1
Q
why was there a boom
mass consumption
A
- mail order companies- buy new consumer goods from catalogues e.g. sears and roebuck
- chain store
- posters, radio advertisement, travelling salesmen
- advertisement learnt during war propaganda used to sell cars, clothes etc..
- buy now pay later- 8 out of 10 radios and 6 out of 10 cars were bought on credit
2
Q
why was there a boom
republican policies
A
laissez faire
- let americans solve their own problems
- government shouldn’t interfere with people’s lives
powerful trusts
- super corporations that dominated industry
- let the trusts control the industries
protective tariffs
- made it expensive to import foreign goods
- protected businesses against foreign competition
- American companies can grow quicker
low taxation
- benefitted the wealthy
- they would re invest in companies
3
Q
why was there a boom
new industries
A
car
- henry ford set up the world’s first production line in 1913
- model t - 15 million produced between 1908 and 1925
- cost $290 - 3 months wages
- each worker had only 1 or 2 jobs as the skeleton passed
- 1920- rayon invented which was a cheaper substitute for silk - 300 million stockings sold in 1930
- all urban homes had electricity by 1928
- telephones, radios, vacuum cleaners and washing machines were all mass produced
- new techniques allowed huge amounts of goods to be produced cheaply
4
Q
why was there a boom
USA’s industrial strength
A
- farmers producing more than they could sell
- developed cars, telephones and electric lighting
- large amount of natural resources
- leading oil producer
- selling more products abroad
- growing population living mostly in towns and cities
- most companies did not export outside the usa
- led the world in coal, steal and textile industries
5
Q
why was there a boom
american dream
A
- spending money was a better quality
- consuming more and more
- ordinary americans had the confidence to buy goods because they
were sure they could pay for them - confidence
- americans believed they had the right to prosperity
- main aim was to have a nice house, good job and plenty to eat
6
Q
the roaring twenties
town v country
A
- more people lived in towns and cities
- growing cities with skyscrapers
- skyscrapers represented the boom
- in the south they fought a rearguard action against the evil effects of the city
- tension
- cities full of drunks, atheists and criminals
- country values of family life and tradition under threat
7
Q
the roaring twenties
radio
A
- everyone had one
- communal activity- families listened together
- in poorer districts they shared a radio
- 1930- one radio for every 2-3 households in poorer parts of chicago
- those who didn’t own one went to a shop or a neighbours house to listen
- 1921- 1 radio station
- 1922 - 508 radio sations
- NBC making $150 million a yera
8
Q
the roaring twenties
jazz
A
- popular amongst young people
- african american
- 1920s- jazz age
- new dances- charleston
- new styles of behaviour summed up by flapper ( short dress and make up and smoked in public)
- older generation saw jazz as corrupting the young people of the usa
9
Q
why was there a boom
the first world war
A
- wasn’t involved heavily in the war
- supplied a lot during the war giving american industry a boost
- american exports to areas controlled by european colonial powers increased during the war
- aircraft became available to the masses- 162,000 flights a year by 1930
- america outstripped germany in the supply of medical products
- plastics and other materials were produced creating new industries
10
Q
roaring 20s
sport
A
- baseball- new york yankees and boston red sox
- babe ruth became an international star
- boxing became popular
11
Q
roaring 20s
cinema
A
- studios in hollywood were producing large numbers of movies
- charlie chaplin and buster kealon (comedy actors)
- until 1927 all movies were silent
- multi billion dollar business
- 100 million tickets sold per week
- for the working people as well
- 10 or 20 cents for a movie
12
Q
roaring 20s
morals
A
- sex became a major isssue in tabloid newspapers, films and conversation
- sold films using sex: ‘forbidden path’
- male stars also presented as sex symbols
- censorship introduced in hollywood
- contraceptive advice openly available
- more common to have sex outside marriage
13
Q
roaring 20s
car
A
- helped cities to grow by opening up the suburbs
- carried owners too and from entertainment
- carried boyfriends and girlfriends beyond the moral gaze of their parents
- took the to sports events, beach, holidays, shopping trips, picnincs etc…
14
Q
who didn’t benefit from the boom
african americans
A
- white governments feared the power of african americans so they introduced laws to control their freedom
- ku klux klan- used violence to intimidate
- the film ‘birth of a nation’ 199915 glorified the klan as defenders of decent american values against african americans and corrupt white businessmen
- k.k.k. gained support from prominent figures such as woodrow wilson
- faced fierce racism and were arrested and lynched always without trial and sometimes in front of cheering crowds of men, women and children
15
Q
who didn’t benefit from the boom
agriculture
over production
A
