Problems in the farming industry Flashcards
Which group of people were not enjoying the boom?
Farmers
How much did farming increase decrease?
From $22 billion in 1919 to $13 billion in 1928
Why did exports decline?
After the war, Europe imported less food from the USA because:
- Europe was poor
- It was a response to US tariffs which stopped Europe exporting to the US
Who was competing against US farmers?
Canadian farmers
Which Canadian farmers were particularly efficient?
Canadian wheat farmers
What was happened to the size of the US population - and why did that matter?
It was decreasing - and therefore there were fewer mouths to feed and less demand for food
What is meant by ‘over production’?
When a too much food (a surplus) is created
Why was there overproduction in US farming?
Between 1900 and 1920, while farming was doing well, more and more land was being farmed - and more efficiently
What sort of things helped improve the efficiency of US farming between 1900 and 1920?
- Combine harvesters
- Improved fertilisers
By 1920, why was there an issue with wheat?
There was a surplus (too much) of wheat - and no one wanted it
What happened to prices in the 1920s?
Prices plummeted
Why did prices fall during the 1920s?
Desperate farmers tried to the sell their goods by cutting prices
In 1921 alone, how far did prices fall?
Most farm prices fell by 50%
What happened to many rural banks in the 1920s?
Hundreds of rural banks closed
What happened to farm bankruptcies during the 1920s?
They increased.
There were five times as many in the 1920s as in the 1900s and 1910s.
Were all farmers affected?
No - rich Americans wanted fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the year so these farmers could do OK
How did shipments of lettuce change?
Shipments of lettuce to cities increased:
14,000 crates in 1920
52,000 crates in 1928
For most farmers, what were the 1920s?
A time of hardship
Approximately how many Americans lived in rural areas?
About 50% (half)
Why did farming problems matter so much?
The Americans who lived in rural areas (50%) often either worked on farms or in businesses that sold goods to farmers.
Farming therefore directly affected 60 million Americans
How many Americans were directly affected by farming?
60 million Americans
How many Americans were forced off the land in the 1920s?
6 million
Of the 6 million Americans forced off the land in the 1920s, what job did most of them hold?
Farm labourers (often unskilled)
Where did most of the unskilled labourers go once they were forced off the land?
To the cities - where there was little demand for their labour
Which unskilled labourers were particularly badly affected?
African Americans
Why were African American labourers particularly badly affected?
They had always done the least skilled jobs in rural areas
How many African Americans labourers became unemployed?
750,000
What did many farming communities become fierce critics of?
The ‘laissez faire’ policies of the Republican Party
Approximately what percentage of the population was directly employed in agriculture?
One quarter (25%)
When alcohol was banned under Prohibition (1920-33), what happened to consumption of barley?
It fell by 90% (barley is used to make beer)
How many fewer farms were there in 1930 compared with 1920?
One million fewer farms
Where were fruit growers located?
Mostly in California and Florida
Which states make up the Midwest?
States like Ohio, Kansas and Illinois
What can be found in the Midwest?
Some of the richest farming land in the world
What is ‘Dixie’?
The American South - generally those who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War
Which states make up ‘the South’?
States like Texas, Florida and Louisiana. (Confusingly, not states west of Texas like California.)
