USA 1910-29
Depth Study
Paper 1
Revision Booklet
Name................
Class.....................
1
Question:
What do sources A
and B suggest? (4)
Use Source C and
your own
knowledge to
explain (6)
How useful are
sources D and E? (8)
Level:
QUESTION 1:
How to Answer:
Mark:
1
Select one piece of information from one of the sources
Select one piece of information from both of the sources
1
2
2
1
Use the content of both sources to make detailed suggestions (include the link between the sources)
3-4
3
Select one piece of information from the source
Select two pieces of information from the source
Select two pieces of information from the source and add one piece of information from your own knowledge
Select two pieces of information from the source and add two pieces of information from your own knowledge
Use detailed own knowledge to explain the information provided in the source and to add further information
1
2
3
4
5-6
1
Explain why the sources are useful based on their CONTENT
1-2
2
Explain why the sources are useful based on their CONTENT and ORIGIN
3-4
3
Explain why the sources are useful based on their CONTENT and ORIGIN and why start to explain why this usefulness is
reduced by PURPOSE
Explain how useful the sources are based on CONTENT, ORIGIN and PURPOSE
5-6
2
4
7-8
QUESTION 2:
Describe (4)
Why was this
published? (6)
How far do you agree
with this
interpretation? (10)
1
2
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
Generalised answer which makes weak points
1-2
Detailed and accurate description
3-4
Explain reasons based on the source’s CONTENT
1-2
Explain reasons based on the source’s CONTENT and ORIGIN
3-4
Explain reasons based on the source’s CONTENT, ORIGIN and PURPOSE
5-6
Generalised answer which makes simple comments about the interpretation offered
1-2
Identify the different ways in which the issue has been interpreted with supporting evidence from the sources and
3-5
Offer a basic judgement
Identify the different ways in which the issue has been interpreted with supporting evidence from the sources and your 6-8
own knowledge. Judge the worth of the interpretations using this evidence.
Identify the different ways in which the issue has been interpreted with supporting evidence from the sources and your 9-10
own knowledge. Judge the worth of the interpretations using this evidence as well as the validity of this evidence
QUESTION 3:
Essay question (12+3)
1
2
One sided answer - little evidence
1-3
One sided answer - some evidence OR weak two sided answer - little evidence
One sided answer - good evidence OR weak two sided answer - some evidence
4
5-6
3
One sided answer - detailed evidence OR unbalanced two sided answer - good evidence
Unbalanced two sided answer - detailed evidence - may be a lack of detail in places – starts to make links between
factors
Reasoned and balanced two sided answer - detailed evidence – may be a few inaccuracies - reaches a conclusion –
good links between factors
Reasoned and balanced two sided answer - detailed evidence – fully accurate - detailed conclusion – good links
between factors
7
8-9
4
10
11-12
Unit 1: What were the main Political and Social
challenges facing the American people during this
period?
Key topic questions:
-
What was the problem of immigration 1910-29?
What was the problem created by communism?
What were the racial problems 1910-29?
What were the religious problems 1910-29?
- What was Prohibition, why was it introduced and why did it fail?
- What was the ‘Era’ of the Gangsters?
- What was the extent of Government Corruption?
3
What was the problem of immigration 1910-1929?
What was the ‘Open Door Policy’?
-
-
USA is a multicultural and multiracial
society
This is a result of a successive wave
of immigrants who mainly came from
Europe
Over 40 million by 1919
A melting pot of different races,
cultures, religions and languages
Encouraged by the US government
who wanted to populate the continent
Entry into the country was made as
easy as possible
4
(A) Why did people want to emigrate to America?
PULL FACTORS
PULL
PUSH FACTORS
PUSH
Space
America had plenty of farm land and
growing cities
Overcrowding
Many European cities were overcrowded
Economic Opportunity
American Industry and business led the
world
Lack of Opportunity
Much of Europe was class based. It was
difficult for poor people to improve their
position
Persecution
Many people were persecuted in their own
countries for political or religious reasons
Land of the Free
The American Bill or Rights guaranteed
freedom of religion, speech and press
Wages
Wages were higher than in Europe
Unemployment
Many workers in Europe found themselves
out of work
Natural Resources
America had plenty of natural resources
such as oil, timber and minerals
5
(B)
What happened at Ellis Island?
•
Most immigrants arrived by sea
•
More than 70% landed at Ellis Island
near New York
•
During the peak periods as many as
5000 people a day would pass
through immigration control
•
The processing involved medical and
legal examinations and took between
three and five hours
•
For the unlucky ones there was a
return trip home
(C) Why did the government pass acts to limit immigration and what
did the acts say?
WHY?
-
As numbers of immigrants began to rise, some Americans began to resent the
government’s Open Door Policy.
Resentment against ‘new immigrants’ from southern and eastern Europe (13
million between 1900 and 1914) grows.
New immigrants were resented because:
- The fear of Communism after the Russian Revolution frightened many Americans.
They thought immigrants would bring Communist ideas to America
Many were poor and illiterate (Not skilled)
They were blamed for crimes like Prostitution and Drunkeness
People thought they were taking all the jobs
WW1 meant German immigrants were hated and the USA did not want to be
involved in the world
Many were Catholic or Jewish – different cultural and religious background. They
were not WASPS
6
WHAT DID THE ACTS SAY?
1. The Literacy Test – 1917
Immigrants had to pass a series of tests
to prove that they could read and write.
Many poorer immigrants (Eastern
Europe) had no education and so could
not pass this test. It also brought in an
immigration fee of $8
2. The Emergency Quota Act 1921
Set a limit of 357,000 a year on
Immigrants (quota system). New
immigrants allowed in as a % of the
proportion of people the same
nationality who had been living in the
USA in 1910. Figure set at 3%.
