The Boom Flashcards
Why was there a boom in the 1920s? (6)
WW1 Mass production Advertising Consumer society Hire purchase Shares
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
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
Why did advertising cause a boom in america? (2)
Raised awareness
Increased demand
Why did the consumer society cause a boom in america? (2)
led to huge demand
Created jobs in the factories
Why did hire purchase cause a boom in america?
People could buy more - increased amount sold
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
How many years did the USA stay out of WW1?
2 years
What kinds of advertising was used in the 1920s? (5)
Posters Billboards Newspapers Magazines Radio Etc.
What is hire purchase? (Phrase)
Buy now, pay later
What fraction of radios and cars were bought on credit?
8/10 radios
6/10 cars
What were the 3 republican policies?
Laissez faire
Tariffs
Low taxation
What is laissez faire?
Government shouldn’t interfere in people’s lives
How did laissez faire encourage a boom? (2)
Big businesses free to expand + make jobs
They could make profits and invest in industry
How did tariffs encourage a boom?
Made foreign goods more expensive so people bought more American goods
- helped industry to thrive
How did low taxation encourage a boom?
People had more money left to spend, which helped industrial growth
How many types of car did Ford produce?
1
What was Ford’s only car model? (2)
Model T
- mass produced with one engine size + one colour
How did Ford keep costs low? (2)
Only 1 type or car
Used assembly line + conveyer belt to speed up production
What was the price of the Ford Model T in 1911?
$800
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
