GCSE REVISION
America
1919-1941
America 1919-1941 – 4 key questions
How far did the US economy boom in the 1920s?
1.
On what factors was the economic boom based? (6)
The USA’s Wealth
Rich in raw materials e.g. iron, coal and oil. A growing urban
population of hardworking and ambitious immigrants. WW1 had
made the USA an economic world leader.
New Industries
Consumerism fuelled the boom with new electrical goods and new
materials e.g. plastics. During the 1920s industrial production grew
by 50%. The growth of car industry and Ford’s assembly line model
was the most significant.
Rising wages and stable prices
Real value incomes rose by around 25%. Prices of white goods
dropped due the introduction of the assembly line to mass
production.
On what factors was the economic boom based? continued
Government policies
Republican policies of laissez-faire, tariffs, low
taxation and trusts helped to create an economic
boom in 1920s America
Hire Purchase
Credit was easily available. Hire purchase required
a small deposit and further instalments. The
popularity of mail order catalogues meant all
Americans could become consumers.
Weak Trade Unions
There was great hostility towards Trade Unions
from government and businesses. The car industry
had none until the 1930s. This kept wages low and
hours long as profits rose. Henry Ford paid above
the going rate!
Now try to come up with a mnemonic
about the reasons for the boom in the
1920s
Mock 6 mark question:
Why was there a boom in America
during the 1920s?
2. Why did some industries prosper while some did not?
The growth of national wealth meant that people had money to
spend on new white goods and luxuries. The construction
industry boomed - new roads and skyscrapers changed the face
of America.
However, more traditional industries such as textiles, coal mining
and shipbuilding declined. The textile industry was unable to
compete with the southern factories where labour was cheaper.
People now used electricity to heat their homes. The least
profitable mines were forced to close.
3.
Why did agriculture not share in the prosperity?
 The 1920s were years of hardship.
 Having benefited from high prices during wartime, overproduction plagued
the over successful farmer.
 Exporting the surplus was stopped by tariffs.
 Prices collapsed.
 Loans mounted up as farmers borrowed in the hope of better times.
 In 1920 one-third of the population was in farming families, that dropped to
one-quarter as farmers lost their farms to the banks.
 Black sharecroppers faced the worst hardships.
4.
Did all Americans benefit from the boom?
 In 1929 60% of Americans lived below the poverty line.
 Many of these families were in rural areas. The boom had benefited the rich
and the middle class.
 In 1929 one-third of all income was earned by 5% of the workforce.
 The boom did not really spread to the south where the majority of people
were farmers.
 America’s black population suffered discrimination. Those that had moved
North in search of work in the new factories were resented by whites
workers as competition for jobs increased.
Mock 10 mark question:
Did all Americans benefit from the
boom in the 1920s?
How far did the US society change in the 1920s?
1. What were the “Roaring Twenties”?
The popular image of the USA in the 1920s is of life as one long, crazy
party, with jazz music playing on the radio, young fashionable women
known as flappers wildly dancing the Charleston, large quantities of
illegal alcohol being consumed, and everyone behaving in an scandalous
a manner as possible. Consider the following topics:
The movies
Sport
Music
Radio
Mock source question 7 marks:
How useful is this source as
evidence in telling us about life
for Americans during the
Roaring Twenties?
2. How widespread was
intolerance in US society?
Immigration
In the 1920s the land of immigrants started to close its doors to newcomers.
This stirred up feelings of hatred and fear in the crowded slums of the cities.
Red Scare
The government feared immigrants may bring with them socialist ideas.
Americans were concerned that communism could spread to the USA. Some
were deported as part of round-ups.
Sacco and Vanzetti case – Two Italian immigrants accused of robbery and
murder were put on trial on little evidence. The trial was a farce and they
were later executed more for their radical political views than the crime.
Segregation and black people
Black Americans were disadvantaged. In the South they were kept in a
permanent state of poverty – restricted by the Jim Crow Laws. They were
segregated from whites in every sphere of society. They had little or no
political power in which to change things.
2. How widespread was
intolerance in US society? cont.
The Ku Klux Klan
The Klan was formed after the Civil War. They struck terror in the black
community with night-time raids, crosses and lynchings. The Klan led a
campaign of terror throughout the 1920s however, their membership fell
when the Klan’s leader was convicted for the rape and murder of a women
on a train.
The Monkey Trial
In 1925 the state of Tennessee banned the teaching of evolution due to the
pressures of Christians who thought Darwin was teaching children to go
against God. John Scopes – a biology teacher was arrested for teaching
Darwin. The trial meant that Darwinism and creationism was put on trial.
Creationism fell down in court and Scopes was fined but the law was
disgraced.
Now think of a way to memorise the different
examples of prejudice experienced during the
1920s. This could be:
A mind map
Story / rap / song / rhyme
Mnemonic
Mock 10 mark question:
“The most serious problem faced by American society
during the 1920s was the poor treatment of black people.”
Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer
3. Why was prohibition introduced and later
repealed?