Reduced immigrants from Eastern
Europe
3. The National Origins Act 1924
•
•
•
Number of immigrants reduced to
150,000 a year
Only 2% of the population of any
foreign group could arrive (based
on population in 1890)
Deliberately designed to penalise
immigrants from southern and
eastern Europe
4. 1929 Immigration Act:
Banned Asian Immigration
North and Western immigrants
allocated 85% of places
By 1930 immigration from
China, Japan and Eastern
Europe had disappeared
What was ‘Americanisation’?
As well as bringing in the Acts, the government organised patriotic ‘Americanisation Day’ rallies
which encouraged American citizens to show their loyalty to the USA.
Course were created by the government to help immigrants prepare for their Citizenship
Examinations
7
What was the problem created by Communism?
What was the ‘Red Scare’?
Many Americans were alarmed by the events of the
Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917. This led to
a Communist government in Russia. And in
Germany Communists had tried to take power in
1918.
The growth of the Communist party in the USA
together with the flood of immigrants from eastern
Europe convinced many Americans that a
Communist led Revolution in Russia was possible.
There was increased fear of foreigners
(Xenophobia). Americans believed that new political
ideas like Anarchism and Radicalism were just the
same as Communism
The Red Scare was strengthened by industrial
unrest in 1919-1920
How did the Strikes make the Red
Scare worse?
There were 3000 Strikes in 1919
Many poor people wanted better pay and
living conditions
But any Americans saw these strikes as the
start of a Communist Revolution
A General Strike in Seattle cause even more
problems. It led to less work for the
dockyards and steel workers went on strike
again. The press made the strikers out to be
Communists and Foreigners
In September 1920 a bomb exploded on wall Street
killing 38 people. Another bomb destroyed the front
of the Attorney Generals house
Such actions fuelled fears that Communist
threatened the USA
Bombings and the Palmer Raids
In 1918 the Home of Attorney General Mitchell Palmer was bombed.
He was Head of the US Justice Department
In 1919 a bomb in a church killed ten people
In May 1919 Letter bombs were posted to 36 well known Americans
The Bombings had been carried out by Anarchist Groups
Palmer (the Attorney General) organised a series of raids against
left-wing groups in which over 6000 suspects were arrested.
Most of these were immigrants, Jews, Catholics, Black or Trade
Unionists
They were held in prison without charge and many were deported.
Russian immigrants were sent back in a ship called the ‘Soviet Ark
They were a reaction to a imaginary threat as most had arrived to
make a fortune and not destroy the country
Eventually they were released and the Red Scare subsided8
Why was the Sacco and Vanzetti Case
important?
What happened?
•
Two Italian immigrants
•
Their treatment was typical of the Red Scare hysteria
•
On 5 May 1920 they were arrested for carrying out a robbery at a show factory in which two people
died in Massachusetts. Parmenter (the paymaster of the factory) managed to describe the
attackers as slim foreigners with olive skin before he then died.
•
Public opinion was against them because of their background and political beliefs
•
The trial opened in May 1921 and lasted 45 days. The evidence against them was not strong. 107
witnesses swore that they were somewhere else at the time of the crime.
•
875 Jury members were used
•
The Judge Webster Thayer was determined to find them guilty
•
They were convicted and sentenced to death
•
There were demonstrations in the USA and Europe in support of them
•
They were executed by Electric Chair in 1927
•
Several other men admitted to the crime
1. It as reported all
over the world and
showed the
intolerance of US
society
They were victims
of Racial
discrimination and
they had been
denied their rights
2. It exposed the unfairness
of the American Legal
System
3. In the 1970’s the
Governer of
Massachusetts granted
them a formal pardon and
agreed that a mistrial had
taken place
9
What were the Racial Problems 1910-29?
ECONOMIC DISCRIMINATION
SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION
WHAT WAS THE
INEQUALITY SUFFERED
BY BLACK AMERICANS?
POLITICAL DISCRIMINATION
THE NORTH AND WEST
By 1900 12 million black people lived in the USA. 75% lived in the South.
Study the information below and decide which boxes the bullet points fit into.
Few had the right to vote
Jim Crow Laws in the South imposed segregation. Black people prevented from having access to
same facilities as white people. Establish separate housing, schools, hospitals and in some states
ban mixed marriages.
It was free of segregation.
Many black people left the South and migrated to these areas in search of better jobs and
conditions. This was called the ‘Great Migration’
WW1 had helped to create jobs in the industrial cities of the North with a demand for
manufactured goods.
Black people flocked to cities like Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, & Detroit.
1910-1930 Detroit’s black population increased by 2400 %
The influx of Black people in the North led to worsening race relations. There were race riots in
1919 in more than 20 US cities. In Chicago 38 people died including 15 white and 23 black
Americans
Black people did not benefit from the economic boom of the 1920’s. They were seen as Second
Class Citizens
Black people in the Southern States were very poor; the economy was based on agriculture
which suffered in 1920s with falling prices
Black people always worse off than whites: worst jobs & lowest wages.
Limited education = lack of skills
10
The Rise and Fall of the Ku Klux Clan
Who?
•
•
•
•
•
•
The KKK were a white supremacy terrorist
movement who used violence to intimidate black
Americans.
They were formed in the 1850’s by former soldiers
after the American Civil War with the aim of keeping
whites in control and blacks staying as slaves.
Movement was revived in 1915 by William J.
Simmons after the release of the film ‘Birth of a
Nation’
1920’s: membership grows quickly. 5 million
Spread to big cities such as Detroit, Denver and
Dallas.
The KKK was strongest in the Midwest and rural
south, where working class whites competed with
black people for unskilled jobs after WW1
Aims and Beliefs
Methods and Activities?
-
-
-
-
-
The KKK used parades, beatings,
lynching and other violent methods
to intimidate black people. They
also attacked Jews, Catholics and
foreign immigrants.
Dressed in White to conceal their
identity and symbolize white
supremacy
Stopped black people from voting
Destroyed Black farms
Attack any white person or their
property if they tried to help a black
person.
