17-33 Flashcards
describe the boom
inflation below 1% average weekly working hours fell from 47 to 44 1929 real wages rose by 25% in 1920s and production goods rose by 50%
-fed gov helped as it supported low taxes and high tarrifs like Forndey-mccumber
-no regs and more roads
mass production=cheaper cars =Ford T model cost 950 in 1914 but 295 by 1925
car industry stimulated glass steel and gas stations
-fuelled consumerism=by 1929 speding 5 times more on ads
easy to get credit and profitable investments
describe living standards during boom
1929=26 million cars one per family
1929=10 mil radios
1930 20 mil telephones
fridges=8% households
number homeowners increased many had running water flush toilets bath =one third had washing machines vacuum cleaner
not everyone=many of 30 mil farms had no electricty=coolidge home like half others had no indoor plumbing =10 farms had bathtub
describe the reasons for the bust
30,000 banks small unable to cope
small businesses failing by rate 50%
overproduction
-around 66 farms losing money
-regions were far more prosperous =middletown 75 living below living standard old industries doing bad
little to no wlefare and erratic employment
describe the wall street crash
americans took out loans to buy on margin=sold shares at profit out of which they repaid loans=speculation led to investors taking out loans =share prices plummeted
describe the impact of the Great Depression
By 1932 US steel had all its workers on part time and Ford had fired 75% workforce (car sales fell from 4.5 million in 1929 to 1.1 million in 1933
nearly one third pop was without an income=excluded farmworkers
-by 1932 estimated 1 mil and 2 mil unemployed hobos=hoovervilles
little to no help from state or fed gov=states recieing less in tax so coulndt help= in 1932 100 cities could do nothing
New york had 25,000 cases on its waiting list and no money to help
-Detroit had 250,000 unemployed but bankers refused to loan anymore
-Chicago could not pay teachers for months
Hit black americans worse with six times more unemployed=13 major cities 52% BA unemployed compared to 31$ WA
describe the impact of leisure
higher wages and shorter working week due to labour saving devices =focused more leisure =1929 Americans spent over 4 billion on lesuire figure not reached again till 1950s
impact=expansion entertainment sport and travel industries=towns experienced expansion most famously Los Angles suburb of Hollywood in 1920s and the gambling centre of Las Vegas 1930s =social impact fun and standardised culture
describe the development of car owning culture
positives=changed residential patterns=ability to drive to work=suburbs=city of LA grew up in new age of the motorable=made life freer eaiser and faster more fun decreased rural isolation and made it easier for young americans to go courting without parents =travel and sightseeing=1920=one million went camping often in newly constructed tourist camps=hundreds thousands went to motels/hotels =more gas stations =previously remote areas now open=cultural unification =production of cars employed millions
however=1000 people killed in car accidents in NY in 1927 alone
-moralists feared the new freedom cars brought “bedrooms on wheels”
describe improvements in air travel
in 1928 Boeing plane made its first passanger flight and scheduled passenger service routes developed fast=due to potential market for it, fed gov subsides and support and Charles Lindenberg
Lindenberg=1927 made first solo transatlantic flight=national and international hero as first for America and records important =rugged individualism as others had rich backers and crews, american dream alive and well=modest good looking =media loved him=wanted heroic headliner
-aviation important part republican policy Coolidge invited LB to white house =stimulated as much as $100 mil investment
describe the growth of spectator sports
millions watched baseball, college football and boxing and millions more who had never been able to attend listened to radio sport casters
-1920s=20 mil attended baseball games in 1927 alone
New York yankees standium rebulit capacity increased from 35,ooo to 53
attendance rose as made ball that could be hit further
Babe Ruth=rise coincided with newpapers and tabloids all which promoted him=Played for New York=news centre =first sport star to be represented by press agent =signed autographs =sense humour=earned estimated 1 mil plus another two from celebritiy apperances =remarked he earned more than hoover =ruth said i had better year
-reaffirmed american dream -massive profits =Black Baseball leauge beat white team =white superotiy myth