- 1900-1920 more land was being farmed
- producing wheat no one wanted
- prices fell
- 1 million fewer farmers in 1930 than in 1920
- many farmers sold their farms
- farm prices fell by 50%
- farms producing luxurious food prospered
- population preferred much more luxurious food such as fresh fruit and vegetables and cereal products
- improved machinery (combine harvester)
- fertilisers made us agriculture extremely efficient
- prohibition of alcohol meant consumption of barely fell by 90%
16
Q
who didn’t benefit from the boom
agriculture
no longer importing to europe
A
- europe imported less from the usa
- europe was poor
- american imports not needed as former agricultural workers returned to their farms and started producing food again
17
Q
who didn’t benefit from the boom
agriculture
farmers struggling from competition between other countries
A
- suffering from competition from highly efficient canadian wheat producers and argentinian as well
- america’s population falling and so less food is needed
18
Q
who didn’t benefit from the boom
agriculture
US tariffs
A
- european countries found it hard to sell in american markets
- high tariffs on exports from other countries
19
Q
who didn’t benefit from the boom
traditional industries
A
- coal industry producing too much coal reducing the price of coal
- coal losing out to electricity and oil
- although coal was used to produce electricity they did not need much coal to produce a lot of electricity
- domestic heating boilers use less coal
- leather, textiles and shoe making protected from competition by import tariffs but were not growth markets
- competition from industries which used man made materials and often mechanised
- workers suffered as it came increasingly mechanised due to declining profits
- workers wages did not increase on the same scale as company profits
- 1928 - coal industry strike
- men got paid $18 for a 70 hour week and women $9
- 42% lived below the poverty line
- minimum wage $48
- no money to pay for essentials
20
Q
who benefitted from the boom
rich women
A
- women took over men’s jobs
- post ww1 25% more women are in employment
- 1920 all white women could vote
- corsets abandonned
- new materials such as rayon gave women more freedom
- short hair and make up- symbols of freedom
- women could go out with other women- would usually have to wait for marriage
21
Q
who benefitted from the boom
A
- the wealthy benefitted from low taxation- allowed them to reinvest in companies
- us businesses benefitted from tariffs on imported goods
- new industries- car; plastics; electricity
22
Q
intolerance towards migrants
A
- 1921 emergency quota act passed which set a total annual limit fro immigrants of 357,000 - annual number of immigrants from 1 country 3 %
- national origins act passed in 1924. total number of immigrants reduced to 150,000 and quota firther reduced to 2%. immigrants from japan and china were also banned
23
Q
sacco and vanzetti
A
- arrested on suspicion of murder and armed robbery ata shoe factory
- they were self confessed anarchists and despised america’s political system
- trial centred around their radical ideas as the relevant evidence was thin and inconcluisve
- found guilty and sentenced to death
- an international protest movement was launched to prevent their execution
- 1925 a portugese immigrant confessed to being part of the gang who carried out the murder and robbery and named the four others yet sacco and vanzetti were still executed
24
Q
intolerance communists
A
- many believed that eastern european and russian immigrants would bring over communist ideas
- many were deported
- letter bombs were posted to 36 prominent americans
- pamphlets were distributed widely in the us calling for the overthrow of the government
25
intolerance african americans
| how the situation changed
- in the north they had a better chance of getting good jobs and good education
- there was a growing african american middle class
- jazz made african american musicians high profile figures
- african american writers and artists flourished
26
intolerance native americans
- almost disappeared as an ethnic group from 1.5 million to 250,000 in 1920
- forced to live in reservations in the mid west
- worse health, worse education
- most lived in extreme poverty
- lower life expectancy
- selling land to mining companies
- 1924 - granted us citizenship and were allowed to vote
- 1928- improvement to laws relating to native americans
27
religious intolerance
- the south was largely made up of fundamental christians
- more urban christians accepted darwins theory
- in six southern states the teaching of evolution was outlawed
- monkey trial- biology teacher in tennessee broke state law by teaching evolution
- scopes was found guilty however it was a victory for evolutionists as the prosecuting lawyer was a fundamentalist and he got ridiculed when trying to defend the bible's version of creation
28
why was prohibition introduced
- many of the movements for prohibition were devout christians who saw what damage alcohol did to family life
- some southern state governments prohibit the sale of alcohol
- believed workers would be more reliable
- politicians backed it as it got them votes in rural areas
