The Boom Flashcards
What where the roaring twenties
Age of dramatic social and political change
How many reasons for the economic boom?
What are they?
8: republican policies
, impact of ww1
, state of mind/confidence ,
Wall Street and stock market ,
mass consumption,
the car ,
new industries and methods ,
resources and transport networks.
Summarise resources and transport networks
The oil industry was doing well because it was replacing coal.
Demand also rose as car ownership increased
Steel became more used cause of the car industry, new consumer goods and skyscrapers.
The USA had a young population which gave a strong labour source
Who didn’t do well from the boom?
Farmers
Workers in traditional industries
Unemployed and the poor
Chicago in the 1920s
Why didint farmers benefit?
Declining exports - Europe was poor from the early so they couldn’t buy from America
The USA had tariffs which prevented Europe from exporting to America
New competition - there were new wheat farmers in Canada
The population was declining which meant less demand so it was harder for farmers to compete
Overproduction- the combine harvester farmed more land efficiently which meant farmers where making more than they were selling.
Falling prices - farmers where desperate to sell their products so they cut prices as much as 50%
Farm bankruptcies increased 5x more than the 1900s
Why didint farmers benefit?
Declining exports - Europe was poor from the early so they couldn’t buy from America
The USA had tariffs which prevented Europe from exporting to America
New competition - there were new wheat farmers in Canada
The population was declining which meant less demand so it was harder for farmers to compete
Overproduction- the combine harvester farmed more land efficiently which meant farmers where making more than they were selling.
Falling prices - farmers where desperate to sell their products so they cut prices as much as 50%
Farm bankruptcies increased 5x more than the 1900s
Why did Chicago not benefit from the boom
Chicago was one of americas poorest cities and was the centre of meat steal and clothing industries.
Many of these workers were immigrants or African Americans who had moved from the south.
Only 3% of semi skilled workers owned a car
And 29% in the wealthier areas
They preferred to save instead of buying things on the margin
They shopped locally as the owners gave them credit
Why didn’t the unemployed/poor benefit from the boom
Unemployment remained high in the 1920s cause companies were expanding their companies using electricity and machinery
The same number of people were unemployed at the peak of the boom and in 1920
Poor whites african Americans immigrants Hispanics
With many families being too poor to buy things demand decreased
Why did workers in tradition industries not benefit from the boom?
They were being railed by newer industries e.g coal was being replaced by electricity and oil
Republicans put tariffs on forging imports to protect American businesses but they didint put it on with markets like electricity
Skilled workers could not compete with machines or cheap labour
Workers wages were not high- even if they did get a pay raise it did not rise as the company profits
What is LACK PANTS
Laissez faire
Assembly line
Credit
Knowledge
Position of the us
Advertising
New consumer goods
Tariffs
Sharp confidence
What was life like for women before the 1920s
Not many jobs for them
Expected to be housewives
Not allowed to smoke , wear makeup, or play sports
Expected to dress and act a certain way ( not to be seen or heard)
Could not vote
Can’t go out without a chaperone
How did women’s lives change socially in the 1920s?
Women wore daring clothes and smoked in public and went out without chaperones
300 pieces of legislation pushing to improve women’s health , working conditions and legal rights were passed
The women’s suffrage association and national women’s party campaigned for women to get the vote
This was approved in 1920
How did women’s lives change economically in the 1920s?
More women were employed
During ww1 women entered the workforce doing traditional men’s roles
They also served in women’s land army , Red Cross and local organisations
Women weren’t allowed to serve in combat roles but many learnt new skills in their war work e.g : telegraphy , stenography, nursing etc
After the war women continued taking on jobs : 10 million women were in paid employment
The Shepard towner act provided 2.6 million to help stated improve maternity and child health care which cause child death to fall
However it wasn’t fully going well
300 pieces of legislation pushing to improve women’s health , working conditions and legal rights were passed
How did women’s lives change politically in the 1920s?
The women’s suffrage association and national women’s party campaigned for women to get the vote
This was approved in 1920
The Shepard towner act provided 2.6 million to help stated improve maternity and child health care which cause child death to fall
However it wasn’t fully going well
300 pieces of legislation pushing to improve women’s health , working conditions and legal rights were passed
Many women gained political education .
They went on to play a key role in campaigning on social issues during the 1920s
They supported moves for improved education and healthcare
Why women didn’t do well in the 1920s?
Women were paid less than men even if they did the same job
Women were cheaper to employ
They were still not offered the same job opportunities as men
Women didn’t have access to political power as they were seen as unelectable
Films gave the impression that women lived lives full of passion and romance but there is no evidence of that
Women reacted with outrage .
Traditional value and religion kept women in a much restricted role than young urban women
Raising a family and keeping a good home were the priorities.
Conservative women expressed strong disapproval off urban women.
