USA- The changing quality of life, 1917–80

Question 1

How did the number of passenger cars in the US change from 1917 to 1929?

Answer 1

It increased from 5 million to 23 million.

Question 2

How much did Henry Ford pay his workers per day? And when?

Answer 2

$5 per day in 1914, which was a notable wage increase at the time.

Question 3

How did US consumer debt change in the 20s? What does this show?

Include the specific years as well as the amounts in $

Answer 3

It rose from $3.3 billion in 1920 to $7.6 billion in 1929, highlighting increased reliance on credit.

Question 4

How did the percentage of income borrowed change before 1920 vs. 1929?

Answer 4

It increased from 5% before 1920 to 10% in 1929.

Question 5

How did the number of electrified homes change from 1917 to 1929?

Answer 5

It grew by 16.7 million.

Question 6

How much money was lost on Black Tuesday and when was it (exactly)?

Answer 6

On October 29th 1929, $40 billion was lost due to the dramatic drop in stock prices.

Question 7

How many US banks had gone bankrupt by 1933?

In %

Answer 7

33.3% of all banks.

Question 8

What was the purpose of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act and when was it?

Answer 8

1932, to assist people with their mortgages.

Question 9

What did the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act do and when? Who was considered responsible?

Answer 9

In 1930. Signed off by Herbert Hoover. It raised tariffs, worsening the Great Depression by reducing international trade.

Question 10

What committee did Hoover establish in 1930 to address unemployment?

Answer 10

The President’s Emergency Committee for Employment.

Question 11

What did the Wagner-Steagall Act of do and when was it?

housing…

Answer 11

1937. It created the Federal Housing Administration and focused on slum clearance.

Question 12

What was the goal of the Second Agricultural Adjustment Act? And when was it? Who was it passed by?

Answer 12

Roosevelt. 1933. To provide subsidies to farmers to reduce crop production and stabilise prices.

Question 13

How did US unemployment change from 1926 to 1932 to 1941? (as %)

Answer 13

It rose from 2% in 1926 to 24% in 1932, then dropped to 10% by 1941.

Question 14

How did government spending change from 1930 to 1941?

Answer 14

It increased from $3.3 billion to $8.7 billion to tackle the economic crisis.

Question 15

How did toy manufacturers’ profits change from 1959 to 1961?

Answer 15

They rose from $1.6 billion to $2.1 billion, reflecting the consumer boom.

Question 16

How did the number of live births in the US change from 1940 to 1955? What did this contribute to?

Answer 16

It increased from 2.6 million to 4.1 million, contributing to the baby boom.

Question 17

What did the National Housing Act aim to do? And when in the late 40s was it?

Answer 17

1949. It focused on slum clearance and provided funding for 810,000 new housing units.

Question 18

What happened to prices after the Office of Price Administration shut down? When did it shut down?

Answer 18

1946. Prices rose 25% in two weeks due to the loss of price controls.

Question 19

Which decade did the baby boom occur?

Answer 19

During the 1950s.

Question 20

What was the impact of the Highways Act and when was it?

Answer 20

1956. It led to the construction of 41,000 miles of interstate highways.

Question 21

Where was the largest Levittown located, and what was notable about it?

Also how many residents did it have

Answer 21

Long Island, with 82,000 residents, though the company discriminated against Black Americans.

Question 22

How much did a home in Levittown cost?

Answer 22

$7,000, making it affordable for middle-class families.

Question 23

How many transistor radios were in circulation in the US by 1958?

Answer 23

45 million.

Question 24

How did average wages change from 1943 to 1969?

Answer 24

They increased from $2,000 to $7,000.

Question 25

What % did the unemployment rate remain below in the US between 1942 and 1969?

Answer 25

It remained below 8%, reflecting job market stability.

Question 26

What statistic shows the increasing government spending in the 1960s?

Answer 26

Gov spending rose from $100 billion in 1962 to $190 billion in 1969.

Question 27

What major geopolitical event (a war) occurred in 1973?

Answer 27

The Arab-Israeli War, significantly affecting global oil markets.

Question 28

What caused fuel shortages between May and July 1979?

Answer 28

Iranian oil production fell from almost 6 million barrels a day in July 1978 to 450,000 in January 1979, causing long lines at gas stations.

Question 29

What did the Tax Reform Act do and when was it?

Answer 29

1969. It increased social welfare payments and raised the lowest tax barrier, exempting 9 million poorer families.

Question 30

What authority did Nixon's Economic Stabilisation Act grant him and when was it?

Answer 30

1970. It allowed him to regulate wages, prices, rents, and interest rates to combat inflation.

Question 31

What was the purpose of the Emergency Employment Act under Nixon and when was it?

