The changing quality of life 1917-80

When was the brief post-WW1 depression?

1919-20

What led to an increase in productivity after WW1? (3)

• Technological innovation

• Industrial production x2

• Electricity consumption x2

Which car company contributed heavily to the business boom? (4)

• Ford

• adapted assembly-line techniques

• the Model T (brought the car to the masses)

• 1925- producing a car every 10 seconds

How many cars were in America?

1930- 27 million

1980- 121 million

How many people did the car industry employ?

7% of all manufacturing wage-earners

When was there a bust?

1929- Wall street Crash and Great Depression

How much did US trade fall during the bust?

$10 billion 1929 —> $3 billion 1932

How many people were unemployed under Roosevelt? (3)

1932- 25%

1939- 17%

1944- 1%

5x more likely for black Americans

How did working hours change in the boom?

1924- 47 hrs/week

1929- 44 hrs/week

What happened to old industry?

1900- coal was 90% of energy supplies

1930- only 60%

What was the situation for farmers during the 20s boom? (3)

• 30 million had no electricity

• 10% had bathtubs

• 2/3 of farms losing money

What did the new deal do to help farmers?

1937 FSA

How did WW2 help recover the economy? (4)

• Those working in manufacturing enjoyed 30% more income by the end of the war and farmers’ income doubled

• 1944- US built more aircrafts than Japan, Germany and Britain combined (300,000 areoplanes)

• Wartime prices rose by 28% but wages rose by 40%

• USA producing 50% of the world’s manufacturing despite only accounting for 7% of the world population

What were the negative impacts of WW2 on the economy? (2)

• Major consumer goods such as cars were unavailable

• Rationing

Why did the economy continue to grow after 1945? (3)

• Emerged from WW2 in good economic shape

• Cheap oil

• Baby boom= more purchases of home and children’s goods

How many new houses were built after WW2?

13 million

Where were most cars produced?

General motors, Ford and Chrysler produced in Detroit

What did an increase in cars lead to?

Motels, fast-food outlets and out-of-town shopping malls

How much money did teenagers spend? (2)

$20 million on lipstick

$1.5 billion on entertainment

What was the trade deficit in the US under Johnson?

1967- $4 billion (3x that in 1966)

How many people were homeless during the Great Depression?

2 million

How much did weekly earnings drop during the Depression?

A third

What did the New Deal do for standard of living? (3)

FERA- gov tried to provide jobs rather than give people money

WPA- employed 8.5 million poeple

SSA- created pensions

What was white flight?

White Americans escaped cities with high taxes, crowded accommodation, crime and ghettos

What was the Economic Opportunity Act?

1964 Johnson- provided aid to poor families

What was established in 1965?

Medicare and Medicaid

What did Americans see as their highest concern in life in the 60s?

60%- cost of living

5%- Vietnam

What was the inflation rate when Nixon became president?

4.7%

When was the oil crisis?

1973- oil became 4x more expensive

Why were people losing their jobs in the 70s? (2)

• Increased mechanisation

• Countries (like Japan) were producing goods at lower prices and often higher quality

What happened in the energy crisis? (3)

• 1974- 100,000 truckers striked for lower fuel prices

• 1979- half of petrol stations were without fuel

• Stagflation

How much did Americans spend on leisure activities?

1919- £2.5 billion

1929- £4.5 billion

What game grew in popularity during the 1920s?

Mahjong- Chinese tile games

What mass magazine was popular in the 20s?

Reader’s Digest

When was prohibition?

18th amendment- 1920-1933

Who smuggled liquor?

Bootleggers for the rich and immigrant working class

How many speakeasies were there?

1929- 32,000 in New York

When did the first theme park open?

1955- Disney Land

When did sport become big business?

1917

What was the most popular sport? (3)

• Baseball

• Babe Ruth in the 1920s

• 1921- 300,000 spectators at one game

When was boxing legalised?

1920 New York

How did college football grow in popularity?

• large scale stadia built (1928- Michigan for 90,000 people)

• ‘Galloping Ghost’

How did professional football grow in popularity? (2)

1920- NFL

1967- First superbowl

When were sports desegregated?

1950s

How many Americans owned cars?

1960s- 80% owned one, 14% owned two

How did planned obsolescence impact goods?

Cars designed to only last 1-2 years

How did growing car ownership impact American lifestyle? (3)

• Americans who lived in the suburbs were totally dependent on automobiles

• Road trips

• Could complete leisure activities from their cars

Why was the US air transport industry able to grow so rapidly? (2)

• National economic growth

• Aircraft development

  • 1950s- Dougals DC-60s could carry 50 passangers

When did more people use planes than other transport?

1955 outnumbered trains- 38 million flew on planes

1958 outnumbered boats

When was the golden age for air transport? (3)

• 1960s

• 50% of passengers flying for pleasure not business

• 1969- 160 million passengers

Why did the airline industry struggle in the 1970s? (4)

• ‘Jumbo Jets’ appeared when demand was levelling off (1969)

• Oil crisis quadrupled price of fuel

• Airline Deregulation Act 1978- no longer under the control of the government

• 1981- Traffic Controllers held an illegal strike (11,000 fired)

When was paid holiday first negotiated?

1950

When was minimum wage introduced?

1938- 25¢

1950- 75¢

How many people lived in Hoovervilles?

15,000

What transport did poorer people use?

Coaches- Greyhound

How many people lived below the poverty line in the 60s?

10% of Americans

40% of Black Americans

How much money did nappy sales make?

1960- $50 million

How much money did toy manufacturers make?

1960- $2 billion

What proportion of people owned houses in 1920?

1/5 of African Americans

½ white Americans