The Boom Flashcards by Ciara Guy

Why was there a boom in the 1920s? (6)

WW1
Mass production
Advertising
Consumer society
Hire purchase
Shares

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Why did WW1 cause a boom in america? (4)

USA stayed out of war for 1st 2 years
loaned money to the allies (= huge interest)
US firms sold weapons + made profits
there was less competition for American manufacturers

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Why did mass production cause a boom in america? (3)

Production was cheaper + quicker - made way more profit
Created loads of jobs
Made goods cheaper - more people could buy them

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Why did advertising cause a boom in america? (2)

Raised awareness

Increased demand

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Why did the consumer society cause a boom in america? (2)

led to huge demand

Created jobs in the factories

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Why did hire purchase cause a boom in america?

People could buy more - increased amount sold

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Why did shares cause a boom in america? (3)

Shareholders made money which they could spend on goods
Increased investment in industry
More goods made

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How many years did the USA stay out of WW1?

2 years

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What kinds of advertising was used in the 1920s? (5)

Posters
Billboards
Newspapers
Magazines
Radio
Etc.

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What is hire purchase? (Phrase)

Buy now, pay later

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What fraction of radios and cars were bought on credit?

8/10 radios

6/10 cars

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What were the 3 republican policies?

Laissez faire
Tariffs
Low taxation

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What is laissez faire?

Government shouldn’t interfere in people’s lives

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How did laissez faire encourage a boom? (2)

Big businesses free to expand + make jobs

They could make profits and invest in industry

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How did tariffs encourage a boom?

Made foreign goods more expensive so people bought more American goods
- helped industry to thrive

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How did low taxation encourage a boom?

People had more money left to spend, which helped industrial growth

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How many types of car did Ford produce?

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What was Ford’s only car model? (2)

Model T

- mass produced with one engine size + one colour

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How did Ford keep costs low? (2)

Only 1 type or car

Used assembly line + conveyer belt to speed up production

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What was the price of the Ford Model T in 1911?

$800

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What was the price of the Ford Model T in 1928?

$295

How many people bought Model T Fords between 1911 and 1928?

15 million people

What other industries did Ford and the motor industry benefit? (5)

Steel, leather and paint industries
Jobs in both car factories and factories that supplied the materials
Huge number of jobs in building roads, oil refineries, petrol stations, hotels + garages
New truck industry
Boosted house building in suburbs

What was the single biggest employer in the 1920s?

Road construction

By 1929, how many trucks were there on the roads?

3.5 million

How were farmers affected by the boom? (3)

Produced a surplus + couldn’t sell them so prices fell Had to borrow money to survive Got into debt until had to sell farms and leave

In 1928, how many farmers were living in poverty? (fraction)

1/2 of all US farmers

How many farmers lost their farms in 1924?

600,000

Coal industry during the boom (2)

Prices fell + thousands made redundant | Industry produced too much + not enough people / countries wanted to buy it

Ship building industry during the boom

Thousands made redundant due to reduction in demand for new ships

Cotton industry during the boom (2)

Cotton works laid off because it was cheaper to produce synthetic fibres, e.g. rayon Possible to produce rayon in factories with fewer workers

Native Americans during boom (3) (benefit?, land, life)

Didn’t benefit Land had been seized by mining companies Traditional way of life disappeared when forced to live in reservation areas

Immigrants during boom (2) (number, struggles)

Limits of number of immigrants | Faced prejudice and discrimination

Women during boom (3) (single, housewives, general)

Single women - attitudes changed, more employed, more independent Housewives - new inventions made chores easier Women still inferior to men

How many millionaires were there in America in 1927?

15000 US millionaires

What percentage of money did the richest 5% earn?

33% of all the money in America

In 1926, how many people had an annual income of over $1 mil? (Compared to in 1921)

207 | Compared to 21 in 1921

How many families had an average income of less than $1000 a year?

6 million

What percentage of Americans lived below the poverty line in 1929?

60%

Popularity of sport in the 1920s (2) (organised sport, broadcasting)

Organised sport developed + stadiums such as Yankee Stadium (1923) were built Events could be broadcast live across USA on radio - generated huge enthusiasm

How many people heard the coverage of the 1927 World Heavyweight Boxing title fight?

60 million

Popularity of cinema in 1920s (1)

Introduction of Talkies in 1927 increased popularity

How many Americans went to the cinema on a weekly basis in 1929 and 1927?

110 million in 1929 Just 60 million in 1927

Hays Code (4) (when, what, why, example)

Drawn up 1930 Code of conduct by Hollywood to censor film industry because movies horrified many older/religious Americans E.g. a kiss could last no longer than 7 metres of film

Popularity of Jazz music in 1920s (5) (age, dance, popularity, race,)

Young people had had enough of parents’ old dances (waltz) Jazz was more rhythmic + sexy + easy to dance to Most popular music of 1920s Music of the black people (whites exposed to this for first time - loved it) Great opportunities for black musicians e.g. Louis Armstrong

Women before WW1 (6) (appearance x 3, independence, jobs, activities)

``` Expected to behave modestly + politely Long dresses, restrictive clothing Chaperone when they went out Couldn’t smoke / take part in sport Couldn’t wear make-up Housewives / lower paid jobs ```

Women after WW1 (new law, number working)

After significant contribution to war effort, 19th Amendment became law 1920, giving women right to vote Increase of 25% in number of working women 1920s

By 1929, how many women were working?

10.6 million

Flappers (3) (who, where, actions)

Middle/upper class women Towns + cities in northern states Rebelled against aspects of women’s lives

Appearance of flappers (3)

Short hair Make-up Flat front dress - loose for dancing

Why were some women not affected by changes to women’s lives?

Poorer women couldn’t afford lifestyle of flappers | Women still paid less than men