- drinkers were perceived as unpatriotic as most of the big breweries were run by german immigrants who were the enemy during ww2
- people believed bolshevism thrived on drink and alcohol led to lawlissness in cities
- became law in january 1920
29
how successful was prohibition
unsuccessful:
- bootleggers brought illegal liquor into the cities as it was big money
- organised into gangs which became rich and powerful
- 1500 prohibition agents were employed for the whole of the usa which meant each agent covered an area the size of london
- gangs made over $2 billion per year causing feuds between rival gangs ( 1926 - 1927 150 gang murders) no one was ever caught
- government officials bribed by gangs allowing them to set up other businesses such as prostitution and gambling
- there was increased production towards the end of prohibition as prohibition agents siezed more distilleries ( 1921 - 9746, 1929 - 15794)
- made from potatoes and other ingredients which was nicknamed moonshine
successful:
- there were many successful agents e.g. smith and einstein who made 9392 arrests
30
rise of gangs during proibition
- alcohol was in high demand
- al capone sold his beer and whisky to every place in chicago and so he was now seen as the supplier of the alcohol industry in chicago
- allowed capone to sell to the masses and politicians in chicago from which he made $60 million a year- prohibition raised the prices
- rival gangs would try to take control of the alcohol industry and also hijack eachothers liquor
- valentines day shooting showed that gang crime was public
- more money came in from raketeering as more people wanted to prrotect the alcohol due to its value
31
causes of the wall street crash
| uneven distribution of income
- between 50-60% of americans were too poor to take part in the consumer boom
- this included people in the farming sector, traditional industries and black and new immigrants reduced the potential of the home market ( fridges etc..)
- too much money was in too few hands , mass production required mass consumption so more people needed higher wages
32
causes of the wall street crash
| overproduction
- by 1929 the industry was making more goods than were needed so there were too many goods for the public
- wealthy americans had already purchased the needed goods for their houses so the market became saturated
33
causes of the wall street crash
| exports
- america had very few opportunities to export its products as its european customers had not recovered financially since ww1
- america's tarriffs led to foreign tarriffs being set up making it hard for america to export
34
causes of the wall street crash
| actions of speculators
- speculators buy and sell shares to make quick profits
- 1920s - they would buy shares and sell them within a few weeks to make easy money
- sometimes speculators bought shares on the margin so they borrowed from banks to fund share purchases and would repay loans when their shares sold- banks were willing to lend upto 90% of the value of the share
- in 6 months union carbide shares rose from $145-$413
35
causes of the wall street crash
| signs of an economic slow down
- there were signs the boom was coming to an end before 1929
- by 1927 fewer houses were being built, fewer cars were being sold therefore wages were beginning to level
- stock levels in warehouses were beginning to increase-
- investors were anxious to sell their shares
36
causes of the wall street crash
| weaknesses in the us economy
- construction industry started its downturn as far ack as 1926(one of the key indicators of the economy)
- in the decade before the crash over 500 banks had failed due to lending too much
- many investors had borrowed money and could not afford to be stuck with shares worth less than the value of their loan
- banks were not going to intervene so people dumped 13 million shares at the fraction of the price they paid for them
37
effects of the wall street crash
| economic
wage cuts and unemployment:
- fewer goods were bought so less jobbs needed
- businesses paid workers less- average wage dropped by 60%
- 1933- 14 million unemployed
reduced spending:
- as wages fell people bought less goods and services
- production in farms fell by 40% between 1928 and 1933
business failures:
- businesses cut production further and laid off more workers
- banks were calling in loans so businesses collapsed
- 1928-1933 industrial production fell by 40%
the banking crisis:
- 1929- 659 banks failed
- people withdrew savings
- bank of usa in new york failed in 1930 and almost a thirdof new yorkers had saved with it
- hard currency was security
- 1931- 2294 banks failed
38
effects of the wall street crash
| unemployment
- 1933- unemployment rose to 14 million
- car production cut by 80%
- construction fell by 92%
- average manufacturing wage fell 15 cents per hour
- men would would queue for hours in the hope of getting a job
39
effects of the wall street crash
| effects in the cities
- people were forced to sell their homes as they could not afford their mortgage repayments
- many became homeless
- people lived in temporary shelters; would deliberately be arrested to spend a night in jail and travelled on railway freight wagons