Lynch black people (join together
and execute or punish someone
violently without a proper trial)
Burning cross became a symbol of
their night-time meetings
Members wore white masks and
cloaks and carried the US flag
1922: Leader called ‘Hiram Wesley
Evans’ : ‘The Imperial Wizard’
Klan members known as Kluds or
Klabees
-
Discriminated against Black people, Mexicans,
Catholics, Jews, Communists.
Wanted black people to return to slavery.
Only WASPS (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants)
could join.
Activities Continued
Pouring tar and feathers on Victims bodies:
E.g: 1933 George Arnwood a mentally retarded Black man
accused of assaulting a white woman. Was taken from jail,
beaten to death, body strung up on a tree and burnt. Police
did nothing
Why did the Govt find it hard to act against the Klan?
-
Klan members had friends in high places
-
Intimidation and fear often meant they got support
-
Many states believe Federal Govt had not right to
interfere in the Klan
-
Politicians in the South did not want to risk losing white
votes and missing the chance to get elected to congress
11
Membership in 1920’s:
1920 = 100,000 members
1925: 5 Million
Members ere white, Racist and Protestant
People attracted to the Klan because of Industrilisation which brought more workers to the cities.
Many of these workers were either Foreign or Black so resentment built up against them.
Southern whites were also angry that black soldiers had been armed during WW1
Why did the KKK decline in the late 1920’s?
-
Scandal of David Stephenson ‘The Grand Dragon’ of the Indiana Clan. Found guilty of rape
and mutilation of a white woman on a Chicago Train.
-
Scandal destroyed Stephenson’s reputation.
-
The governor of Indiana refused to Pardon him and other scandals by the KKK were exposed.
-
The Klan was discredited
-
Klan membership declined – 1928 only few hundred thousand members
Grand Dragon
Stephenson
12
How did the Black population fight back?
•
•
•
By 1900 black cause being fought
by Booker T. Washington – a
former slave.
Set up the Tuskegee Institute in
Alabama to give Black People
education and training.
He believed they could not make
economic progress until they had
made political progress.
1.The Black Renaissance
•
•
•
•
•
•
Black culture and pride flourished in cities
Harlem in New York became a centre of art.
Talented black artists and poets met there and spoke about the social and
economic problems faced by blacks
Black theatre and music attracted big audiences
Jazz, soul and blues
Louis Armstrong gained fame
2. Political Movements
NAACP ( National Association for the
Advancement of Coloured People)
Led by W.E.B Dubois
Aims and success?
-
Challenge white supremacy
End segregation laws
Make blacks aware of their civil rights ( to
vote)
Pan-African movement: recognise cultural
links between black people in Africa and USA
Major campaign against Lynching
Did not get law passed against lynching but
managed to cause public outcry.
Used non-violent legal demonstrations like
marches.
Wanted equal rights for all
13
UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement
Association)
Marcus Garvey
Aims:
-
Blacks should have pride in their colour,
culture and history
Blamed problems on white racism and
offered Blacks hope of a better future
Wanted to establish close links with Africa
‘Back to Africa’ where blacks were
encouraged to return to original homeland
Set up Black Star Steamship Line to carry
migrants back
Pressured United Nations to return African
colonies to new African Republic
Famous slogan was ‘Black is beautiful’
1923 Garvey convicted for misusing money
and sent to jail for five years and then
deported to Jamaica.
Other famous Black Americans
Paul Robeson
Countee Cullen:
A trained Lawyerwho could not find work because he
was black.
Had an unusual background
Turned to acting and became famous for hit musical
‘Showboat’
Became Vice President of his class in
Senior Year
Also in Shakepeare’s ‘Othello’
Attended NY University
Believed the famous have the responsibility to fight
for justice and peace
Became a renowed poet – wrote about
Racial prejudice and black poverty
Progress?
Growth of Black Middle Class in the North
Harlem Renaissance brought sense of pride and identity
Life expectancy for Black Americans increased to 48 by 1930 rather than 45
14
How were Native Americans Treated?
Many saw citizenship as a
reward for fighting in US army
during WW1
C19 US government made
laws to make Native
Americans live like the
white settlers.
BUT citizenship did not stop
poverty and racial intolerance.
Forced to live in
RESERVATIONS
1924: Native Americans
granted US Citizenship
But poor quality of land and
not enough game to hunt.
They could vote and be
protected by the American
Legal system
Missionaries
tried to
convert them
to
Christianity
Men were made to cut their hair
and women were forbidden to
paint their faces
Children were sent to boarding
schools where they were taught
the lifestyles of white people.
Rations and makeshift
housing was insufficient and
many lived a hard life.
In 1928 the Meriam Report stated that Native American schools were underfunded
and understaffed and run too harshly.
It recommended that the curriculum be dropped (it had only taught European and
American values) and went on to say that Native Americans should be provided with
the skills and Education for life in their own traditional rural communities as well as
American urban society
15
What was the problem of Religion?
What was Religious Fundamentalism?
1910- 29 = growing divide between
conservative rural areas and modern
city culture of urban America.
Rural areas: Christian
Fundamentalism
-
Church attendance remained
high
-
South and mid-west ‘Bible Belt’
-
Laws passed to keep evil out of
city life e.g against indecent
bathing suits/ gambling/ petting
in public.
-
Christian Fundmentalists:
people who believed in the bible
word for word criticised the
lifestyle of people in the cities
like flappers and jazz singers.
The Bible Belt
One of the most famous Fundamentalist preachers was Aimee Semple McPherson.
She went around the USA in the 1920’s raising money for her Gospel church.
She preached against the modern changes that were taking place in the USA and decline in Moral
standards
16
What was the ‘Monkey Trial’?
What was it?
1925 – 6 states banned teaching of Darwin’s theory of evolution.
They rejected Darwin’s ideas that humans had evolved from
monkeys and apes.
Biology teacher John Scopes deliberately taught Darwin’s ideas in
a school in Tennessee and was put on trial in 1925.
Case became know as the ‘Monkey Trial’.
