Unit 1- 1920s America

• What was the economic boom?

  Period in the 1920s when America saw an increase in production, sales, and wages. Period of prosperity
• What were the 4 mains causes of the Economic Boom?

  Industrial strengths, First World War, republican policies and markets for consumer goods, stocks & shares
• How did industrial strengths help the economic boom?

  US had natural resources, growing population. Had steel, coal and textile industries. Efficient agriculture and technology development
• How did the First world war help the economic boom?

  Industrialisation, produced plastics, sold weapons and foodstuffs to Britain and France
• How did republican policies help the economic boom?

  Taxed as little as possible, left businessmen alone (Laissez Fair)
• How did the marker for consumer goods, stocks and shares help the economic boom?

  Advertisement encouraged sale of goods, many people bought stocks and shares, mail order extended market for consumer goods
• What did Henry ford create which helped the economic boom and when?

  Mass production line, 1913
• What does mass production mean?

  Workers would only have to focus on one or two small tasks to do over and over again
• How did mass production help the economic boom

  Employed 100,000 workers and created jobs in other industries such as glass, leather and steel.
• How many Model T’s were made between 1908-1925


  More than 15 million
• what are the republicans?

  Right-wing political party who believe in competition. Usually appeal to middle and upper classes
• What was isolationism (republican policy)

  Policy which promoted desire to keep out of foreign affairs
• What were tariffs?

  taxes placed on foreign goods to make them more expensive and to stop Americans from buying them
• why did entertainment industries 'blossom' in the 1920s

  • average working hours decreased from 47.4 to 44.2, meaning more free time
  • average wage increased by 11% meaning people had more disposable income
• how did the radio gain popularity

  • most households owned one
  • in August 1921, only 1 licensed radio but by end of 1922, there was 508
  • 1929 - NBC making $150 million per year
• how did jazz gain popularity

  • as radio developed, gave more access to music
  • African - Americans brought jazz from country to city
  • known as the ' Jazz Age'
• how did sport gain popularity

  • baseball grew popular - New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox
  • boxing also became popular
• how did cinema gain popularity

  • hollywood developed
  • Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, new stars
  • until 1927, all movies where silent
• what was life like for women before the 1920s

  • had to wear restrictive clothing
  • behave politely
  • no makeup
  • couldn't participate in sports or smoke
  • had to have a chaperone when going out with boyfriends
  • low paid jobs e.g cleaning, dressmaking and secretaries
  • couldn't vote
• how did life for women change in the 1920s

  • 1920- women got the vote in all states
  • younger women smoked in public and drank with men in public without a chaperone
  • 10 million more women in jobs by 1929
• what were flappers

  a term used to describe women who wore short dresses, smoked in public and wore makeup.
• What was prohibition

  Temperance movement which meant people agreed to give up alcohol, most of which were Christians. In 1917 it became a law to prohibit manufacture, sale and transport of alcohol.
• What were consequences of prohibition

  • levels of alcohol decreased by 30%
  • Illegal ‘stills’ were created and they made their own whisky called ‘moonshine’
  • bootleggers (illegal alcohol suppliers)
  • Officers were bribed so America became quite corrupt
• Who was Al Capone

  A gangster who went to chicago in escape for murder in New York. He was a high profile figure who was quite popular.
• How did prohibition help gangs 


  They sold illegal alcohol and made $2 billion because of it
• What was the Valentine Day Massacre

  • 7 of Al Capone’s rivals were murdered
  • Turning point for prohibition as it showed that America was turning corrupt and lawless
• How were African Americans treated during the 1920s

  • denied higher education and good jobs
  • Couldn’t vote
  • KKK was a gang who used violence to intimidate and target them
  • 1919-1925 , 300 murdered
• what were 'new' immigrants viewed as in America

  • they poor and unskilled workers with little education and so many Americans believed they wouldn't be able to contribute in society
  • scared that it would cause too much cheap immigrant labour and cause wages to fall
  • feared that they were communists and created xenophobia and increased when red scare got worse
  • most Americans were Protestants whilst new immigrants were Catholics, so created different cultural and religious beliefs
  • were blamed for social issues such as crime and spread of diseases
• what was xenophobia

  the fear of foreigners
• what problems were faced by immigrants

  • faced discrimination and many were exploited
  • worked long hours with little pay
  • lived in the poorest parts of the city in cramped and dirty conditions
  • government places restrictions on immigrants entering the country
• what were some restrictions placed on immigrants

  • in 1917, immigrants were required to take a literacy test meaning more educated immigrants entered the country
  • in 1921, the emergency quota act passed which limited amount of people from certain countries allowed to enter
  • in 1924, more acts limited immigration and made it harder for asians, arabs and eastern/ southern europeans from entering