The Roaring 20s Flashcards
(44 cards)
Why was there a ‘boom’ during the 1920s?
- WW1: didn’t join until 1917 = very little war costs
- republican policies: low taxes, isolationism, laissez-faire, Fordney McCumber tariff act
- mass production
- effective advertisement: hire purchase, mail order, billboards, radios etc.
How much of the world’s goods was America making during the 1920s?
50%
How did the proportion of homes with electricity change?
- 1916: 15%
↳1927: 70%
When and where was Ford founded?
1903
Detroit, Michigan
What did Henry Ford do?
- popularised the assembly line
↳ led to mass production - made the Model T Ford/Tin Lizzie
How large did Ford’s factory become?
the largest in the world.
How did the price of the Model T change?
1911: $800
↳1928: $295
Why was the Model T so easy to make and cheap?
- only one engine size
- no back windows
- only one colour
What is an economic boom?
a period in a country’s history where businesses were doing well, sales and wages were high, and unemployment was low.
How many cars were on the road by 1926 and how many were Ford cars?
- 20 million
↳ 1/2 were Ford
What was the effect of the car industry on other industries? What percent of steel and leather did it use?
- made road build ing the biggest industry
- for every 1 worker in the car industry, there was 10 elsewhere
- the car industry used 20% of American steel, 65% leather etc.
Why did farmers not benefit from the boom?
- overproduction meant that they had a low income
↳ due to mechanisation - they couldn’t afford to pay back loans taken out to buy machinery
How many farmers lost their farms in 1924?
600,000
What did farmers have to do when they lost their jobs and what were they known as?
- they had to wander around for jobs
↳ hobos
How did traditional industries (give examples) not benefit from the boom?
- cotton, wool, coal etc.
- instead of coal, other fuels were being used, such as electricity
- instead of cotton wool, cheaper, synthetic fibres were being used
↳ such as rayon & nylon
Why did African Americans not benefit from the boom?
- most worked as sharecroppers
↳ farming industry was already suffering - segregation meant that they had a poorer quality of life
- the KKK threatened anyone who tried to improve their civil rights & them
How many AA left southern states to go to northern states?
- nearly 2 million
↳ out of 12 million
Why did AA leave southern states to go to the north, and what was the problem with this?
- they went for better job opportunities and lifestyle
↳ still could only work in the low-paid jobs and they still faced racial tension
Why did Native Americans not benefit from the boom?
- their land had been seized by mining companies
- forced to live in reservations
↳ where the soil was so poor it was almost impossible to grow crops - they had the lowest life expectancy of all minorities in America
Why did immigrants not benefit from the boom?
- they faced a lot of discrimination
↳ as they spoke different languages, had different cultures, traditions & religions - they were not educated, so they were willing to work in low paid jobs
↳ people criticised them of stealing jobs
What were the inequalities of wealth during the boom?
- the richest 5% earned 33% of all of the money in America
- 1927: 15,000 millionaries
↳ but 6 million families had an income of less than $1000 a year
How did sport change during the 1920s?
- became incredibly popular and wealthy
- Babe Ruth eared $80,000 a year
↳ £7 million today
How did the cinema change during the 1920s?
- early 1920s: 30 million tickets sold a week
↳ 1920: 100 million tickets sold a week
When was the first ‘Talkies’ and what was it called?
1927
The Jazz Singer