Received national media attention and was broadcast on radio.
Scopes defended by Clarence Darrow and supported by the
American Civil Liberties Union
Fundamentalist Lawyer was called William Jennings Bryan.
What were the consequences of the Monkey Trial?
Scopes found guilty of breaking the anti-evolution law and fined
$100
But trial did much to highlight the ideas of fundamentalists
The national media attention meant America could begin to
question whether Fundamentalism was the only way to teach.
The debate between science and religion had been exposed.
Many Americans turned against Christian Fundamentalist views
and were put off by the lawyer William Jennings Bryan – people
thought Fundamentalism was trying to stop people’s freedom.
17
What was prohibition and why did it fail?
What was Prohibition?
•
Prohibition was the period of time between January 1920 and December 1935
when it was illegal to make, sell or transport alcoholic drinks in the USA.
Why did America introduce Prohibition?
•
During the 1800’s, TEMPERANCE, or not drinking alcohol, was common in rural
areas, especially amongst Christians.
•
Some movements were so strong that they persuaded local governments to ban
the sale of alcohol. One of the biggest movements was the Woman’s Christian
Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League
•
These groups blamed alcohol for sin and evil in American society like gambling,
domestic abuse. Industrialists like Henry Ford also thought it made people less
efficient at work.
•
Campaigners argued that prohibition would bring back god-fearing American
family vaues
•
This campaign gathered pace until it became a national campaign to ban alcohol.
•
By 1916, 21 States had banned saloons.
•
It also became a big issue in American politics: Politicians had to explain what
they thought of Prohibition and could lose votes as a result of they said they did
not want alcohol banned!
•
America’s entry in the war 1917 also gave Prohibition a big boost (American
brewers were often of German descent!) In 1918 President Wilson banned Beer
Production
•
In July 1919, it became illegal to make, sell or transport ‘intoxicating Liquor’. But
it did not define what ‘Intoxicating Liquor’ was.
•
In 1920 the Volstead Act was passed which defined intoxicating liquor as anthing
containing more than 0.5% alcohol.
•
The US Government hired between 1500 and 2500 agents for the whole of the
USA to try to enforce prohibition.
18
1. SPEAKEASIES
7. THE GREAT DEPRESSION
The onset of the Great Depression meant that legalising
alcohol would create more jobs and money. The government
could get taxes from the alcohol. The brewing industry could
create jobs again
It was seen as the cause of violent crime that had swept
America and ills of society. People now campaigned to have
it ended just like they had campaigned to have it started!
These were an illegal saloon, often in a cellar
behind locked doors with peepholes.
There were soon more speakeasies than
there had been saloons!
In New York by 1930 there were 30,000
speakeasies
2. BOOTLEGGERS and Illegal
Brewing
6. THE ST VALENTINES DAY
MASSACRE
The St. Valentines Day Massacre in
1929 was a turning point.
Why did
Prohibition fail?
Bootleggers smuggled illegal supplies of
alcohol into the cities from Canada and
Mexico
Bootleggers often became very rich
It was the climax of the gangster
wars
Much of the Kennedy family fortune
came from bootlegging illegal alcohol
Bugs Moran killed one of Capone’s
friends
Moonshine was brewed illegally at home
In retaliation seven members of
Moran’s gang were killed by
Capone’s men disguised as police
officers
People were finally shown the level
of violence and corruption that
Prohibition had caused.
The public turned against prohibition
5. HEALTH
Although deaths from Alcoholism fell by 80% by 1921, by
1926 50,000 people had died from poisoned alcohol made
illegally.
There was an increase in cases of blindness and paralysis
caused by illegal, poisoned alcohol
3. ORGANISED CRIME (GANSTERS)
Gangsters such as Al Capone, made a
fortune from supplying speakeasies with
illegal alcohol.
This often led to violence between rival
gangs as they fought to gain control of
particular districts
Between 1926-1927 there were 130
gangland murders in Chicago and no-one
was convicted.
4. It was impossible to Enforce
2500 agents were not enough to enforce
prohibition. Many of them were corrupt and paid
by the gangs to ignore speakeasies and
smuggling.
Most Americans were prepared to break the
laws to have a drink so gang smuggling just
19
grew and grew.
What was the ‘Era of the Gangster’?
The term given to the period when criminal gangs grew and dominated cities because of
Prohibition.
They brought hundreds of breweries and transported illegal beer in armoured lorries
The saw themselves as business men and when faced with competition took over their rivals
with violence.
They were famous for their use of the Thompson Machine guns nicknamed the ‘Chicago Piano’
They were involved in illegal ‘rackets’
The most famous gangster was Al Capone
He was the son of Italian Immigrants and left school arly and got involved in criminal gangs
Known as Scarface following a fight with a bouncer in a New Yorkclub
Became one of Chucago’s leading gangsters by bribing local officials – he bribed the city Mayor
Bill Thompson, senior police officers, and fixed local elections.
In Chicago he organised speakeasies, bookmakers joints, gambling houses and brothels,
nightclubs, illegal distilleries
He drove in a bullet-proof Cadillac which always contained machine guns
He had 300 of his rivals killed but was not convicted of any murders
Eventually prosecuted for income tax evasion in 1931.
But seen as glamorous by many Americans; he was the first to open soup kitchens during the
Great Depression
Involved in the St Valentines Day Massacre 7 or Moran;s men were gunned down by Capone’s
men. He was in Florida which was a perfect Alibi
20
What was the extent of government corruption and scandal?
1. President Harding and the Ohio Gang
President Harding appointed many of his close friends to the cabinet from Ohio.
They became known as the Ohio Gang
Many used their position to line their pockets with money
The Head of the War Veteran’s Bureau was fined and sent to jail for selling off veteran hospital
supplies for personal profit.
Another colleague resigned in disgrace and two committed suicide rather than admit the
scandals they had been involved in.
