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USA details
9 million square km
48 states
Despite the American Civil War (1861-65)..
america was still deeply racist depsite many different immigrants coming in
how was the USA run?
an elected president who sets up a policy
an elected congress that makes laws
an appointed supreme court checks laws are in keeping with the constitution
Republican Party
wanted government to play a small role in the lives of its citizens, allowing businesses to grow and succeed
Democratic Party
wanted government to play a large role i the lives of its citizens in order to tackle social problems they faces
During WW1 the USA offered huge loans and goods to..
britain and france (germany recieved less than them) although president Woodrow Wilson declared War on germany (and its allies) in 1917 as german submarines began to attack US ships
During WW1 factory production grew by
35%
natural resources - coal, petrol, and gas production increased
transport- replaced ships (destroyed by german submarines), and railroads were made to transport wartime goods
consumer goods- american brands such as cigarettes became very popular
Agriculture during WW1
grew quickly due to increased demand in Europe due to war
the USA supplied 30% of the worlds what and 55% of its cotton
prices for goods rose by 25%
average income of a farmee increased by 30%
machinery began to be used
more loands taken out by farmers
Workers during WW1
more jobs were given out due to increased demand (empty positions since men were at war)
reduced unemployment as many different people were given jobs such as women and black people
wages of unskilled workers increased by 20%
After WW1 for agriculture and workers
european farming recovered - decreased demands for american goods
new workers (mainly women) lost their jobs due to soldiers returning
increased number of black workers caused riots during and after WW1
farmers struggled to pay back loans
Economic Boom after 1922
new production methods lead to faster rates of production
the availability of credit (money loaned by a bank for a period of time, repayed through instalments)
increased popularity in investing in stocks and shares
Mass production
use of new technology such as conveyor belts lead to very fast production rates
ex: on one of Fords most efficient days in 1925, a Model T car was produced every 10 seconds
this resulted in a drop in price in the Model T car, Original price $950 ā> $290 in 1925 due to large increase in demand
in 1919, Alfred Sloan set up
a credit agency designed for ordinary consumers, customers payed for expensive products (like cars) through instalements, this payment method was called āhire purchaseā
credit strengthened the economy becauseā¦
it encouraged people to keep buying. in 1929, 75% of cars and 50% of electrical devices were bought through hire purchase
Advertising became popular as it
encouraged people to buy more. things such as posters, newspaper and radios were used to advertise
by 1929, $2 billion a year was spent on advertising
Between 1927 and 1929
1.5 million ordinary americans became involved in buying shares in the american stock market in Wall Street NY
Buying on the margin
A process where people borrow money (from banks or brokers) in order to be able to buy shares
Ordinary americans used shares to
make profit, which was essentially gambling to make quick and easy money
in 1925 there were around
500000 shares available to buy , by 1929 there werr 1,127,000
cycle of economic boom
more workers employed ā
more wages to spend ā
more advertising which encourages consumers to spend wages ā
more goods bought using hire purchase ā
more goods made using mass production techniques due to increased demand ā
more investements in businesses through the stock market ā
in the Roaring 20s
many americans spent time on leisure activities. because of this movies and watching sports got very popular, which boosted the economy due to loads of money being spent on movie/stadium tickets. in 1921, 300000 people went to watch the baseball world series
writer F Scott Fitzgerald called the 1920ās the
āJazz Ageā because of the growing popularity of jazz, it was performed by white and black americans
Jazz also created
opposition, because it was associated with immoral and rebel behaviour amongst young(er) people
popular jazz dances
the charleston and the black bottom
Fords cheap cars (and competition with more car models than ford such as General Motors)
impacted how people spent their leisure time, as they were able to travel further, faster and cheaper, meaning more holidays (more money spent on tourist destinations) and major cities (with shopping centres) were easier to reach by rural areas.
improvements and struggles for women in 1920s - JOBS
2 million women joined the workforce (20% of the total workforce)
more married women worked (1.9 mil in 1918 to 3.1mil in 1920s)
increased job options
racial minority women remained in the lowest paying jobs
improvements and struggles for women in 1920s - RIGHTS
in 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment of the US constitution gave women the right to vote, although most women followed the votes of their husbands rather than their own
more laws were passed in the interest of women such as healthcare benefits and services for pregnant women
only 2 women were in the house of representatives in 1920 (central government)
the average woman earned around $12 less than men
improvements and struggles for women in 1920s - LIFESTYLE
divorce rates rose and birth rates fell
increase in electrical appliances which made household jobs easier
more leisure time ad some rebelled against tradition and became flappers in leisure time
women were still expected to be housewives
increased beauty parlours, distraction from gaining more rights
the proportion of women who attended higher education, compared to men, fell in 1920s
Flappers were
women who decided to rebel against tradition and societal norms. this included cutting hair shorts, dying it, wearing makeup and revealing clothes such as shorts skirts. they hung out at clubs and dancehalls. however this lifestyle was for those who could afford it
flappers such as clara bow
helped change the position of women because they challenged traditional attitudes. it helped women feel more free to behave independently such as going out alone, caring more about appearances etc.
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Flashcard (46)