- hoovervilles were created by the homeless
40
effects of the wall street crash
| effects in the countryside
- farmers could not sell their products as prices fell so low they couldn't afford to harvest their crops as well
- farm animals were killed instead of being taken to market ($ 1.10 to ship sheep and less than a dollar to sell)
- more farmers were evicted by the banks
- there were many hot summers , driving wind and little rainfall which turned the top soil tp dust and the wind whipped the dust into storms
- by 1936 over 20 million hectares of land in the mid west became a desert
- many families sent their children to steal from wholesale markets
41
effects of the wall street crash
| charity and self help
- public relief programmes run by towns and cities which organised temporary homes, clothes , jobs and food
- charities set up soup kitchens and cheap meal centres
- a third of all children in new york were malnourised
- unemployed men were allowed to pick unmarketed fruit and veg and cut timber to exchange for services ( seattle)
42
how did hoover deal with the depression
employers paying low wages:
- hoover encouraged employers to make voluntary agreements with their workforce to help keep wages up and production steady, this did not work
people hungry and homeless need help and jobs:
- believed federal and state governments should sort this out but states didi not have enough money
- government set up schemes which provided $ 423 million for a building programme to provide new jobs
- e.g. hoover dam in colorado
- more money needed
businesses failing because banks won't loan them money:
- reconstruction finance corp.
- provided loans totalling $1500 million to businesses to help get them back on their feet
food prices falling and farmers income very low:
- farm boards were set up to buy surplus produce to keep prices up
- little effect as slide in prices wes so great and the board did not ahve enough money
people not buying manufactured goods- buinesses collapsing;
- hawley smoot act 1930 - people would buy cheaper american goods
- increased custom duties on imported food stuffs and manufactured items by 50%
- few americans could afford goods
- foreign countries taxed american goods so trade fell further
- tax cuts
43
why did fdr win the 1932 election
| weaknesses of hoover
- elected as 1920s boom is coming to an end therefore his presidency was associated with business and bank closures, failing economy and rising unemployment
- hoover's early reaction to the depression was misplaced
- he interpreted the depression as a business down turn
- the action hoover took was too little too late
- hoover was against the federal government providing welfare support for the unemployed as he thought it would undermine the american value of self help
- hoovers actions over the bonus marchers confirmed this ( hoover called in the arm to clear them)
- in the election campaign he came across as grim faced and uncaring
44
why did fdr win the 1932 election
- fdr belonged to the democratic party. they'd been out of power since 1921 therefore were not associated with the policies that led up to the depression
- 1928- became governor of new york state and organised schemes to help the elderly and unemployed
- this gave him the reputation of understanding and helping the plight of the poor
- had an up beat personality- appeared warm, charming and optimistic on the campaign trail
- americans admired the way he had fought against personal difficulty when he contracted polio
- the promise of change and the new deal for the american people caught the imagination of the public
45
The new deal
3 aims:
- relief- to relieve extreme poverty, feed the starving and stop people losing homes or farms
- recovery- revive the economy by getting industry going and people working again
- reform - make the USA a better place for ordinary people by bringing in measures such as unemployment insurance and old age pensions and help for the sick and needy
46
Sorting out the banks
- since 1930 over 500 banks had been forced to close and the banking system was on the point of collapse
- for closed all banks for a 4 day Holliday and rushed an emergency bank act through congress in just 8 hours
- banks that were reopened were supported by government loans to continue operating and to reassure people that their money would be safe
- customers rep deposited $1billion
47
Ending prohibition
-ended in 1933
48
Agricultural adjustment act
Paid farmers to produce les food
- took land out of production and reduced their livestock
- prices went up and farmers incomes doubled between 1933 and 1939
- recovery- helped farming industry
49
Farm credit administration
- made loans to a third of all farmers so they would not lose their farms
50
Civilian conservation corps
- gave jobs to single men under 25
- lived in government camps in the countryside and did and work such as clearing land, planting trees
- got food and wages went to parents at home
51
Cwa
- to give as many people jobs as possible in a short space of time e.g. Roads
52
Public works administration
- create public works of lasting value
| - $7 billion sent employing men to build dams etc..