2. The ‘Teapot Dome Scandal’
In 1922 one of the President’s cabinet Ministers, Henry Fall, leased government oli fields to his
wealthy friends in secret ( at areas called Teapot Dome and Elk Hill Reserves)
The oil fields were supposed to be kept for special reserves in times of national emergency.
Fall received about $400,000 in cash and gifts from the people he had leased the fields to.
His actions were revealed by newspapers in 1922 and Fall claimed he had done nothing wrong
and was keeping the deals secret in the interests of national security. President Harding initially
supported him.
But the Senate began an investigation and ruled the leasing of the oil fields had been corrupt
and invalid and had not allowed US oli companies to openly bid for the leases.
The Senator who investigated the scandal – Mr Walsh – was harassed by newspapers and
Republicans for his sensationalism. They were worried that the government would be
completely discredited by the scandal. He even had his pone tapped by the FBI
President Harding fell ill over the stress of the scandal and died in August 1923
Faith in government had been damaged.
After the enquiry Albert Hall was found guilty of bribery and fined $100,000 and sentenced to
one year in prison. He was the first ever US government official to be imprisoned.
21
Unit 2: The Rise and Fall of the American Economy
What was the US economy like between 1910 and 1920?
Strong
Industrial potential brought economic benefits. Plenty of Natural resources like Coal, Iron and Wood.
Rich farmlands from Great Plains bring efficient agricultural system.
Continued Immigration from Europe brings supply of cheap labour.
The US
economy in
Increased orders and regular demand for food brings regular income and steady employment
1910
BUT:
Black people still suffer from segregation laws in the South
Poor, illiterate immigrants still unemployed
Native Americans live in poor Reservation conditions
Isolationism benefited US economy:
- US firms supply war-torn Europe with food, munitions, raw materials and manufactured goods
US firms take the lead on technological advances like Bakelite (plastic)
Increased mechanisation and mass production make US good more attractive and more affordable to
European countries
US farmers sell surplus goods to Europe
The
IMPACT of
WWI on the
economy:
US banks lend money to European countries to help finance their war effort
Businessmen and bankers invest money in European firms in hope of making profits at the end of the war.
1917 US enters the war
1918 – end of war – US troops return home and face unemployment as US factories no longer need to
employ workers
Employers will not raise wages as they know they can get workers
Strikes during 1919 – textile/ coal/ steel industries
Racial tensions result in race riots in northern cities
1920 = economic recession – 5 million unemployed
But after the war the US economy was still strong. Many European countries could not maintain their pre-war
export levels so the US took over in many areas like fertilisers and chemicals
22
Why did the Economic Boom take place in the 1920’s?
POLICIES OF THE
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS
Laissez Faire/ Nonintervention allows big
business to expand without
limits of government intervention
Warren Harding: policy of
‘Normalcy’/ cuts taxes/ Fordney
– McCumber Tariff Act 1922Tax on imported goods to make
more expensive than US goods.
Calvin Coolidge ‘Silent Cal’ /
‘The Business of America is
Business’
NEW TECHNOLOGICAL METHODS OF PRODUCTION:
Industrial expansion doubled in 1920’s due to new methods of Mass production
Industries – chemical/ electrical/ cars
Standardised process means cheaper prices.
Use of electrical power to drive factory machinery lead to production of electrical
appliances/ hoovers/washing machines/ vacuum cleaners/ radios
Electricity wad cheap and available source of power.
FORD and CAR INDUSTRY
BOOM
Hoover – ‘A chicken in the pot
and a car in the garage’ / rugged
individualism
By 1913 it could be made in 1hr
33 mins
ADVERTISING AND CREDIT
HP Hire Purchase became normal meant
the consumer could buy then pay later
CONFIDENCE and the STOCK
MARKET
Many people believed that te
economy would continue to grow so
they were prepared to lend money,
take out loans, invest. Americans
believed it was their ‘right’ to be
prosperous.
On the stock market shares and
stock prices continued to rise –
ordinary working people even
bought shares
Model T Ford made on assembly
lines.
More money spent on advertising on radio and
cinema
Chain stores make first appearance e.g J.P
Penney
1908 price = $ 850 /1925 = $ 290
15 million manufactured and sold
– most successful car of all time.
Ford used unskilled workers but
doubled their wages so they had
more money to spend on
manufactured consumer goods.
Mail order = fashionable – people can buy
goods in advance on Hire Purchase
Consumers use new electrical goods
which stimulates growth of electricity
industry
ELECTRCITY
In the 1920’s the electricity industry was boosting lots of other industries.
Investors were prepared to take the
risk and speculate on the stock
market
Buying on Margin became the norm
By 1929 most homes had electricity.
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This was used to power many consumr goods such radios, telephones,
washing machines, vcuum cleaners, cookers and refrigerators. These then
stimulated the growth of new industries which boosted the economy
What were the effects of the Boom on American
Society?
1. Growth of Advertising
The advertising industry boomed as companies realised the potential for increasing
profits. Colour and clever techniques were used in Newspapers, magazines, radio and
cinema. Women became big targets for the advertising companies.
2. Increase in Household and Electrical Appliances
By 1929 most homes had electricity. People could afford to buy electrical household
appliances because wages rose during the boom and credit was available.
In 1926 Hoover introduced the ‘beats as it sweeps as it cleans’ vacuum cleaner which set
the standard for other models. By 1927 the first refrigerator was invented.
3. Growth of Department Stores
As more people bought consumer goods, department stores grew. In the cities chain stores
stocked the new range of goods. The USA was the first country to have a supermarket called
Piggly Wiggly. Customers helped themselves to goods from the shelves then paid for them at
the checkout rather than getting served from the counter.
4. Growth of the Car Industry
The car industry played an important role in the boom and changed the lives or ordinary people.
