1

USA 1910-29

Depth Study

Paper 1

Revision Booklet

Name................

Class.....................

QUESTION 1:

Question: Level: How to Answer: Mark: What do sources A and B suggest? (4)

1

Select one piece of information from one of the sources Select one piece of information from both of the sources

1 2

2 Use the content of both sources to make detailed suggestions (include the link between the sources) 3-4

Use Source C and your own knowledge to explain (6)

1 Select one piece of information from the source Select two pieces of information from the source

1 2

2 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

3 4

3 Use detailed own knowledge to explain the information provided in the source and to add further information 5-6

How useful are sources D and E? (8)

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

5-6

4 Explain how useful the sources are based on CONTENT, ORIGIN and PURPOSE 7-8

QUESTION 2: Describe (4) 1 Generalised answer which makes weak points 1-2

2 Detailed and accurate description 3-4

Why was this published? (6)

1 Explain reasons based on the source’s CONTENT 1-2

2 Explain reasons based on the source’s CONTENT and ORIGIN 3-4

3 Explain reasons based on the source’s CONTENT, ORIGIN and PURPOSE 5-6

How far do you agree with this interpretation? (10)

1 Generalised answer which makes simple comments about the interpretation offered 1-2

2 Identify the different ways in which the issue has been interpreted with supporting evidence from the sources and Offer a basic judgement

3-5

3 Identify the different ways in which the issue has been interpreted with supporting evidence from the sources and your own knowledge. Judge the worth of the interpretations using this evidence.

6-8

4 Identify the different ways in which the issue has been interpreted with supporting evidence from the sources and your own knowledge. Judge the worth of the interpretations using this evidence as well as the validity of this evidence

9-10

QUESTION 3:

Essay question (12+3) 1 One sided answer - little evidence 1-3

2 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

7 8-9

4 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

10 11-12

3

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?

4

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

5

(A) Why did people want to emigrate to America?

PULL 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

Land of the Free The American Bill or Rights guaranteed freedom of religion, speech and press

Persecution Many people were persecuted in their own countries for political or religious reasons

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

PULL FACTORS

PUSH FACTORS

6

(B) What happened at Ellis Island?

(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

• 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

7

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

8

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

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

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

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 subsided

9

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

10

What were the Racial Problems 1910-29?

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

WHAT WAS THE

INEQUALITY SUFFERED

BY BLACK AMERICANS?

SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION

ECONOMIC DISCRIMINATION

POLITICAL DISCRIMINATION

THE NORTH AND WEST

11

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

- Discriminated against Black people, Mexicans, Catholics, Jews, Communists.

- Wanted black people to return to slavery. - Only WASPS (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants)

could join.

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

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

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

12

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

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

Grand Dragon

Stephenson

13

How did the Black population fight back?

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

• 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.

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

14

Other famous Black Americans

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

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.

Paul Robeson

A trained Lawyerwho could not find work because he

was black.

Turned to acting and became famous for hit musical

‘Showboat’

Also in Shakepeare’s ‘Othello’

Believed the famous have the responsibility to fight

for justice and peace

Countee Cullen:

Had an unusual background

Became Vice President of his class in

Senior Year

Attended NY University

Became a renowed poet – wrote about

Racial prejudice and black poverty

15

How were Native Americans Treated?

C19 US government made

laws to make Native

Americans live like the

white settlers.

Forced to live in

RESERVATIONS

But poor quality of land and

not enough game to hunt.

Rations and makeshift

housing was insufficient and

many lived a hard life. Children were sent to boarding

schools where they were taught

the lifestyles of white people.

Men were made to cut their hair

and women were forbidden to

paint their faces

Missionaries

tried to

convert them

to

Christianity

1924: Native Americans

granted US Citizenship

They could vote and be

protected by the American

Legal system

Many saw citizenship as a

reward for fighting in US army

during WW1

BUT citizenship did not stop

poverty and racial intolerance.

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

16

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

17

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.

18

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.

19

Why did

Prohibition fail?

1. SPEAKEASIES

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

Bootleggers smuggled illegal supplies of

alcohol into the cities from Canada and

Mexico

Bootleggers often became very rich

Much of the Kennedy family fortune

came from bootlegging illegal alcohol

Moonshine was brewed illegally at home

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.

6. THE ST VALENTINES DAY

MASSACRE

The St. Valentines Day Massacre in

1929 was a turning point.

It was the climax of the gangster

wars

Bugs Moran killed one of Capone’s

friends

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

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!

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

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

grew and grew.

20

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

21

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.

22

Unit 2: The Rise and Fall of the American Economy

What was the US economy like between 1910 and 1920?

The US

economy in

1910

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.

Increased orders and regular demand for food brings regular income and steady employment

BUT:

Black people still suffer from segregation laws in the South

Poor, illiterate immigrants still unemployed

Native Americans live in poor Reservation conditions

The

IMPACT of

WWI on the

economy:

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

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

23

Why did the Economic Boom take place in the 1920’s?

