People Who Didn't Benefit From the Boom Flashcards
Between 1919 and 1928, how much had farm income dropped by?
$22 billion to $13 billion
In 1920, how much was a bushel of wheat worth? How much was it worth by 1931?
1920= $233 1931= $32
What percentage of farms had electricity or mains?
Less than 10%
What was the largest subsection of society?
Farming
What % of Americans lived in rural areas?
More than 50%
How many were forced off land to try and find work in rural areas?
6 million
What decimated crops in the south?
Pests such as the Bill Weevil
Why couldn’t US farmers compete with Canadian wheat producers?
Competition
Couldn’t compete with highly efficient wheat producers of Canada
Americans bought Canadian goods which were cheaper and American farmers lost money
What caused overproduction in farming?
Farmers invested in machinery such as Combine Harvesters and fertilisers between 1900 and 1920
By 1920s surpluses were being produced which nobody wanted
Why were European farming markets declining?
USA had sold Europe millions of dollars worth of grain in the war and lost that demand
Europe were bankrupt and couldn’t afford US grain
Tariffs meant Europeans had less money to buy US goods as they couldn’t sell goods in America
Who had the least skilled jobs and were very badly hit?
Blacks/ immigrants
Why did blacks and immigrants suffer?
Last to be hired and first to be fired
Segregated in many jobs
Which immigrants suffered from seasonal unemployment?
Polish and Irish
Eg in steel, meat and clothing workers
% of semi skilled workers that owned a car?
3%
How many black farm labourers lost work in the 1920s?
1 million
