Society and culture in change 1917-80 Flashcards
What gave women suffrage and when was it passed?
19th Amendment, 18th of August 1920
What early movement attempted to register women to vote?
League of Women Voters
Percentage of women who worked in 1910 and 1940
8.3% and 9.8%
What was set up in 1920 that shows the new importance of women in the workplace
Women’s Bureau of Labor
Which group of people in the 1920s represent a new freedom for women?
Flappers
What shows that women’s freedoms were limited during the depression?
In 1932, 97% of the meat packing industry female workforce worked as the only worker, or to supplement the man’s wages to get by (not choice work)
What New Deal measure helped unemployed women?
Women CCC, with Camp Tera in 1933 and by 1936 there were 36 camps taking 5,000 women a year
What New Deal measure helped the family?
New Deal’s Aid For Families with Dependent Children
Which group tried to help women and blacks in 1930?
Housewives League in Detroit tried to get women to shop at black stores and support each other
What freed women in the home in 1941?
Lanham’s Act extended childcare provisions, 130,000 children in day care by 1944
Percentage of married women in workforce before and after war
15% to 23%
What wartime initiative gave women work?
Women’s Land Army of America (for agricultural jobs)
What caused a decease in employment of women after the war?
Not being re-employed at factories, social pressures, cut in day care funding
Percentage of people who thought married women should not work in 1936 and 1942
82% and then 13%
How did the war help women gain work in professions?
They were trained by the army ie nurses, they also had an aptitude and appetite for work
How did black women get jobs during the 50s often?
They worked domestically for rich whites in the suburbs
How many people moved to the suburbs in the 50s?
19 million
What caused women to want to come back to work while being in the suburbs?
With the amenities and labour-saving devices of a new house, women had too much free time
Why were the suburbs popular?
Adverts made them seem like the American Dream, and TV shows like I Love Lucy made them seem great
What occurred in cities during the move to suburbia?
Those who were left were usually those who couldn’t, putting the centre of cities into a downward spiral
What was immigration in 1882 and 1907?
650,000 a year to 1.2 million a year
What percentage of immigrants were from Southern and Eastern Europe in 1882 and 1907?
From 13% up to 81%
Which report caused action to be taken on immigration?
Dillingham Commission of 1911, new immigrants are racially inferior
Which group caused action to be taken on immigration?
Immigration Restriction League, forced 1917 Immigration Act through Congress
Percentage of Americans who were foreign born or had foreign born parents - 1910 and 1920
74% up to 85%
What did the 1921 Emergency Quota Act do?
Restrict immigration to 3% of total in 1910
What did the 1924 Emergency Quota Act do?
Limit to 2% of population based on 1890 census, then in 1927 limit to 150,000, created 85% of new immigrants from good Europe and no Eastern Asians
What occurred with Hispanics before the Wall Street Crash?
Many came over to supply cheap labour and exploited, in particular the illegals due to fear of deportation
What occurred with Hispanics after the Wall Street Crash?
They were deported by more strict officials, around 400,000 Mexicans during the depression
What occurred in cities to do with ethnic populations in the 1920s?
The ethnicities created their own districts such as Chinatown or Little Italy
What shows the effect of immigrants in politics in the 1920s?
Election of Roosevelt as he acquired support from migrants who disliked being exploited by laissez-faire
What shows how immigrants were taking over America in the 1920s?
Al Smith, NY Governor and 1928 Presidential Candidate had an Irish-American mother
How many Japanese were put in War Relocation Camps in WWII?
120,000
What did WWII do to affect immigrant-native relations?
They worsened, as Japanese, German and Italians were treated with suspicion, and their shops were picketed
What caused a positive reaction to immigrants during WWII?
Like the Tuskegee Airmen, immigrants like Admiral Chester Nimitz (a German) were made heroes
What caused a shift in policy away from quotas?
It did not allow for refugees, like those from communism
After Castro seized power, how many Cubans fled to America?
200,000
How can the Presidency be seen to affect immigration in the 60s?
JFK wrote a book - A Nation of Immigrants - and tried to pass a law removing quotas in a similar vein, LBJ finally passed it in 1965 admitting 290,000 in a year
What piece of legislation in 1953 shows a change in attitude towards migrants?
The 1953 Refugee Relief Act allows 214,000 migrants from Europe
How did Asian immigration change in the 60s and 70s?
130,000 Vietnamese taken after fall of Saigon, and JFK Act allowing more Asian immigrants means that increased migration from these areas
Which 2 pieces of legislation show a changing attitude towards Hispanics after WWII?
1954 Operation Wetback, and 1976 Immigration and Nationality Act expanded to western hemisphere
How many illegal Mexicans came to America in the 1970s per year?
Averaging over 60,000 illegals a year
What kind of attitude about migrants increased in the 1970s?