53
Federal emergency relief administration
- help 1000s of homeless and penniless people
| - increased the number of soup kitchens and provided clothing, schools and employment schemes
54
National recovery administration
- increase workers wages so that they would have more money to spend on goods
- to increase the prices of factory goods
- to give workers a fairer deal in the work place e.g. Better working conditions
- recovery- boosted economy
55
Home owners loan corporation
-loaned money to prevent people from losing homes
56
Tennessee valley authority
- develop the Tennessee valley
- poverty stricken area
- built 33 dams
- measures were taken to increase the quality of the soil
- power stations were built at the dams to provide cheap electricity for farmers
57
Criticisms of the new deal
- the new deal came under fire from sections of the business community and republicans for doing too much
- too many codes and regulations
- government should not support trade unions and it should not support higher wages- the market should deal with this
- schemes such as the TVa created unfair competition for private companies
- schemes were unsuitable for a democratic America
- Roosevelt was like a dictator
- high taxes discouraged people from working hard and gave money to people for doing nothing or unnecessary jobs
58
Second new deal
- aimed at areas that affected ordinary people e.g. Strengthening unions to fight for member's rights, financial security inn old age as well as continuing to tackle unemployment
59
Works progress administration
- gave work to 2 million people a year
- built roads, bridges, tunnels
- created projects for artists , writers etc ..
- extension of pwa and cwa
-
60
Social security act
- gave a state pension to everyone over 65
- supported handicapped people and mothers with dependent children
- extension of fera
61
Wagner act
- supported workers who wanted to form a union and prevent employers from sacking workers who were union members
- new agency
62
The resettlement administration
- aimed to move 500,000 families to better land
- resettle them in new houses ( due to eviction of farm workers, tenants)
- extension of AAA - helped farm workers as well
63
The farm security administration
- gave loans to share droppers and tenant farmers to buy their own land
- set up labour camps to help migrant farm workers
- extension of AAA
64
Opposition to the new deal
| Not enough
- not doing enough for the poor
Huey long:
- employed African Americans on the same terms as whites
- taxed big corporations in Louisiana
- used money to build roads, schools and hospitals
- proposed a scheme called 'share our wealth'
- reduced personal fortunes to $3 million and max income of $1 million a year
- pensions for everyone over 60
- assassinated in 1935
65
Opposition from the Supreme Court
- ruled many agencies unconstitutional
- dominated by republicans
- shechter Corp.
