Standard of living (most dull thing on God's green earth) 1940 Flashcards
Indoor flushing toilet
60%
P(Running water | Flushing toilet)
70%
Oil lamp lighting
20%
Electricity
5.4%
No cooking
0.4%
Central heating
42%
No heating
11%
Electric fridge
44%
Goods sold at retail chains in 1929
22%
30/33/40 - Income spent on food
24% and 26% and 21%
30/33/40 - Income spent eating out
13% and 13% and 15%
Miles of new power lines run by Rural Electrification Administration in 1939
100,000 miles
P(Iron n Radio | Electricity)
> 80%
P(Washing Machine n Fridge n Toaster | Electricity)
> 50%
17/30/40 - Government Spending on Healthcare
$3.1m and $11m and $33m
17/29/40 - Children going to school aged 14-17
27% and 52% and 73%
20/40 - Children working under 15
8.5% and no figures (banned in 1938)
28/33/40 - Monthly earning for farm worker
$36 and $15 and $25
Wages for farmers compared to average white man
1/4
60 - indoor flushing toilet
86%
60 - running water
93%
60 - no heating
1.7%
60 - fridge and freezer
Fridge too common to be counted, freezer 19%
60 - radio
92%
Which law controlled working hours?
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 - 40 hours working week maximum
Which type of people’s lives changed the most in the Great Depression in terms of travel?
Laid off farmers (arkies) moving west, as well as sons and fathers who wandered the nation for jobs
Which types of entertainment grew in the 1920s?
Cinema, radio, watching sporting events, going to National Parks, and reading (due to cheap paperbacks of late 1920s)
Book sales in 1929 and 1939
$117m and then down to $74m
Rose Bowl Stadium capacity in 1922 when built and then 1928 when extended
57,000 up to 76,000
Yankees Stadium capacity before and after 1923
35,000 up to 53,000
How was radio good for spectator sports?
It caused more people to join the action ie Dempsey vrs Tunney in 1926
How was radio bad for spectator sport?
It caused people to not go to sports games ie St Louis gaining ticket sales when they stop radio broadcasting in 1932
How did sport change lives of some working class Americans in the 1920s in terms of pay?
They became sports stars like Babe Ruth ($80,000 a year) or Jack Dempsey, son of Irish dockworker
What was the gain to sport during WW2?
Many teams carried on under Roosevelt’s orders to keep morale, and women’s teams grew with men away
How did sport suffer during WW2?
Many men went out to fight which lowered the level of play overall
How many white and blue collar workers were there in 1960?
35m vrs 32m
Percentage of working women in 1960
40%
Why was there more free time for many in the 50s/60s?
Labour saving devices came into use ie wipe down surfaces
When did Disneyland open?
1955
What became a pastime after 1960 bigly?
Shopping
What happened to sports attendance post-1960?
There was a decrease as people watched things on TV during the 70s, then during 80s sponsors worked to improve attendance and succeeded
Major league baseball attendance in 1970s and 80s?
330m then up to 460m
General effects of car-owning culture
Increased industry, increased associated supply profit, more roads, increased mobility, shopping (malls), entertainment changes and tourism
Miles of public roads in 1917 and 1980?
2.9m then up to 3.9m
Percentage of people with no car 1960 and 80
22% to 12%
3 effects of increased mobility
More motels, more travelling salesmen and easier to move home
When was the first mall opened and how many were opened 1960 to 80?
1956 and then 30,000
How did the car change entertainment?
Drive-ins and drive-thru came about
What percentage of cinema receipts were drive-ins in 1954?
16%
Why were drive-ins limited in power?
They only did very well in areas where it was warm and dry during most of the year
What was the effect of the car on tourism?
It kept tourists in the USA, and lead to chains of shops doing well as people looked for them while away
How did the car effect the poor during the 50s/60s?
If you couldn’t afford a car, it became difficult to get around due to poor public service funding and poor train coverage - it was also slow, and buses were slow as well
What was the issue for drives during the 70s?
The fuel crisis caused fuel rationing and increased prices, so the poorest drivers were pushed into public transport - also fuel crisis showed American dependency on foreign oil
Number of Western Air passengers in 1926 and 1929?
267 up to 25,000
What was key for air travel in 1925?
The Kelly Act putting out air mail routes
What occurred to do with air travel in 1938?
Civil Aeronautics Act set up Board (CAB) to regulate airlines in pricing, routes and relations
First pressurized passenger compartment?
1940
How did war benefit the airlines? 2 things
The refueling tanker airplane turned into a commercial plane after WW2, and the Cold War led to money being put into jet engine research for fighters
What was set up in 1958 to do with airplanes?
Federal Aviation Administration
Who gained from air travel during the 60s and 70s?
Middle class, in particular businessmen, though this did take the shine off air travel
How many Americans went abroad in 1970 and 80?
5.2m up to 8.2m
What occurred to do with airlines in 1978?
Airline Deregulation Act closed the CAB leading to budget airlines becoming a thing
