- Native American
+ Indian Reorganisation Act 1934 - recognised and encouraged Native American culture in a shift from the former policy of assimilation - control of reservations sales
66
FP 1933-41 - Good Neighbour Policy
- foreign policy adopted by Roosevelt to mend and improve relations with Latin America
67
FP 1933-41 Neutrality Acts
- 1st Neutrality Act 1935 - gave the presidents the power to prohibit US ships from carrying US made munitions to countries at war & prevent US citizens from travelling on ship of those countries at war
- 2nd Neutrality Act 1936 - banned loans or credits to countries at war - no limits on trade in materials useful for war
- 3rd Neutrality Act 1937 - forbade the export of munitions for use by either of the opposing forces in Spain
68
FP 1933-41 Roosevelt and Neutrality
- 1930s totalitarians and militaristic states of Germany, Italy and Japan built up large
- 1937 Gallup Poll indicated that almost 70% of Americans thought that US involvement in WW1 had been a mistake and 95% opposed any future involvement in war
69
FP 1939-41 US response to European War
- Roosevelt began to express his strong for the Western Democratic states
- After the Munich Agreement Hitler announced further rearmament and so did Roosevelt with a further $300m granted to the defence budget
70
FP 1939-41 Changing situation in Europe
- 1939 Congress agreed to sell arms on a strictly cash and carry basis
- 1940 Britain had placed orders for 14,000 aircraft but was increasingly clear that they cant pay
71
FP 1939-41 Lend-Lease and Atlantic Charter
- Britain would be loaned the means to keep fighting
72
FP 1939-41 USA & Japan - Worsening relations
- Japan and US relations deteriorated since Japan invasion of China 1937
- Japan deemed open door obsolete
- Roosevelt retaliated by lending funds to China to buy weapons and not to sell to Japan
- 1940 - Congress limited supplies of oil and scrap iron to Japan
- 1941 - USA told Japan to withdraw from China and they will not attack French Colonies in South East Asia - Japan did not respond
73
FP 1939-41 USA & Japan - Attack on Peral Harbour
- Dec 1941 Japanese launched an attack on Peral Harbour
+ Sunk 180 American Aircraft
- 8th December USA declared war on Japan
74
FP WW2 - Impact on USA - Political effects
- Political effects
+ War management commission set up in 1942 to recruit workers where they were needed most
75
FP WW2 - Impact on the USA - Economic effects
- Economic effects
+ Between 1941- 45 produced 86,000 tanks, 296,000 aircraft
+ farm income grew by 250%
+ Unemployment 1944 1.2%
+ 16m women working
+ GNP 1939 $91.3b 1945 $166.6m
76
FP WW2 - Impact on the USA - Social effects
- Social effects
+ Treatment of the Japanese Americans (JA)
_ 100,000 JA were sent to relocation centres
+ Women
_ 1944 13m women working
_ 1942 60% of American were in favour of women helping with the war industries
_ HOWEVER, women were still being paid less
+ African Americans
_ Fair Employment Practices Commissions: investigate employed discrimination
_ Armed forces: Jim Crow Army - army segregation. 1943 504,000 in the car
