History: The USA 1919-41 Flashcards
What was the economic boom?
-> dynamic growth of the American economy after WWI leading to prosperity
New industries:
->consumer goods (used or consumed) domestic appliances that became common in the 1920s
-washing machines, vacuum cleaner, electrical iron, toaster, fan, ovens…
Transport:
-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
Advertising:
-began to focus on effects of the products and colour (1920s); adverts, slogans
Clothing:
-Sears-mall (chainstore)
Entertainment:
-Average working week dropped from 47 to 44 hours, people had more leisure
-Average wages rose by 11%
-Almost everyone listened to the radio
Sport:
-Baseball became a big money sport with teams like the Yankees + Red Sox
-Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey = boxer
Construction:
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
Southern and Eastern Europeans:
-new immigrants from southern and eastern countries (Russia, Poland + Italy)
-were escaping persecution + poverty
Black Americans:
-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)
Asians:
-On the West Coast there was a growing number
-Helped cities and worked on the construction of railroads
Old immigrants:
-European immigrants e.g: Britain
-Often held the best jobs and political power (language + race)
Native American Indians:
-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
The Hispanics:
-Usually from Mexico, shared a common language
-Often stayed in rural neighbouring states, eg: Texas- Cowboys
What did all the groups have in common + difference?
-Economic opportunities W hite (race)
-Freedom A nglo (heritage)
S axon
-Race + language P rotestants (religion)
Why was America the land of opportunity?
-Political freedom
-Eco-opportunities for women
-Better standard living
-Votes for women
-Religious freedom
Process for immigrants:
- Immigrants head to the great hall to be examined
- Physical examinations particularly of the eyes
- If you passed, you were sent to New York
- If you didn’t, you were to stay in a room and would be deported back
What were the push factors for going to America?
-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
What were the pull factors for going to America?
-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
What was the democrat party?
-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
What was the republican party?
-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
How did the USA emerge from WWI and why did they not join the war?
-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
Impact of WWI: Unemployment + Economic problems (-)
-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
Impact of WWI: Isolationism (-+)
-Harding wins election of ticket of normalcy
-The US does not join LofN + decide to look after themselves
Impact of WWI: Economic Strength (+)
-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
Impacts of WWI: Immigrations problems (-)
-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
The American Boom: Credit (7)
-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
The American Boom: *The Legacy of WWI (3)
-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
The American Boom: Mass Marketing Techniques (6)
-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!
The American Boom: Policies of the Republicans (2)
-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
The American Boom: Confidence (5)
-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
The American Boom: *Natural Resources (4)
-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
The American Boom: Mass Production Techniques + Technological Developments (1)
-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