- prosecuted for selling diseased chicken
- Supreme Court ruled NRA unconstitutional
- government shouldn't be interfering with state governments
- Roosevelt asked congress to appoint 6 new judges
- congress refused
- court was shaken and most of the main measures in the second new deal were accepted
66
Why did unemployment persist despite the new deal
| Self inflicted unemployment
- in order to stay afloat businesses had to become more efficient
- this meant reducing production capacity because of over production before the depression
- people were made redundant so businesses could become more efficient
- Roosevelt approved this action which led to unemployment as otherwise the farming sector would've collapsed
67
Why did unemployment persist despite the new deal
| Home market
- less money spent on US goods as people remained on low incomes
- this was most common in rural areas where the farming industry hadn't recovered
- later on the position of rural areas improved after 1933 but it was very slow
68
Why did unemployment persist despite the new deal
| Foreign market
- overseas customers were also suffering from the depression and high unemployment
- therefore America's exporting industries could not expand and take on as many workers as they wish
- the scope for growth in international trade was reduced due to high tariffs remaining and becoming a common practise in Europe and Japan
69
Why did unemployment persist despite the new deal
| Business cycle
- Roosevelt was unable to get rid of the business cycle all together as it had come a global event
- the world economy improved between 1933 and 1937 but briefly fell back into a recession in 1938
- America's increased unemployment was reflected in all the capitalist economies in the world
70
Why did unemployment persist despite the new deal
| Improved production methods
- as agriculture continued to use more machinery and less labour there were reduced opportunities for employment
- in industry modern methods of production involving assembly lines and automatic tools meant that fewer factory workers were required
71
Did the new deal help everyone
| Unemployment and the economy
No:
-never solved underlying economic problems
- confidence remained low -1930s Americans only spent and invested about 75% of what they had before 1929
- unemployment never fell below 14% of the workforce between 1933 and 1939
- Us economy took longer to recover than most European economies
- 1937 went back into recession
- 6 million unemployment in 1941
Yes:
- created millions of jobs
- stabilised the American banking system
- projects such as the TVs brought work and an improved standard of living to deprived parts of the USA
- provided the USA with valuable resources such as schools, roads and power stations
- cut the number of business failures
72
Did the new deal help everyone
| Industrial workers
No:
- many strikes were broken up with brutal violence
- big businesses remained immensely powerful in the us despite being challenged by the government
-unions were still treated with suspicion by employers
- companies such as ford and Chrysler employed their own thugs and controlled local police forces
Yes:
- by the end of 1930s there were 7 million union members
- NRA and second new deal strengthened the position of labour unions
- Roosevelt tried to support unions and make large corporations negotiate with them
- some unions combined as the committee for industrial organisation in 1935
- the Union of automobile workers was recognised by General Motors and ford the two most anti Union companies
73
Did the new deal help everyone
| African Americans
- no:
- some new deal agencies discriminated against African Americans
- mortgages were not given by the CCC to black families in white neighbourhoods
- domestic workers (mostly black) not included in social security act
- FDR didn't put any laws in against the lynching of African Americans
- feared the south would not support him
Yes:
-200,000 African Americans gained benefits from the CCC ,other new deal agencies and relief programmes
- many African Americans benefitted from the slum clearance and housing projects
74
Did the new deal help everyone
| Women
No:
- most new deal practices were aimed at men only 8,000 women were involved in the CCC
- Local governments tried to avoid paying out social security payments by introducing special conditions
- France's Perkins attacked by press as a Jew and a soviet spy
Yes:
- Eleanor Roosevelt became an important campaigner on social issues
- some women achieved prominent positions
- Mary Macleod exhume (African American) became head of the national youth administration
- Frances Perkins was the secretary of labor and key figure in 2nd new deal
75
Did the new deal help everyone
| Native Americans
-no:
- remained a poor and excluded part of society
Yes:
- the Indian reorganisation act 1934 provided money to help native Americans buy and improve land
- the Indian reservation act 193 helped native Americans preserve and practise their traditions
76
Did the new deal help everyone
| 2nd world war
No:
- increased defence spending
- supplied armaments to Britain no France
- rearmament rather than new deal helped revive the economy
History
flashcards
Decks in class (8)
# Cards
-
were the piece treaies of 1919-23 fair?8
-
Events In The Gulf 1979-20015
-
america- depth study76
-
to what extent was the league of Nations a success?12
-
why had international peace collapsed by 1939?14
-
who was to blame for the cold war13
-
how effectively did the us contain the spread of communism36
-
how secure was the USSR's control over europe?11
