Social And Economic Problems In The USA Flashcards
Why did farmers suffer economically and mean they didn’t share in the prosperity of the 1920s?
They overproduced food which led to drop in prices
Farm income dropped from $22bn (1919) to $13bn (1928)
Couldn’t repay loans so were forced to seek farms
What happened to coal miners during the 1920s?
They suffered due to the oil industry, gas and electricity which were used to heat homes and cook food
How did the leather and textile industry suffer?
They suffered from the development of new man made materials e.g. nylon and rayon
What happened as a result in the drop of prices in these industries?
The workers wages began to drop and some lost their jobs
What happened to the native people of America during the boom?
They lost their land to mining companies
Lived in poverty
Where did most African Americans live during the boom?
The majority lived in southern states and worked on farms as labourers
What happened when African Americans were hit particularly hard?
They made their way to the city but only found low paid jobs whilst some companies only accepted white people
At the peaks if the boom, 5% were unemployed
What were the living conditions like for African Americans?
The living conditions were appalling and many lived in poverty
What was prohibition?
Prohibition stopped any American from selling, making or transporting any alcoholic drink
Why was prohibition introduced?
It was introduced to try and stop violence, addiction, debt and crime
What was organised crime?
Criminals made lots of money from fixed horse and dog racing, brothels and racketeering
Al Capone made $10mn in one year
They never got caught as they bribed police officers with money
What were speakeasies?
People were prepared to break the law and ran illegal bars selling alcohol called speakeasies
There were 200 speakeasies in 1930s
Was Prohibition successful?
It wasn’t successful as it resulted in a rise of gangsters, organised crime and police corruption
It was ended in 1933
Where did the immigrants come from? Why did they come to America?
The majority of America were either immigrants or descendants from immigrants who had come particularly from Eastern Europe and Russia who were fleeing persecution
Some Italians immigrated to America who were fleeing from poverty
What happened once they arrived in the USA?
They endured prejudice as many felt the immigrants were stealing jobs
Their working and living conditions were poor
Why weren’t they welcomed?
Usually the poor, they couldn’t speak English
They also had unfamiliar traditions and religious practices that the Americans thought were unusual
What did the government do as a result?
The government introduces a law on immigration that limited the amount of new arrivals
They believed that the immigrants didn’t enrich the life and culture of America
What happened to the African Americans after they had been faced with discrimination and poverty?
Racial discrimination was the strongest in the south so as a result, many African American headed north as they had better chances of getting good jobs and a good education
What happened once they arrived in the north?
They were the last to be given jobs and first to be fired
They lived in the poorest areas with a poorer education and health services than whites
Couldn’t vote
What were the ‘Jim Crow’ Laws?
The ‘Jim Crow’ laws stopped African Americans using the same hotels, restaurants, swimming pools and libraries
What happened with the legal system?
Whites were firmly in control here
African Americans couldn’t expect justice as the police, judges and sheriffs followed the ‘Jim Crow’ laws
