iGCSE History Pearson Edexcel 4HI1, Paper 2 Section A Option 3 *United States: 1918–45*

1917

USA enters WWI after German submarines began sinking US ships, leading President Woodrow Wilson to declare war.

1918

First World War ends; US factory production increased by 35%, steel output rose from 26.1 to 42.1 million tonnes, agricultural demand peaked with the USA supplying 30% of the world's wheat and 55% of its cotton, the workforce grew by 1.3 million, and racial tensions and race riots increased as returning Black soldiers faced discrimination.

1919

The Red Scare begins amid fear of communist and anarchist revolution; around 40 mail bombs were sent to politicians and industrialists, the Boston Police Strike heightened fears of disorder, the Palmer Raids began using the FBI to target suspected radicals, and the 18th Amendment introduced Prohibition.

1920

The Palmer Raids reached their peak across 33 US cities with thousands arrested; the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, and Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested, highlighting anti-immigrant prejudice. Hire Purchase became widespread with 75% of cars bought on credit by 1929; the Flapper era began as women gained social freedom and divorce rates rose by 10%; 2 million more women joined the workforce; old industries like coal, textiles and railroads declined; coal production fell due to competition from oil and gas.

1921

Sacco and Vanzetti were found guilty despite concerns over weak evidence and anti-anarchist bias; the Emergency Quota Act limited immigration to 3% of the 1910 population, capping immigration at 350,000 per year.

1922

Technicolor introduced colour films, increasing the popularity and appeal of cinema.

1923

Ku Klux Klan membership peaked at around 5 million, extending influence beyond the southern states.

1924

Around 600,000 farmers went bankrupt due to overproduction and falling prices; Chicago experienced around 200 gang-related murders; the National Origins Act reduced immigration quotas to 2% of the 1890 census, heavily restricting Southern and Eastern European immigration.

1925

Henry Ford refined mass production, reducing Model T production time to 10 seconds; the price of the Model T fell from $950 to $290; General Motors introduced the Chevrolet K Model to compete with Ford; the Scopes Monkey Trial took place, and John Scopes was found guilty and fined $100.

1927

Deaths from liver disease fell significantly, suggesting Prohibition had health benefits; organised crime flourished under figures like Al Capone; The Jazz Singer was released as the first synchronised sound film; Sacco and Vanzetti were executed, sparking global protests; stock market speculation increased with 1.5 million Americans trading shares on margin.

1928

Disney released Steamboat Willie, showing growth in animation and leisure industries; 145 women held positions in state government.

1929

Car ownership rose from 8 million to 23 million; advertising spending reached $2 billion; cinema attendance doubled to 80 million weekly tickets; radio ownership reached 10 million sets; Wall Street share values peaked at $64 billion; the Agricultural Marketing Act created the Federal Farm Board; Hoover held the National Business Survey Conference; share values collapsed by $26 billion; Black Thursday and Black Tuesday triggered the Wall Street Crash. Farming incomes collapsed by 60%; over 5,172 banks failed, around 20% of all US banks, worsening the Great Depression.

1930

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff raised import duties, triggering retaliation and reducing global trade; a major bank run in New York City caused 400,000 depositors to lose their savings.

1931

US exports fell by 30% between 1929 and 1932; Al Capone was arrested and imprisoned for tax evasion; Hoover created the National Credit Corporation to support banks, but it failed due to lack of confidence.

1932

The Reconstruction Finance Corporation provided $2 billion in loans to banks and industries; homelessness surged with 1.2 million homeless in New York City; 20,000 Bonus Marchers camped in Washington demanding early payment, but the Bonus Bill was defeated and the army violently dispersed the veterans; unemployment peaked at 24.9% (13 million people).

1933

Severe Dust Storms hit the Great Plains due to drought and poor farming methods, causing soil erosion and devastating agriculture. Franklin D. Roosevelt began his presidency after winning 42 of 48 states and launched the New Deal; the Hundred Days saw rapid legislation including the Emergency Banking Act to stabilise banks, the Beer and Wine Revenue Act to raise tax income, and the end of Prohibition through the 21st Amendment; relief and recovery programmes were introduced such as the CCC (employing young men, including 250,000 Black youths), FERA providing $500 million in direct aid, the AAA paying farmers to cut production (including destroying millions of livestock), the TVA developing poor regions, the Home Owners' Refinancing Act extending mortgages, and the NIRA and PWA regulating industry and funding $3.3 billion in public works.

1934

Criticism of the New Deal increased as Francis Townsend proposed a $200 monthly pension for the elderly, Huey Long promoted the Share Our Wealth scheme guaranteeing a minimum income, the American Liberty League was formed by conservatives to oppose Roosevelt, and Father Charles Coughlin created the National Union for Social Justice advocating banking reform and nationalisation.

1935

The Supreme Court ruled the NRA unconstitutional in the Schechter Poultry case; the Works Progress Administration was created and became the largest work relief agency, employing 8 million Americans and spending $11 billion; the Wagner Act guaranteed workers' rights to join unions; the Social Security Act introduced pensions and unemployment insurance; the Banking Act strengthened federal control of banks; the American Liberty League spent over $1 million opposing the New Deal; Huey Long was assassinated; and the Rural Electrification Administration expanded electricity to rural areas.

1936

The Supreme Court ruled the Agricultural Adjustment Act unconstitutional; the Union Party was formed by radical critics of the New Deal; and Roosevelt won a landslide second presidential election, reinforcing public support for the New Deal.

1937

Roosevelt attempted judicial reorganisation through the 'court-packing' plan; the Supreme Court began ruling more favourably towards New Deal legislation; the Farm Security Administration was created under the Farm Tenancy Act; Hugo Black was appointed to the Supreme Court; and the US Housing Authority was established.

1938

The Second Agricultural Adjustment Act was passed to replace the original; and the Fair Labor Standards Act introduced a minimum wage and maximum working hours, often seen as the end of the New Deal era.

1939

Union membership peaked at 3.9 million; Social Security grants supported 7,000 children; and Congress allowed arms sales to Allies, increasing US military production.

1940

The Rural Electrification Administration achieved major success, with 40% of US farms electrified by 1941.

1941

The Second World War in the Pacific began, with wartime spending finally ending the Great Depression; unemployment fell sharply from 9.5 million in 1939 to 5.5 million, and reliance on work relief declined significantly. FDR's focus shifted to wartime leadership, but New Deal agencies and federal government intervention remained in place, embedding long-term reform such as Social Security and labour protections.

1942

New Deal programmes increasingly gave way to wartime agencies, though Roosevelt maintained the idea that government had responsibility for economic stability and employment.

1943

The New Deal effectively ended as a programme, but its reforms continued to shape US society, including welfare provision, union rights, and federal economic management.

1944

Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to a fourth term, defeating Republican Thomas Dewey; his victory showed public trust in his leadership during wartime and support for the New Deal legacy. Economic Bill of Rights proposed by FDR, arguing that Americans were entitled to jobs, housing, healthcare, education, and security, reflecting the ideological continuation of the New Deal.

1945

Franklin D. Roosevelt died in April 1945, marking the end of the New Deal era; however, his reforms had permanently expanded the role of the federal government in American life.