Henry Ford’s affordable Model T Ford allowed increased mobility of people and it made Hire
Purchase the normal way of life. It boosted other industries like steel, rubber and glass. It led to
more road building and travel which boosted the motel and restaurant industry. It also meant more
people lived in the suburbs and rural people could get connected to cities. Owning a car was no
longer just for the rich. There was 1 car for every 5 people in the US compared to 1 in 43 in Britain
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5. The growth in Transport and Construction
More roads were needed as car sales grew.
By 1930 the total length of paved road had doubled.
Aircraft flights first appeared; by 1929 there were 162,000 domestic and commercial flights.
Charles Lindbergh flew nn-stop over the Atlantic and commercial aviation increased.
There was a greater demand for all kinds of buildings like houses, factories and department
stores, offices and banks. New types of building like the skyscraper developed to provide
more space.
In New York many sky scrapers were built and companies competed with each other to build
grand office blocks. In 1931 the Empire State Building was completed with 102 storeys. It
symbolised American Capitalism
The boom in Construction also stimulated lots of other industries like bricks, tiles and
furniture.
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The Coal Industry
FARMERS
‘ A decline in European markets means
pries have fallen. We have too many
goods and no one to buy them. There is
too
much competition from countries like
FARMERS
Canda. I am forced to take out loans.
Many of us have ended up as ‘Hoboes’
basically tramps scouring the countryside
looking for work. More than 600,000 of us
have gone bankrupt
‘ People like us who work in old industries
like coal mines are finding life hard. New
overproduction in the coal industry has
caused prices to fall and miners to lose
their jobs. People working in ship building
have also lost their jobs. Mass production
techniques have only helped new industries.
People are using Gas and electricity and oil
instead of coal. Many of us are striking
because miners are being forced to work
fewer hours for less pay.
Did all Americans
experience the Boom in the
1920’s?
BLACK AMERICANS
We suffer economic hardship and many of us in the Deep
South suffer from the continued segregation. May of us are
Sharecroppers who live in slum conditions and work long
hours for low pay. Conditions are no better for those of us
who have migrated to the cities in the North. Many are forced
to live in ghettos. Women are paid hardly anything to be
domestic servants and many factories have white-only hire
policies. In Harlem it is overcrowded. Many of us have to
share beds in shifts and we have rent parties on Saturdays to
raise money for paying the Landlord on Sunday
IMMIGRANTS
We are seen as a source of cheap labour
because they are willing to take whatever
work we are offered. We suffer from low
wages and discrimination.
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Trade Unions
We are in decline and membership is falling. Because
people are rich they do not see the need for a Trade Union
anymore.
Employers are also persuading people not to join Trade
Unions by making workers think Trade Unions are all
Communist.
The Republican Government is also against Trade Unions.
Employers are even allowed to use violence against us and
we are completely banned from the car industry.
This means we have no influence and employers can keep
wages low and hours long
The Railroad Industry
We have declined because everyone is
driving cars instead.
We cannot compete with this
The Textiles Industry
The lowering of tariff on wool and cotton means
we have too much competition from abroad.
Man-made products like Rayon are replacing
Cotton.
Women’s fashion needs less material as the
outfits are much shorter!
Wages stay low so strikes have increased.
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Why did the Economic Boom come to a dramatic end in
1929?
LONG TERM: OVER PRODUCTION IN INDUSTRY
Late 1920’s: US market is saturated by unsold consumer goods/ The supply of goods outstrips demand,
manufacturers did not cut back on production and continued to flood the market.
LONG TERM: OVER PRODUCTION IN AGRICULTURE
By mid 1920’s new farming techniques mean overproduction of farming goods./Recovery of European markets
meant that US farmers were exporting less./US market did not soak up this excess produce so prices were cut.
Many farmers were put out of business ad too much competition made life hard.
LONG TERM: FALL IN TRADE
Late 1920’s – US struggling to sell goods to Europe – Trade is reduced/ European countries cannot pay
back US loans and debts to US banks
LONG TERM: BOOM IN PROPERTY AND LAND PRICES
After 1926 the boom in property prices collapses and leaves many Americans in negative equity. Many Americans
own homes worth more that what they paid for them
LONG TERM: FALLING DEMAND FOR CONSUMER GOODS: Wealth in US society was unevenly distributed meant
poor people could not buy consumer goods but companies ignored this and continued to overproduce.
Companies could not sell their leftovers to Europe because Europe was struggling to pay back US loans and high
tariffs on foreign goods meant foreign governments did the same on American goods. Demand for goods therefore
dropped.
LONG TERM: Too many small banks
Too many small banks which would not be able to cope when people rushed to take out their money in October
1929.
Short term: Rise of Stock Market and
over- Speculation
Short term: Loss of confidence
CRASH
Investing in stocks and shares had
become common.
Summer of 1929. Financial
experts warn of fall in prices.
24th October 1929: 12.8 million
share traded.
The government did not regulate the stock
market and buying was out of control
September: investors begin to
worry and start to sell their
shares. This panics all investors
and people rush to sell.
Stock market begins to
collapse as prices tumble.
Many bought shares with borrowed
money (‘On the margin’) in the belief that
share prices would rise. 75% of purchase
price of shares was borrowedAs prices
rose people speculated by gambling with
even bigger sums of money But when
companies were selling fewer goods, share
sales slowed and confidence disappeared
Creates atmosphere of
uncertainty and small investor
rush to sell shares
29th October ‘Black Tuesday’
16 million shares change
hands at very low prices.
The stock market had crashed
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Immediate consequences of the Wall Street Crash
Roaring twenties comes to an abrupt end
Investors lose money and struggle to pay debts
Banks go out of business and many lose savings
Loss of confidence in financial system
People stop buying consumer goods
Firms forced to cut production and lay off workers
Unemployment rises sharply (2.5 mill by end of 1929) and the Great
Depression begins.
Credit collapsed and loans were taken in.
Banks that had survived did not want to loan money
Was the Great Depression just caused by the Wall Street
Crash?
NO!
It was a build up of all the long-term problems with the
economy in the 1920’s. The crash sped up the approach of the
Depression
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Unit 3: What were the main changes in
American Culture and Society during this
period?