A dislike and fear of migrants taking jobs, and being a drain on the economy - nativism
What was the last straw for immigration fearmongerers?
1980 Cuban immigrants appearing in Florida due to housing crisis in Cuba
When did licensed radio start broadcasting?
1920
2 examples of use of radio during 30s for gain in politics
Roosevelt’s fireside chats, and his use of Happy Days are Here Again in campaign
How many cinema seats per person were there in 1941?
12.5
During the 30s, how did the people connect to stars?
Using the 20 fan magazines in circulation, which had power over Hollywood in forming opinions of it
How can the studios in Hollywood be seen to be powerful in cinema 1930-50?
They made 90% of movies, and the 8 companies there had a monopoly of control over the industry
How many films did Clara Bow star in in 1925?
15 movies for the It girl
Example of extra revenue measures in the 30s/40s by Hollywood?
$500,000 deal between Coke and MGM
How did the movies self-regulate in 1929-30, up to 1966?
Hays Code
Apart from the Hays Code, what shows a changing attitude of movie producers towards stars in the 30s?
‘Morality clauses’ meant that if stars were employed, they had to have a restrained private life
What offended people about jazz?
Promiscuous dances such as Black Bottom, as well as connotation to sexual freedom and black artists playing it
How many homes had a gramophone in 1929?
50%
What happened after the depression in the area of music?
Radio took off as it was cheaper, and gramophone sales crashes; 1929 150m record sales, 1935 25m sales
How did launches of radio stations help their success?
First one, KDKA in 1920 launched on Election Day, while in 1926 NBC (first national radio) opened with a football game
How did personalities grow in the radio?
Preachers, such as Father Coughlin had many listeners (30 million in 1930) so had sway over population ie with support for New Deal
What shows the extent of growth in the radio in the 1920s?
Radio Act of 1927 had to set up federal licensing of airwaves and 500 stations by 1922
How did advertisement change with TV in the 50s?
The adverts targeted certain groups like children with ads to get them to pressure parents for certain gifts
How can TV be seen as important in elections?
1952 Eisenhower and 1960 Kennedy uses TV well to look presidential while Nixon in 1960 seems off in debates so loses
How did TV change in the 50s and 60s?
Less live filming (1953-80% down to 1960-36%) and more crime and violence on TV which irritated conservatives
When was PBS and Sesame Street set up?
1967 and then 1969
What does Sesame street show about PBS?
Liberal agenda it had, as well as educational desire and more racial tolerance
How did TV affect people in a political sense?
They were better informed as most people would happily watch TV while not all would read newspapers
How does TV become more critical of politicians in the 60s and 70s?
Shows like Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In directly criticised politicians, as well as MASH which criticised foreign policy and in depth news reports
How did broadcast news affect the great depression?
Radio and newspapers reported the crash, causing fears in stocks causing more to be sold off
How did broadcast news change the reporting of WWII?
Ed Murrow in London, as well as on the front line, told the war story directly to the USA as it happened
How did broadcast news affect the Red Scare?
Ed Murrow’s See It Now show exposed McCarthy as a liar and bully in 1953 and 1954
How did broadcast new affect people’s estimation of the Presidency in 1973?
The Watergate Hearing were shown on TV (all 250 hours) causing people to trust less in the government as they watched people testify against Nixon
How did broadcast news change with the Vietnam War?
More critical of the government, with Walter Cronkite’s 1968 documentary of Vietnam, news began to shape people’s opinion or at least reinforce it
How can Jimmy Carter’s experience with the media show the changing attitude of broadcast news?
As they were very critical of him ie ‘killer-rabbit attack’, he was target maybe because he was a bad president or that the media preferred Reagan, very unlike Roosevelt and polio though
Where were women worst off in the whole time period/
Rural females, cut off from urban women who were more likely to seize gains made in the workplace
Date and location of first mall
1954 Detroit suburbs, a focal point for rural housewives to meet
What was set up by Kennedy in 1961 to do with women?
Commission of Enquiry on the Status of Women
What was passed in 1963 to do with women?
Equal Pay Act
What did the 1963 report find?
Discrimination in wages, training and promotion, and women not encouraged to go into work from a young age like men, counsellors set up with Education Act of 1958 not effective at helping
How many counsellors for women were there in 1963?
12,000, not enough to help them
When was The Feminine Mystique written by who?
1963 Betty Friedman
What was the result of The Feminine Mystique?
NOW set up in 1966 with Freidman as a founding member to push for better enforcement of Equal Pay/Civil Rights Act, education for women to help them
When had women started calling for ERA?
1923, Alice Paul and Women’s Party
What was set up to do with women in 1969 and 1971?
National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, and then National Women’s Political Caucus
How did the radical branch of women’s liberation begin?
Young female members of SNCC and SDS reacted to sexist nature of men in these associations by setting up their own small groups
What was began in March 1968 for young radicals?
