america 1920-1973

• What contrasts were present in America between 1920 and 1973?

  • Some Americans thrived on opportunities
  • Others faced hardship, poverty, and discrimination
• What is America described as due to its history of immigration?

  A vast 'melting pot'
• What percentage of American homes had electricity in 1916?

  15%
• What percentage of American homes had electricity by 1927?

  Nearly 70%
• What did the increased availability of electricity lead to in consumer behavior?

  Spending on modern electric gadgets
• Who were the three Republican Presidents during the 1920s?

  Harding, Coolidge, Hoover
• What economic policy did the Republican Presidents adopt in the 1920s?

  Laissez-faire (free market) policy
• What was the purpose of the Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act introduced by Harding?

  To impose a tax on foreign goods
• What was the name of the policy that encouraged Americans to buy domestic goods?

  Protectionism
• What did Hoover believe regarding individual responsibility?

  People should solve their own problems
• What marketing strategy was used to sell products in the 1920s?

  Effective advertising campaigns
• What was the 'buy now, pay later' scheme also called?

  Hire-purchase plan
• What percentage of cars were bought using the hire-purchase plan?

  Six out of ten cars
• What industry was a massive boost for the US economy in the 1920s?

  The motor industry
• What percentage of America's steel was used in car production?

  20%
• What production method became known as mass production?

  Using assembly lines to produce items quickly
• What was America's policy during the First World War?

  Isolationism
• How did America financially benefit from staying out of the First World War initially?

  By loaning money to Britain and allies
• What was the impact of the First World War on America's production capacity?

  America became the highest producer of goods
• Who developed the assembly line for motor production?

  Henry Ford
• What was the name of Ford's famous factory in Detroit?

  River Rouge plant
• What was the cost of a new Model T Ford in the mid-1920s?

  Less than $300
• How many cars were registered in the USA by 1929?

  More than 26 million
• How much money was spent on constructing highways during the 1920s?

  About $1 billion a year
• What was the impact of the automobile industry on other industries?

  It caused rapid growth in related industries
• What was the only type of car Ford produced?

  The Model T
• How did Ford keep production costs low for the Model T?

  One engine size and one color
• What was the price of the Model T in 1911 compared to 1928?

  Nearly $800 in 1911, $295 in 1928
• How many Model T Fords were bought between 1911 and 1929?

  15 million
• What was the impact of the motor industry on job creation?

  Created jobs in factories and related industries
• Who were the primary losers of the economic boom?

  Farmers, traditional industries, African-Americans
• Why did farmers struggle during the economic boom?

  Producing too many crops, prices fell
• What happened to many farmers by 1928?

  Half were living in poverty
• What term was used for wanderers looking for work?

  Hobos
• How many farmers lost their farms in 1924?

  600,000
• What traditional industries failed to adapt to mass production?

  Coal, shipbuilding, cotton
• What happened to coal prices during the boom?

  Coal prices fell
• What was the impact of new synthetic fibers on cotton production?

  Rayon became a popular substitute
• How did African-Americans suffer economically in the southern states?

  Segregation and poverty affected them
• What was the living situation for many African-Americans in the south?

  They lived as laborers or sharecroppers