How did the movies and their influence develop?
The Growth of Cinema
The Oscars
Cinema became popular after
WW1. There were 17,000 cinemas
by 1926
In 1928 Hollywood introduced
the Oscars
By 1920’s the main form of
entertainment.
Every small town had a picture
house and Americans visited a
few times a week as they had
enough money.
The ‘Talkie’
The release of the Jazz
Singer starring Al Johnson in
1927 started the era of the
‘Talkie’ and added to the
popularity of the cinema.
Boosted creation of film
companies like MGM and
Warner Brothers
Criticism of cinema
But not everyone welcomed
film. Critics complained that
films were too shocking and
lowering moral standards.
Scandals in the lives of
movie stars shocked critics.
Hollywood attempted to
stamp out criticism by
creating rules and
regulations about what could
be shown on screen.
Popularity:
Movie Stars
Movie Stars became very famous.
Everyone wanted to read about them in
magazines and they came to symbolise
the new fashions of the Roaring
Twenties. Stars made huge amounts of
money. 1917 Charlie Chaplin signed $1
million contract
Film Companies
Emerging companies such as
Paramount, Warner Brothers, and MGM
set up studios there.
Through mass marketing and advertising
they built up the reputations of their
movie stars.
Cheap prices/ film was
escapism/improved transport/ more
leisure time/ appeal of the movie
stars/ novelty of new technology
Silent Film
Until 1927 all films were silent and
the only sound came from a piano
accompaniment.
Fast music for chase scenes, romantic
for love scenes
Hollywood
Hollywood developed as the
centre of the film industry instead
of NY. It began producing films
like westerns, crime stories,
30
romantic tales and slapstick
comedies.
The Growth of Hollywood
Up to 1913 most film production was in New York
But many films companies taken to court accused of using patented technology.
To avoid lawsuits many companies relocated 3000 miles to Hollywood
By 1918 Hollywood had taken over world film.
First film shot there was called Old California.
4 main companies: Paramount, Warner Bros, RKO and Columbia.
Movie Stars moved to the area and built luxury homes.
Hollywood was criticised by those who believed it was lowering the morals of American
society. Many blamed Hollywood for use f sex symbols like Clara Bow.
Hollywood responded by creating the Hays Code:
-
No screen nudity
-
Screen kisses must not last
-
Adultery must not be presented as attractive
-
Producers must avoid low, disgusting, unpleasant characters
-
Members of the clergy cannot be comics or villains
-
Murder, Arson and smuggling must be shown as evil
31
How did Movie Stars have such an impact?
Why the obsession with
stars?
Clara Bow
Sex appeal
One of the most famous stars of the silent era.
Fan Magazines
Most successful film in 1927 called ‘It’ in which she
was shown as a glorious ‘Flapper’
Escapism
Her life off stage damaged her reputation with stories
of wild parties and love affairs
Promotion by film
companies like MGM
Rudolf Valentino
The first male star to be sold on sex appeal!
Hollywood’s hottest star!
In 14 major films
Reputation as a romantic lover with great sex appeal.
Sudden death after a failed blood transfusion brought
widespread mourning with riots. Some fans committed
suicide!
Trademark moustache and
tramp-like image
Famous for appearing in dozens
of silent films
Moved into ‘Talkies’ too.
Had to leave to go to Switzerland
in 1952 because of his left-wing
views.
Also known as ‘Theodosia Goodman’
Manufactured to be a ‘bad girl’ in films.
Her name was actually an anagram of ‘Arab Death’
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Was said to have occult powers and be very wicked.
How did the lifestyle and status of women change?
•
They were expected not to wear make-up.
•
Their relationships with men were strictly controlled.
They had to have a chaperone with them when they
went out with a boyfriend.
•
They were expected not to take part in sport or to
smoke in public.
•
In most states they could not vote.
•
Had to wear very restrictive, long clothes and behave
politely.
•
Most women were expected to be housewives.
•
Very few paid jobs were open to women. Most working
women were in lower-paid jobs such as cleaning,
dressmaking and secretarial work :
What changed by 1920?
WW1 gave women opportunity to enter the workplace and do jobs previously done
by men.
Politics: Nineteenth Amendment became law in 1920 giving women right to vote.
Flappers: Middle Class women in northern states challenged the traditional values.
Women wore more daring clothes. They smoked in public and drank with men, in
public. They went out with men, in cars, without a chaperone. They kissed in public.
Employment: Women took on jobs – particularly middle-class women. They
typically took on jobs created by the new industries. There were 10 million women in
jobs in 1929, 24 per cent more than in 1920.
Spending Power: With money of their own, working women became the particular
target of advertising. Some say it was pressure from women that forced Henry Ford
to offer other colours than Black in his car.
Marriage: Women were less likely to stay in unhappy marriages. In 1914 there were
100,000 divorces; in 1929 there were twice as many. Married women had fewer
children.
Attitudes to Social behavior and Jazz culture: Consumer boom brought labour
saving devices and allowed women more leisure time. The Jazz Age influenced
changes in entertainment like cinemas, dance halls and radio. This brought leisure
opportunities and influenced fashion and created role models
Feminism: There was a growth in women’s organizations which campaigned for
equal pay and employment opportunities
33
Did life get better for all women?
NO
YES
Clothing
and
makeup
A combination of traditional religion and old
country values kept countryside women in a more
restricted role than young urban women enjoyed
Women enjoyed party lifestyles and wore
delicate and revealing clothes
Going out
(Flapper
lifestyle)
Women were more conservative in the
countryside. Many joined the anti-flirt league.
Women smoked, drank, kissed men in public
Many in the countryside saw Flappers as simply
pleasure-seeking women with no real values.
