USA: Depth Study

• When was the Great War?

  1914-1918
• Who was Woodrow Wilson?

  was the 'great and good man from the New World', created the 14 points, father of the league of nations, idealist, wanted a better world and improved security
• How did America emerge from WWI?

  America emerged as the world's most powerful nation, most prosperous economy, most affluent society
• What was the Great Migration?

  The movement of 6 million African-Americans out of the rural South to the North, 1910-70.
• How did the Ford drop in price?

  From $825 to $260, one new car every 7 seconds, 80% of cars were in the US by the end of the 20s
• What was invented during the 20s?

  refrigerators, washing machines, vacuums
• What went wrong with agriculture?

  Overproduction
• What is a disposable income?


  money not needed to survive, causing boom in consumerism and cinemas
• Which industries experience a boom in the 20s?

  advertisement, cars, entertainment industry, construction, tourism
• What was caused by prohibition?

  rise in gangs, speakeasies, drinking, illegal activity
• What does laissez-faire mean?

  capitalist system, to not interfere
• Why was America better off out of the war?

  America was a creditor nation (everyone owed money)
• What was the Fordney-McCumber Tariff?

  It raised taxes on goods entering the United States.
• What happened to unemployment?

  It went down, 11.9-1.9%
• What was easy credit?

  Loans on demand with little checking or assessment
• Who was the most controversial actress?

  Clara Bow
• How many members did the KKK have by 1925?

  4.5 million
• Which groups did badly in the 20s?

  farmers (overproduction, blame canada), workers in old industries (replaced with quick machines, fast made clothes, etc), immigrants (tended to be victimised, associated with red scare), blacks (KKK membership went up
• What happened to women at the time?

  19th amendment gave women the right to vote, social revolution, flappers sought social freedoms
• Why did prohibition start?

  the 'dries', women's christian temperance movement, anti-saloon league, WWI, 18th amendment, Volstead act
• What did prohibition ban?

  Ban on sale, transportation, production, prescription excepted
• How did the value of the agricultural industry change?

  plunged from $22 to $13 billion
• What caused the Red Scare?

  Bolshevik Revolution, caused Palmer Raids
• 1921 Quota Act


  immigration limited to 3% of nationalities, America must be kept America (coolige)
• 1924 National Origins Act


  quota reduced to 2%, specifically of white decent (british and Irish) remained stable
• 1929 Immigration Act


  Reduced to 150,000 a year, white Europeans were 85%, asians banned, eastern europeans banned, immigration of non-whites virtually stopped
• What happened to Native Americans living in the 20s?

  Indians faced prosecution, forced to assimilate, forced into western schools, language forbidden, forced Christianity, traditions banned
• How much did clothing sales go up?

  427%
• What was a visible impact of the new industries?


  Advertisements were everywhere on building and billboards, new uniformity all across America
• How many movie tickets were sold per week 20 vs 30?

  40 million to 100 million, 3 films rolling out of Hollywood a week
• First blockbuster


  The birth of a nation, 60 million
• First million dollar contract

  Charlie Chaplin, for the kid
• What new type of shopping emerged that could be done from your home?

  Mail order shopping, allowed country side access
• What manufacturing method did Henry Ford come up with that changed the world?

  The assembly line
• What percentage of homes had a radio set by the end of the 20s?

  40%