Answer 31

1971. It created 'community service' jobs for two years to reduce unemployment.

Question 32

What did the Social Security Act Amendment do and when was it?

Answer 32

1972. It increased payments by 20% and linked future welfare payments to the CPI to protect against inflation.

Question 33

Evidence of change in life expectancy of the average White American.

Answer 33

It increased from 48 years in 1915 to 74.4 years in 1980.

Question 34

Evidence of change in life expectancy of the average Black American.

Answer 34

It increased from 33 years in 1915 to 69.5 years in 1980.

Question 35

Evidence of change in income for the average White American. | 1939-79

Answer 35

It increased from $1,200 in 1939 to $28,900 in 1979. | roughly

Question 36

Evidence of change in income for the average Non-White American.

Answer 36

It increased from $500 in 1939 to $19,400 in 1979.

Question 37

How did the number of homeowners change from 1920 to 1940?

Answer 37

It increased from 6.7 million to 15.2 million.

Question 38

What percentage of homes had running water in 1940?

Answer 38

69.9%.

Question 39

What percentage of homes had a bath or shower in 1940?

Answer 39

56%.

Question 40

What percentage of homes had central heating in 1940?

Answer 40

42%.

Question 41

What percentage of homes had a radio in 1940?

Answer 41

83%.

Question 42

When was the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) set up?

Answer 42

In 1935.

Question 43

How much new power line did the REA install and when?

Answer 43

1939, installed 100,000 miles of power.

Question 44

How much of the US population had electricity in 1940?

Answer 44

Around 80%.

Question 45

How much did the US government spend on healthcare in 1917, 1930, and 1940?

Answer 45

$3 million in 1917, $11 million in 1930, and $33 million in 1940.

Question 46

What was the percentage of 14-17-year-olds attending school in 1929 and 1940?

Answer 46

52% in 1929, and 73% in 1940.

Question 47

What percentage of children under 15 were working in 1920?

Answer 47

8.5%.

Question 48

When did it become illegal for children to work under the age of 14?

Answer 48

In 1938.

Question 49

What was the average monthly earnings of a farmer in 1941? | what fraction is this of the average wage of a white american

Answer 49

$27 in 1941, which was a quarter of the average wage of a white American.

Question 50

What percentage of homes had a TV in 1955 and 1960?

Answer 50

65% in 1955, and 85% in 1960.

Question 51

How much did teenagers spend annually by 1959?

Answer 51

$10 billion.

Question 52

What percentage of teenage spending was on transportation in 1959?

Answer 52

38%.

Question 53

How many teenagers owned cars in 1959?

Answer 53

1.5 million.

Question 54

What percentage of teenage spending went on food and drink in 1959? How much more did they eat then adults?

Answer 54

22%, and teenagers ate 20% more than adults.

Question 55

What percentage of teenage spending went on entertainment in 1959?

Answer 55

16%.

Question 56

What percentage of US wealth was owned by the top 1% in 1949 vs. 1956?

Answer 56

It was 21% in 1949 and increased to 26% by 1956.

Question 57

What were the average earnings of production workers in 1968?

Answer 57

$6,400 in 1968

Question 58

What were the average earnings of chief executives in 1968?

Answer 58

$160,000 in 1968

Question 59

What was the average income of a white family in 1960 vs. a black family?

Answer 59

$5,800 for a white family and $3,200 for a black family.

Question 60

What % of white and non-white Americans lived below the poverty line in 1966?

Answer 60

12% of white Americans and 41% of non-white Americans lived below the poverty line.

Question 61

What did Nixon’s Earned Income Tax Credit do?

Answer 61

It gave $400 per year to working poor families with children.

Question 62

What was Nixon’s Family Assistance Plan? What was a limitation of this proposal?

Answer 62

It was introduced by Nixon in 1969 and aimed to implement a negative income tax for the lowest income households with working parents. Never managed to pass through Congress.

Question 63

What was the budget of Carter’s National Consumer Cooperative Bank in 1980? What was its aim?

Answer 63

$180 million. Aimed to help fight inflation and economic depression by promoting consumer cooperatives across the nation.

Question 64

What did Kennedy’s executive order in 1961 do?

Answer 64

It made food available in areas with chronic unemployment.

Question 65

When was the Manpower Development and Training Act passed and what did it do?

Answer 65

Aimed to train and retrain thousands of workers unemployed because of automation and technological change. Passed in March 1962.

Question 66

What did the Economic Opportunity Act do? When was it passed? | 2 stats

Answer 66

In 1964. It provided $948 million to fund projects in 'pockets of poverty' and set up 1,000 Community Action Programs.

