America 1920-1973

• Central federal government is based in Washington DC, run by the president, a cabinet of advisors, and congress (like parliament), and oversees matters that affect the whole country.
• State government is based in each capital of each state, each state has its own law, policies, and court system, and its own governor.
• The bill of rights guarantees Americans freedom and rights including the right to vote, freedom of belief, freedom of information, and freedom in law.
• Many states ignore the right to vote for women, African Americans, and American Indians.
• The Republican Party is more likely to be traditional/conservative and to be laissez-faire (stay out of people's lives).
• The Republican Party did not support higher taxes which would help the rich, leading to support in the north.
• The Democratic Party is more of an ordinary people’s party and prefers to intervene in everyday life if needed.
• The Democratic Party favors helping the vulnerable, particularly the poor and elderly, leading to support from the south.
• The Democratic Party is more liberal, excepting to change and changing things.
• The first Americans, also known as American Indians, were indigenous and lived in tribes across America.
• White settlers took land from the first Americans and forced them to live in reservations.
• Many of the new immigrants were poor and illiterate and flooded into cities for jobs.
• Some WASPs saw immigrants as a threat.
• White settlers began to arrive from Europe in 1600.
• In the 1900 white English speakers had the most power, the best jobs, most of the money and the political power.
• WASPs (white Anglo Saxon Protestants) were the dominant group in the 1900.
• Millions of Africans were taken to America as slaves between 1600 and 1800.
• Slavery ended in 1865 and by 1920 there were about 10 million African Americans mostly in southern states.
• Most African Americans had limited freedom in the 1920s.
• In the 1920s, African Americans were among the poorest people in the country.
• The US stayed out of the First World War, a policy known as isolationism, which allowed them to lend money, weapons, and create jobs.
• The First World War stopped economic growth, making the USA the leading provider for basic goods.
• The USA did not have any war time depts during the First World War.
• The number of homes with electricity grew from 15% in 1916 to 70% in 1927.
• This growth in electricity access led to a increase in the purchase of modern luxuries such as vacuums and fridges.
• The increase in electricity access created jobs in factories.
• The Fordney-McCumber Tariff put high taxes on imports, making buying U.S.-made products cheaper and creating more jobs.
• The Republican government cut taxes paid by the rich, encouraging the rich to invest in more businesses and create more jobs.
• Taxes were so low in general that people had more to spend.
• The laissez-faire approach allowed businesses to create wealth by themselves.
• The growth of the motor industry boosted the economy and created jobs.
• The motor industry invested in the new mass production line where goods could be made quicker.
• Catalogues made buying easy and the goods could be delivered to your door.
• Buy now pay later schemes meant buyers could pay in instalments and afford more luxury items.
• The first Ford factory was built in 1903 in Detroit, Michigan.
• Ford introduced the assembly line, which could make cars quicker and cheaper.
• The assembly line used an electric conveyor belt that carried partially made cars past workers who did small and repetitive jobs such as add wheels.
• Ford cars were mass produced.
• The impact of the boom on the motor industry resulted in new jobs building cars, roads, and oil refineries.
• Social changes during the boom period included positive aspects such as car owners feeling new freedoms and people being able to buy houses out of towns.