The Roaring 20s Flashcards
Why was there a ‘boom’ during the 1920s?
- WW1: didn’t join until 1917 = very little war costs
- republican policies: low taxes, isolationism, laissez-faire, Fordney McCumber tariff act
- mass production
- effective advertisement: hire purchase, mail order, billboards, radios etc.
How much of the world’s goods was America making during the 1920s?
50%
How did the proportion of homes with electricity change?
- 1916: 15%
↳1927: 70%
When and where was Ford founded?
1903
Detroit, Michigan
What did Henry Ford do?
- popularised the assembly line
↳ led to mass production - made the Model T Ford/Tin Lizzie
How large did Ford’s factory become?
the largest in the world.
How did the price of the Model T change?
1911: $800
↳1928: $295
Why was the Model T so easy to make and cheap?
- only one engine size
- no back windows
- only one colour
What is an economic boom?
a period in a country’s history where businesses were doing well, sales and wages were high, and unemployment was low.
How many cars were on the road by 1926 and how many were Ford cars?
- 20 million
↳ 1/2 were Ford
What was the effect of the car industry on other industries? What percent of steel and leather did it use?
- made road build ing the biggest industry
- for every 1 worker in the car industry, there was 10 elsewhere
- the car industry used 20% of American steel, 65% leather etc.
Why did farmers not benefit from the boom?
- overproduction meant that they had a low income
↳ due to mechanisation - they couldn’t afford to pay back loans taken out to buy machinery
How many farmers lost their farms in 1924?
600,000
What did farmers have to do when they lost their jobs and what were they known as?
- they had to wander around for jobs
↳ hobos
How did traditional industries (give examples) not benefit from the boom?
- cotton, wool, coal etc.
- instead of coal, other fuels were being used, such as electricity
- instead of cotton wool, cheaper, synthetic fibres were being used
↳ such as rayon & nylon
Why did African Americans not benefit from the boom?
- most worked as sharecroppers
↳ farming industry was already suffering - segregation meant that they had a poorer quality of life
- the KKK threatened anyone who tried to improve their civil rights & them
How many AA left southern states to go to northern states?
- nearly 2 million
↳ out of 12 million
Why did AA leave southern states to go to the north, and what was the problem with this?
- they went for better job opportunities and lifestyle
↳ still could only work in the low-paid jobs and they still faced racial tension
Why did Native Americans not benefit from the boom?
- their land had been seized by mining companies
- forced to live in reservations
↳ where the soil was so poor it was almost impossible to grow crops - they had the lowest life expectancy of all minorities in America
Why did immigrants not benefit from the boom?
- they faced a lot of discrimination
↳ as they spoke different languages, had different cultures, traditions & religions - they were not educated, so they were willing to work in low paid jobs
↳ people criticised them of stealing jobs
What were the inequalities of wealth during the boom?
- the richest 5% earned 33% of all of the money in America
- 1927: 15,000 millionaries
↳ but 6 million families had an income of less than $1000 a year
How did sport change during the 1920s?
- became incredibly popular and wealthy
- Babe Ruth eared $80,000 a year
↳ £7 million today
How did the cinema change during the 1920s?
- early 1920s: 30 million tickets sold a week
↳ 1920: 100 million tickets sold a week
When was the first ‘Talkies’ and what was it called?
1927
The Jazz Singer
What was the Hays Code and why did it become a law?
- older Americans thought that films were too vulgar
↳ Hollywood introduced the Hays Code to stop films from being banned - banned nudity, limited a kiss scene to 3 seconds, and made it so that a criminal could not get away with their crime
Who were the famous jazz singers of the time?
- Louis Armstrong
- Duke Ellington
- Bessie Smith
What is jazz and where did it originate?
- known for improvisation, fast tempo
- originated in Southern states
What was jazz a symbol of?
African-American culture
↳but was enjoyed by all young people, regardless of their culture
What new dances did jazz lead to?
- Charleston
- The Tango
What was the Harlem Renaissance?
- the rebirth and recognition of African-American culture through arts, music, dance etc
- in Harlem, New York
What were the roles of women before WWI?
- expected to be modest
↳ had to wear unrevealing clothes - had to be chaperoned everywhere
- owned by men
- no right to vote
- could only work ‘feminine’ jobs
↳ secretary, nursing etc.
What was the National American Women Suffrage Association? What did they lead to?
- had fought for the vote for women for decades
↳ and because women had contributed to the war effort, it became hard to refuse them
When did some women gain the right to vote?
1920
How did the number of women in jobs change?
- 1929: 10.5 million
↳ 25% more than in 1920
How did financial freedom affect the status of women?
- they no longer had to rely on men
- divorce rate doubled
How did women begin to act after WW1?
- became flappers
- dressed in revealing clothes
- no longer chaperoned everywhere
- smoke, partied, rode motorcycles
What were flappers?
- young, urban, white women of the middle-upper class who shocked society with her ways of rebelling against societal norms?
How did some of society react to flappers?
- the older generation were appalled
↳ they felt that flappers threatened family life, religion and traditions
↳ led to the formation of the ‘Anti-Flirt League’
What was the reality in regards to American women?
- for most, life did not change
↳ had to juggle motherhood and work to support their families - could not afford the leisure activities
-especially rural women and woc
What were women’s wages like?
- still earned less than men in the same job
What was prohibition?
- 18th Amendment
- stopped any American from selling, making or transporting any drink that contained more than 0.5% alcohol
Why was Prohibition introduced?
- powerful campaign from groups such as the ‘Anti-Saloon League’ and ‘Women’s Christian Temperance Movement’
- argued that alcohol caused violence, poverty, debt and addiction
What was the impact of Prohibition?
- never worked
- created a larger demand for alcohol, which allowed gangsters to make profit by illegally supplying the alcohol
- taught people to disrespect and break the law
What was a speakeasy?
- an illegal and hidden bar
↳ which you needed a password to enter - ran by criminals