Question 67

When was the Food Stamp Act passed and by who? How did it work? How many people were reached by the Food Stamp Act by 1974?

Answer 67

The Food Stamp Act of 1964, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It had reached 15 million people by 1974.

Question 68

What did the Medicare Act guarantee? When was it?

Answer 68

1965. established a health insurance program for the elderly (over 65)

Question 69

What did the Child Nutrition Act provide? When was it?

Answer 69

1966. Packed lunches to schools lacking equipment to prepare food.

Question 70

What did the Fair Labour Standards Act establish and when?

Answer 70

1940. It established a maximum of 40 hours a week, set a minimum wage, and introduced overtime rules.

Question 71

What were book sales in 1929 vs. 1939?

Answer 71

Sales were $117 million in 1929 and $74 million in 1939, showing the impact of the Great Depression on consumer spending.

Question 72

What was the capacity of the Rose Bowl stadium in 1922 vs. 1928?

Answer 72

It had a capacity of 57,000 in 1922 and 76,000 in 1928.

Question 73

What was the New York Yankees' attendance in 1917 vs. 1920?

Answer 73

Attendance was 330,000 in 1917 and 1.29 million in 1920.

Question 74

What happened after the Dempsey vs Tunney boxing match in 1926?

Answer 74

It caused $90,000 worth of radios to be bought in one shop in New York.

Question 75

What percentage of married women worked in 1930?

Answer 75

40%.

Question 76

How did Major League Baseball's attendance grow from the 1970s to the 1980s?

Answer 76

It grew from 330 million in the 1970s to 460 million in the 1980s.

Question 77

How much did gas stations earn in 1929 vs. 1967? | $.... billion

Answer 77

Earnings increased from $1.8 billion in 1929 to $22.7 billion in 1967.

Question 78

How many miles of road were there in the US in 1917 vs. 1980?

Answer 78

There were 2.9 million miles in 1917 and 3.9 million miles in 1980.

Question 79

How did the percentage of people without cars change from 1960 to 1980?

Answer 79

It decreased from 22% in 1960 to 12% in 1980.

Question 80

How many motels were there by 1958?

Answer 80

56,000 motels

Question 81

How many cars were in the US in 1917, 1950, and 1980?

Answer 81

There were 5 million in 1917, 40 million in 1950, and 122 million in 1980.

Question 82

How many malls were built between 1960 and 1980?

Answer 82

30,000 malls were built.

Question 83

How many drive-ins were there by 1954?

Answer 83

There were 3,800 drive-ins.

Question 84

How did movie attendance change from 1960 to 1980?

Answer 84

It declined from 40 million in 1960 to 20 million in 1980.

Question 85

How much did Greyhound Buses make per year by 1959?

Answer 85

They made $300 million per year.

Question 86

How many passengers did Western Air Express carry in 1929?

Answer 86

They carried 25,000 passengers in 1929.

Question 87

When did the Boeing 707 first fly?

Answer 87

1957.

Question 88

How many passengers could the Boeing 747 carry?

Answer 88

It could carry 450 passengers.

Question 89

When was the first flight of the Boeing 747?

Answer 89

The first flight took place in 1969.

Question 90

How did the number of Americans travelling abroad change from 1970 to 1980?

Answer 90

It grew from 5.3 million in 1970 to 8.2 million in 1980.

Question 91

How did the number of visitors to the US change from 1970 to 1980?

Answer 91

It grew from 2.3 mil in 1970 to 8.2 mil in 1980.

Question 92

What did the Airline Deregulation Act do and when was it?

Answer 92

1978. It allowed airlines to set their own prices.

Question 93

How did airline passenger numbers grow from 1928 to 1980?

Answer 93

They grew from 0.1 million in 1928 to 296.9 million in 1980.

Question 94

When did the first international flight take place?

Answer 94

It took place in 1920, between the US and Cuba.

Question 95

What did the Commerce Air Act do and when?

Answer 95

1926. It helped regulate air travel and safety.

Question 96

When was the first Presidential airplane assigned?

Answer 96

It was assigned in 1933.

Question 97

When did the first in-flight movie take place?

Answer 97

It took place in 1935.

Question 98

What and when was the G.I. Bill and when was it passed?

Answer 98

Passed 1944. Helped WWII veterans return to civilian life by providing education, housing, and employment support.

Question 99

How did the G.I. Bill impact suburban growth?

Answer 99

Low-interest home loans made ownership affordable, encouraging millions to leave cities and drive the rapid growth of suburbs.