The making of a Superpower USA - Society (1920 - 1933)

What was the impact of the 1924 Immigration Act?

Limited annual immigration to 2% of the number of people from certain countries already in US - targeted Asian immigrants (Coolidge against this)

What limited the impact of the FTC?

Coolidge appointed leaders who dud not want to enforce restrictions - regulation was “thin to the point of invisibility”

What was the 1924 Immigration Act more strict than?

The 1921 Emergency Quota Act - limited immigration to 3%

What was the impact of the “Yellow Peril” ?

Chinese workers threatened “American exceptionalism” + increased hostility to immigrants

What % of the population was actually communist?

0.1% - not all Russian immigrants were communist

Who was the most popular sports star during the 1920s?

Babe Ruth - baseball player

How many radio stations were there?

500 by 1922

What was an impact of radio growth?

50 million listened to the 1927 match between Dempsey + Tunney

What was the impact of the growth of cinema?

Hollywood became the 4th largest in terms of capital investment, it employed more people than Ford + there was an excess of 10 million people in 20,000 cinemas

Why did social groups support prohibition?

Religious groups thought alcohol was the route of sin + people did not support the “Kaiser’s brew”

What was the impact of the 1917 Literacy Act?

Poorer Europeans could not afford lessons + failed the test

What was the impact of the 1924 National Origins Act?

Allowed more Northern Europeans to immigrate

What was the impact of the 1929 Immigration Act?

Immigration reduced to 150,000 per year - no Asians

What was the impact of the 1921 Sacco and Vanzetti trial?

It showed racial discrimination in society as they were wrongfully found guilty + were pardoned in 1970s

What was the impact of the 1925 Monkey trial?

It showed the difference in understanding between urban Americans + the Bible Belt, Fundamentalists looked bad however the 6 states that has banned the teaching of evolution only taught it after 1967

Why did the consumer boom end in 1928?

Almost 50% lived off $2000 a year (just enough)

How many were homeless by 1932?

2 million

What was the impact of the 1931 drought?

20 million hectares became known as the “dust bowl” + 1 million had to move to the west