BOOM

POLICIES OF THE

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS

Laissez Faire/ Non-

intervention allows big

business to expand without

limits of government intervention

Warren Harding: policy of

‘Normalcy’/ cuts taxes/ Fordney

– McCumber Tariff Act 1922-

Tax on imported goods to make

more expensive than US goods.

Calvin Coolidge ‘Silent Cal’ /

‘The Business of America is

Business’

Hoover – ‘A chicken in the pot

and a car in the garage’ / rugged

individualism

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

Model T Ford made on assembly

lines.

By 1913 it could be made in 1hr

33 mins

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.

ADVERTISING AND CREDIT

HP Hire Purchase became normal meant

the consumer could buy then pay later

More money spent on advertising on radio and

cinema

Chain stores make first appearance e.g J.P

Penney

Mail order = fashionable – people can buy

goods in advance on Hire Purchase

Consumers use new electrical goods

which stimulates growth of electricity

industry

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

Investors were prepared to take the risk and speculate on the stock

market

Buying on Margin became the norm

ELECTRCITY

In the 1920’s the electricity industry was boosting lots of other industries.

By 1929 most homes had electricity.

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

24

What were the effects of the Boom on American

Society?

1. Growth of Advertising

2. Increase in Household and Electrical Appliances

3. Growth of Department Stores

4. Growth of the Car Industry

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.

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.

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.

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

25

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.

26

FARMERS

Did all Americans

experience the Boom in the

1920’s?

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

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

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.

The Coal Industry

‘ 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.

27

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.

28

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

Investing in stocks and shares had

become common.

The government did not regulate the stock

market and buying was out of control

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

Short term: Loss of confidence

Summer of 1929. Financial

experts warn of fall in prices.

September: investors begin to

worry and start to sell their

shares. This panics all investors

and people rush to sell.

Creates atmosphere of

uncertainty and small investor

rush to sell shares

CRASH

24th October 1929: 12.8 million

share traded.

Stock market begins to

collapse as prices tumble.

29th October ‘Black Tuesday’

16 million shares change

hands at very low prices.

The stock market had crashed

29

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

30

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

Cinema became popular after

WW1. There were 17,000 cinemas

by 1926

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.

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,

romantic tales and slapstick

comedies.

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.

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

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.

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

The Oscars

In 1928 Hollywood introduced

the Oscars

Popularity:

Cheap prices/ film was

escapism/improved transport/ more

leisure time/ appeal of the movie

stars/ novelty of new technology

31

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

32

How did Movie Stars have such an impact?

Clara Bow

One of the most famous stars of the silent era.

Most successful film in 1927 called ‘It’ in which she

was shown as a glorious ‘Flapper’

Her life off stage damaged her reputation with stories

of wild parties and love affairs

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’

Was said to have occult powers and be very wicked.

Why the obsession with

stars?

Sex appeal

Fan Magazines

Escapism

Promotion by film

companies like MGM

33

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

34

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.

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

Women smoked, drank, kissed men in public

Work Women were still paid less than men and many

still stayed in the home. Jobs were still low-

skilled. Only 5% of medical school places were

allocated to women so number of female doctors

declined in the 1920’s

Women got no support from the government for

equal pay or a minimum wage.

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.

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 not politically equal and could not

be political candidates

Women were not seen as realistic candidates to

go into politics – sexism still strong

Women were given the vote

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.

35

How did popular music and culture develop in this

period?

Development of Jazz

Jazz originated from Black Slaves who had

created their own brand of music

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

It had names like ‘rag’ ‘blues’ but was renamed

Jazz by white Americans

It became popular with young, middle class white

Americans.

Many disapproved but this only made it more

popular.

It became the attraction of nightclubs and

speakeasies and the radio.

Louis Armstrong was one of the most famous Jazz

artists

The most famous Jazz club was the Cotton Club in

New York

Clubs and Dancing

A more carefree approach compared with before WW1

Charleston with breathtaking rhythms became popular

Other dances like the Black Bottom, shimmy, Vampire

and Turkey Trot became famous.

These shocked the older generation and many considered

them immoral and scandalous

Craze for dance marathons grew

The Radio

Huge influence

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

By end of 1920’s reached more than 50 million people

Helped to create sporting heroes and helped to increase

people’s political and social awareness

Speakeasies

Jazz performed by Black Musicians was the main source

of entertainment in these illegal clubs.

Whites and blacks mingled for the first time.

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

The Gramophone

Industry grew and peaked in 1921

Overtaken by the Radio by 1929 and declined

further with the Wall Street Crash

36

Who were the Sporting Heroes?

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.

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

37

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

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

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.

Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen were most

famous players in the 1920’s

American Football:

Red Grange and Knute Rockne were the two stars of the

time. Grange earned $100,000 for a 19 game schedule.

38

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

39

Who were the American Heroes of the Decade?

Charles Lindbergh

Gertrude Ederle

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

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

40

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