Not all women were flappers – it was really
middle class women in the Northern states
Many women sympathised with the Flappers but
they could not afford to be like them
Work
Women were still paid less than men and many
still stayed in the home. Jobs were still lowskilled. Only 5% of medical school places were
allocated to women so number of female doctors
declined in the 1920’s
Women took on jobs – particularly middle-class
women. They typically took on jobs created by the
new industries. There were 10 million women in jobs
in 1929, 24 per cent more than in 1920.
Women got no support from the government for
equal pay or a minimum wage.
Films
Country women saw the films but many were
horrified with what they saw.
Many city women watched Hollywood films and
were exposed to a wide range of sexy heroines
Advertising They did not have enough money to but
products. Labour –saving devices were not
bought in rural areas.
They made decision about what to but for their
homes and were big targets of advertising
Politics
Women were given the vote
Women were not politically equal and could not
be political candidates
Women were not seen as realistic candidates to
go into politics – sexism still strong
Home Life
Traditional values were kept in the countryside
Women spent most of their time in the
countryside looking after children, housework and
Women were less likely to stay in unhappy
marriages.
34
How did popular music and culture develop in this
period?
The Radio
Development of Jazz
Huge influence
Jazz originated from Black Slaves who had
created their own brand of music
By 1930 600 radio stations in USA
Mass production meant lots of families could afford one.
People could listen to sporting events, adverts, the news,
jazz.
It became the main source of family entertainment
It was based on improvisation as many black
Americans had not been able to read music
This made the music attratice because it was
unpredictable
By end of 1920’s reached more than 50 million people
It had names like ‘rag’ ‘blues’ but was renamed
Jazz by white Americans
Helped to create sporting heroes and helped to increase
people’s political and social awareness
It became popular with young, middle class white
Americans.
Clubs and Dancing
Many disapproved but this only made it more
popular.
A more carefree approach compared with before WW1
Charleston with breathtaking rhythms became popular
It became the attraction of nightclubs and
speakeasies and the radio.
Other dances like the Black Bottom, shimmy, Vampire
and Turkey Trot became famous.
Louis Armstrong was one of the most famous Jazz
artists
These shocked the older generation and many considered
them immoral and scandalous
The most famous Jazz club was the Cotton Club in
New York
Craze for dance marathons grew
Speakeasies
Jazz performed by Black Musicians was the main source
of entertainment in these illegal clubs.
Whites and blacks mingled for the first time.
The Gramophone
Industry grew and peaked in 1921
Overtaken by the Radio by 1929 and declined
further with the Wall Street Crash
Audiences from all social classes
Young people were attracted to the music and sexual
dances. Opposition to Jazz resulted from belief that it led
to increased sexual activity
35
How did interest in sport grow?
•
People began to have more free time as well as more money for leisure activities
•
People had more transport available
•
Organised sport emerged
•
Baseball, boxing, tennis and golf
•
The radio broadcast events all over the USA
•
Sport became profitable and attracted ever larger crowds
•
Matches and results were analysed and players’ techniques discussed – sporting icons emerged
•
The result was the cult of sporting heroes – their lifestyles received media attention
•
Growth of sporting heroes meant more people took part in professional sport – swimming pools and
stadiums were built.
Who were the Sporting Heroes?
Baseball: Babe Ruth
•
The greatest American baseball player of all time
•
Hit 60 home runs in the 1927 season
•
This record was not beaten until 1961
•
A lifetime record of 714 home runs
•
Led the Yankees to win four world championships
•
Credited with making baseball the most popular US sport
36
Oscar Charleston
Black American
Played in the Negro League
Regarded as one of greatest players of all time but was not allowed to play
in the major leagues because of the colour of his skin
Boxing:
Jack Dempsey
•
Most famous boxing star
•
World heavyweight champion in 1919
•
145,000 people watched him lose this in the fight to Gene Tunney in 1926
(in Philadelphia)
•
Helped make boxing a mass sport
Tennis: Bill Tilden
He helped to foster the growth of support for Tennis
Participation increased dramatically with 1000 tennis clubs by end of
decade.
Golf:
By 1927 2 million players played on golf
courses. It was no longer a rich mans game.
American Football:
Red Grange and Knute Rockne were the two stars of the
time. Grange earned $100,000 for a 19 game schedule.
Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen were most
famous players in the 1920’s
37
What were the Fads, Crazes and Passions for the Unusual?
1. Dance Marathons
-
Contestants danced non-stop until one couple remained.
-
People hoped to achieve fame.
-
Craze began when Atlanta Cummings danced non-stop for 27 hours.
-
Money was made from the Marathons with promoters organising weekly events
and special rules.
-
Many competitors thought of themselves as celebrities
2. Games
Crosswords/ Chinese game of Mah Jongg became very popular
3. Flagpole Sitting
The oddest craze of the 1920’s
Alvin Shipwreck Kelly was the most well-known. Sat for 49 days.
4. Newspapers and Magazines:
First tabloid newspaper: The New York Daily News was published
Advertisers keen to use newspapers to sell.
1922: 10 magazines claimed circulation of more than 2.5 million
Newspapers sponsored events like goldfish eating competitions and they did features
on the lives of sporting and cinema heroes
38
Who were the American Heroes of the Decade?
Charles Lindbergh
First person to fly across the Atlantic
nonstop
May 1927
33 hours ad 39 Minutes
No map, radio or parachute.
Showed the triumph of the individual and
symbolised the spirit of the USA
Plane was called ‘Spirit of St Louis’
Became a National Hero: Awarded the
Flying Cross
Received more that 55,000 telegrams
Gertrude Ederle
The first woman to swim the channel in
14 hours and 30 minutes
1926
Amelia Earheart
1929 first female to fly across the Atlantic in 20 hours and
40 minutes.
Only the 16th Woman to be granted a pilot’s licence
39
What was the Impact of the Automobile on Leisure Activities?
Growth of new roads and garages
Increase in travel to see friends and family
Increase in visit to sporting events/ dance marathons/ travelling to the Cities
City people could explore the countryside, undertake holidays and short breaks
Resulted in a more mobile society and a love affair with the motor car
40