Voice of the Women’s Liberation Movement, not that well selling but set the path for future
Example of joint complaint of MLK and radicals?
Irritation with media focus on extremist position
When was the joint women’s strike and what happened?
26 August 1970, many women from all groups from NOW to radicals stopped working, some protested, 3 unifying demands of equal opportunity in workplace, free childcare and free abortion on demand
2 examples of books in 70s on women’s issues
1970 - Kate Millet’s Sexual Politics on literature (a bit of a joke) and Gloria Steinem’s Ms magazine from 1972, for professional women
What happened to NOW membership after the 1970 strike?
It increased by 50%
Why was timing poor for women’s movement?
Turn to the 1970s and conservative backlash led to overall rejection of ideas compared to more liberal 1960s
Examples of anti-ERA movements
Phyllis Schlafly’s STOP ERA from 1972 and Eagle Forum, to protect traditional women’s privileges such as not working in the army
Presidential Action to help women
1967 LBJ executive order for affirmative action in federal jobs expanded to women
1972 case helping women
Eisenstadt v Baird 1972 allowing contraception for unmarried as well as married women
How many states didn’t sign up to ERA by 1982?
15
When did the USA sign up to the UN policy of non-discrimination against women?
1979
What happened to the women’s movement in the late 1970s?
Fragmentation due to singularly middle class nature of work, new groups such as Congress of Labour Union Women and Mexican American Women’s Organization
2 examples of early suffrage women’s protests
Women’s Party led by Alice Paul picketed White House and went on hunger strike, and Carrie Cart of National Suffrage Association led Leslie’s Weekly magazine to campaign for female suffrage
Roosevelt gain with women in government
Frances Perkins in 1933 as first female cabinet member and Secretary of Labour
Number of women in WWII military roles
200,000 in Women’s Army Corps and navy version
Facts about women’s rise in WWII employment
Increase of 50% in female employment since 1941, in 1944 women were 14% of all workers and 40% of aircraft plant workers
Birth rate per 1000 in 1940 and 1946
19.4 and 24 a year
Type of jobs women did in 1950s
Service industry or clerical
Women in home book
1947 Modern Woman: The Lost Sex by Farnham and Lundberg, science proves women can enjoy domesticity
States laws on women in 1950s
18 states refused female jurors and 6 banned female financial agreements with a male co-signatory
Proportion of women feeling discriminated against in 1960 and 1974
1/4 and 2/3rds
Women’s wages a proportion of men’s in 1980
62%
Success of university women
By mid-1970s 90% were in work outside the home
Date of Sacco and Vanzetti case
1920 crime, prosecuted in 1921, death in 1927
Percentage of farm labour done in the West by Mexicans in 1920s
75%
Facts about move to cities
1920 census showed more lived in urban areas for first time, and 6 million more moved from the country in 1920s
Examples of city-orientated business
Birmingham for steel, Houston for oil and Detroit for cars
Numbers in Great Migration
1.5m blacks in 1920s
Why could blacks not move up the housing ladder?
White restrictive covenants to stop people selling or renting to blacks
Growth of suburbs in 1920s
Growth in suburbs was 5 to 10 times faster than in cities, desire by suburbanites to retain non-city status
Act of 1952 on immigration
McCarran-Walter Act, quotas of Asians, no racial barrier for Asians to naturalize as US citizens, and family reunifications allowed 45,000 Japanese to enter in 1950s
Number of legal immigrants and proportion of Europeans in 1970s
450,000 with less than 20% European, changing greatly the make-up of some areas
First proper talkie
The Jazz Singer in 1927
Power of cinema over people
Directors such as Frank Capra and John Ford created the myths and culture of the era - 1939 Gone with the Wind
Impact of WWII on cinema
Carried on as normal with Office of War Information supervision, cinema ticket sales reached all time high in 1946
Start of jazz success
Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917 raised profile and desire for the black music in north
Power of swing
1935 Benny Goodman with big band - turned to interest in main singer with Frank Sinatra
2 classic 1920s style of entertainment
Crooners of Bing Crosby and Broadway
Radio share of advertising in 1928 and 1945
1% to 15%
Percentage of people with colour TV in 1970
38%
Violence on TV in 1950s
Gunsmoke as a western and 77 Sunset Strip as a detective series
Example of power of TV in 1950s
Importance of Ed Sullivan Show in launching Elvis and anybody else
Percentage with radio in late 1930s
80%
Growth of TV news
Lost money in early days so only 15 minute broadcasts, then 30 minutes from 1963 with CBS and NBC
1963 report on TV news
Americans main source of information was the TV
1970s TV news
Late 1970s saw 60 Minutes of CBS gaining great popularity as did morning news programmes
3 effects of TV on life in 1950s
1952 Checkers Speech on TV for Nixon, 29m watched Ike inauguration, 1954 Army-McCarthy
How many people watched the 1960 Presidential debate?
60 million
