History: The USA 1919-41

Question 1

What was the economic boom?

Answer 1

-> dynamic growth of the American economy after WWI leading to prosperity

Question 2

New industries:

Answer 2

->consumer goods (used or consumed) domestic appliances that became common in the 1920s
-washing machines, vacuum cleaner, electrical iron, toaster, fan, ovens…

Question 3

Transport:

Answer 3

-first plane that crosses the Atlantic non-stop-> took 16 hours (1919)
-Charles Lindeberg ( first solo Atlantic Crossing)
-Mail order became more common with availability of delivery trucks

Question 4

Advertising:

Answer 4

-began to focus on effects of the products and colour (1920s); adverts, slogans

Question 5

Clothing:

Answer 5

-Sears-mall (chainstore)

Question 6

Entertainment:

Answer 6

-Average working week dropped from 47 to 44 hours, people had more leisure
-Average wages rose by 11%
-Almost everyone listened to the radio

Question 7

Sport:

Answer 7

-Baseball became a big money sport with teams like the Yankees + Red Sox
-Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey = boxer

Question 8

Construction:

Answer 8

New York Skyline -> Age of the Skyscraper
-Empire State Building -> completed in 1931 with 102 stories and at 1,250 feet high, became the tallest building in the world
-Roads -> infrastructure -> gas stations, garages, hotels, traffic police, signs = jobs

Question 8

Southern and Eastern Europeans:

Answer 8

-new immigrants from southern and eastern countries (Russia, Poland + Italy)
-were escaping persecution + poverty

Question 9

Black Americans:

Answer 9

-In the 18th + 19th century, millions of Africans were brought to work as slaves (ends in 1865)
-Majority were farmers in the South but increasingly moving north (1920s)

Question 10

Asians:

Answer 10

-On the West Coast there was a growing number
-Helped cities and worked on the construction of railroads

Question 11

Old immigrants:

Answer 11

-European immigrants e.g: Britain
-Often held the best jobs and political power (language + race)

Question 12

Native American Indians:

Answer 12

-By 1917 many Indians lived in a number of reservations
-They had been affected by waves of immigration until 1850-1890s, where they were forced to leave

Question 13

The Hispanics:

Answer 13

-Usually from Mexico, shared a common language
-Often stayed in rural neighbouring states, eg: Texas- Cowboys

Question 14

What did all the groups have in common + difference?

Answer 14

-Economic opportunities W hite (race)
-Freedom A nglo (heritage)
S axon
-Race + language P rotestants (religion)

Question 15

Why was America the land of opportunity?

Answer 15

-Political freedom
-Eco-opportunities for women
-Better standard living
-Votes for women
-Religious freedom

Question 16

Process for immigrants:

Answer 16

1. Immigrants head to the great hall to be examined
2. Physical examinations particularly of the eyes
3. If you passed, you were sent to New York
4. If you didn’t, you were to stay in a room and would be deported back

Question 17

What were the push factors for going to America?

Answer 17

-Much of Europe experienced economic depression towards the end of the 20th century
-+were very politically unstable- for eg Russia experienced waves of revolution in the early 20th century
-Thousand of Jews were persecuted in Eastern Europe
-Cities overcrowded as the population was growing but land was limited

Question 18

What were the pull factors for going to America?

Answer 18

-America’s booming industries needed workers, so job were available
-America was rich in natural resources
-The American Bill of Rights guaranteed freedom of speech, religion and press
-America had vast plains where farms settlements were miles apart, with plenty of space to expand + land was cheap

Question 19

What was the democrat party?

Answer 19

-Tends to be liberal-it favours helping the poor + old
-Favours progress + reform, maximum, individual freedom
-Favours high taxes + gov. intervention
-Bill Clinton, Franklin Roosevelt, George Washington

Question 20

What was the republican party?

Answer 20

-More conservative- it often supports business + wealthy people
-Favours keeping traditions, traditional roles, existing conditions, limit change
-Favours lower taxes + little gov. intervention
-George Bush, Herbert Hoover, Abraham Lincoln

Question 21

How did the USA emerge from WWI and why did they not join the war?

Answer 21

-they needed the support of the allies in the wat against Ger
-between 1914-1917 the US had been supplying resources + lending money to Brit so they could fight the war
-but they had been non-interventionist + not sent soldiers

Question 22

Impact of WWI: Unemployment + Economic problems (-)

Answer 22

-4 million ex-soldiers looking for jobs
-Industry + production decreases = prices x2 = workers are going on strikes
-Communist revolution in Russia is going to spread to the US = causes a sense of fear
-Move from Black American from South ->North increase +they’re both competing for jobs

Question 23

Impact of WWI: Isolationism (-+)

Answer 23

-Harding wins election of ticket of normalcy
-The US does not join LofN + decide to look after themselves

Question 24

Impact of WWI: Economic Strength (+)

Answer 24

-One way trade from US: wheat, coal, munitions
-US had taken over as leader in some industries eg: facilities -> chemicals
-Using new technology: Mechanisation, New materials -> eg: plastic

Question 25

Impacts of WWI: Immigrations problems (-)

Answer 25

-Anti immigrant felling increased
-Test: read 40-word passage, pass -> stayed in America, failed -> had to leave (disadvantages for eastern europe)
-Post depression = worst moment, Ghettos were dissapearing, crime, prostitution… = widespread intolerence of foreigners

Question 26

The American Boom: Credit (7)

Answer 26

-Companies spent huge amount of money in advertising
-The expansion of mail-order companies gave consumers in the countryside access to the wide range of goods on offer
-The growth of credit also made it easier for people to buy goods even though they didn’t have enough money for them

Question 27

The American Boom: *The Legacy of WWI (3)

Answer 27

-Between 1914-1918, the USA had supplied Europe with many good and taken over European overseas market
-In some areas, US industry was now a world leader, e.g chemicals.
-The war hastened technological change which the US seized on

Question 28

The American Boom: Mass Marketing Techniques (6)

Answer 28

-Goods were being produced in huge quantities, and many new consumer goods were available
-Customers wanted to buy them even if they didn’t have the cash available
-The growth of credit or hire purchase meant people could buy,buy,buy! And worry later!

Question 29

The American Boom: Policies of the Republicans (2)

Answer 29

-The Republican gov’s pro business policies encouraged the boom
-Taxes on income and company profits were lowered, giving the wealthy more money to invest in industry and goods
-They also put tariffs on imported goods which helped American producers
-As businessess had not gov.control it led them to growing even more
-high tariffs, low taxis, no gov. intervention, pro-business gov ->”laissez faire” (leave alone) no gov control with peoples’ lives would allow them to be free to make money

Question 30

The American Boom: Confidence (5)

Answer 30

-Self belief amongst Americans was sky high
-They’d won the war and the future looked bright
-This meant people had the confidence to buy goods, invest in companies and try out new ideas

Question 31

The American Boom: *Natural Resources (4)

Answer 31

-The USA had a great store of wood, iron, coal, minerals, oil and land
-These helped America to become a great industrial power by the beginning of the 20th century + a sound basis for further expansion in the 1920s

Question 32

The American Boom: Mass Production Techniques + Technological Developments (1)

Answer 32

-This was a period of great innovation, there were developments in many areas, plastics, conveyor belts + automatic switchboards
-The development of electricity was essential for these changes to take place
-These new inventions and the increasing used of electricity helped modernise old industries+ develop new ones
-Electricity was a cheap + efficient source of power
-Henry Ford used these new ideas and tech- to produce cars on a much faster + cheaper scale