In January 1920 the Volstead Act was passed banning the sale, manufacture and transportation of
alcohol. The noble experiment had begun. Why?
1. It existed already
13 states were already dry by 1919
2. Moral reasons
People argued it caused social problems such as crime, abuse, violence,
poor working habits and death
3. Campaigners
Groups worked for prohibition e.g. The Anti-Saloon League. They and other
popular temperance movements attacked the government and campaigned
in rural areas.
4. The First World War
German brewers were targeted as anti-American.
3. Why was prohibition introduced and later
repealed? cont.
The Effects of Prohibition
Prohibition seemed to do the exact opposite from what it intended. Now
banned it became more attractive and popular, speakeasies opened and
millions ignored the law.
Moonshine was illegal alcohol often badly made and lethal. Thousands of
illegal stills supplied the speakeasies.
Smuggling was one way of getting alcohol. Rum-runners like William
McCoy illegally imported alcohol from Canada.
Organised crime and gangs controlled the whole industry. They paid
officials to turn a blind eye, with gangsters such as Al Capone using profits
in other areas such as gambling and labour rackets.
The law was repealed in Dec 1933. It was clearly ineffective and doing more
damage than good. The biggest effect was the Depression and the need for
further taxation and better use of police and government resources.
Mock question 6 marks:
Why did prohibition fail in the 1920s?
4. How far did the roles of women change
during the 1920s?
 Young women in the 1920s were changing in every way. They began to
reject the traditional image and roles of women and turned against the way
things had been pre WW1.
 1920 Women gained the right to vote.
 Many grew financially more independent.
 Contraception became available.
 Divorce rate rose.
 New white goods cut down on housework.
 Women changed their appearance. Flappers wore shorter hair and skirts.
 Older people were threatened by this and most women’s lives did not
change at all.
 Rural women experienced little changes to their roles and lives.
What were the causes and consequences of
the Wall Street Crash?
1.
How far was speculation responsible for the Wall St Crash?
During the 1920s the stock market was a good place for people who bought
shares (speculators). The rise in value in shares during the 1920s created a
boom.
The role of the speculators was key to the crash. Speculators used a practice
called buying on the margin, where the money used to buy shares was
borrowed originally. As the share prices rose, money was made through the
sale of the shares. Banks were keen to lend money. However few people
stopped to ask about the true value of the shares.
The State of the American economy was good during the 1920s. By 1928
growth was slowing, foreign trade declined, consumer markets became
saturated. A realisation was being reached that the boom was based on debt
and the ability to repay that debt.
2. What impact did the Crash have on the
economy?
 On 24th October 1929 (Black Thursday) traders were nervous. The day
before shares and prices dropped sharply. On this day the whole market
collapsed. Every investor was selling and prices free falled.
 The USA’s biggest banks started to buy shares worth millions to stable the
market but this was not able to solve the overall problems. Thousands were
ruined in one day.
 The next week saw even worse losses. $10,000m lost in one day
 The market continued to fall until 1932 when share prices were at one-fifth
their 1929 value.
 The stock market hysteria reached its apex that year
[1929] . . . Everyone was playing the market . . . On my
last day in New York, I went down to the barber. As he
removed the sheet he said softly, ‘Buy Standard Gas.
I’ve doubled . . . It’s good for another double.’ As I
walked upstairs, I reflected that if the hysteria had
reached the barber level, something must soon happen.
 Cecil Roberts, The Bright Twenties, 1938.
Mock question
Are you surprised by what this source
says? Explain your answer fully. 7 marks
2. What impact did the Crash have on the
economy? cont.




The financial and economic effects of Wall Street Crash
The American economy went into a vicious slump which caused the
collapse of international trade, mass unemployment, bankruptcy and a
slump in production
The crash meant people had less to spend on consumer items. So
companies had to produce less, needing fewer workers. Unemployment
rose rapidly to 4.3m in 1930, 8m in 1931 and 12.1m in 1932.
It was now difficult to borrow money as well. Banks were closing – 5000
closed in the 3 years after the crash. Industry shut down.
One-third of the population were members of families in which the
breadwinner was out of work.
The reaction of President Hoover
As a republican Hoover was unwilling to act at first. He said “prosperity is
just around the corner”. But soon realised that he had to act. He set up the
Reconstruction Finance Commission to grant loans to businesses. He
encouraged job creation through public works and the Federal Farm Board
bought surplus crops. These methods did not work. “Hoovervilles” sprang
up around cities. Even raising tariffs made matters worse.
3. What were the social consequences of the
crash?
 The numbers of the unemployed increased daily.
 Homes were lost, families split up.
 There was no unemployment benefit and people relied on charity. Soon
even the charity money started to run out.
The Bonus Marchers
Were ex-servicemen who wanted a government bonus to be paid to them (it
was due in 1945). They camped outside of the White House. Hoover called
in the army to evict them and the situation ended in violence.
4. Why did Roosevelt win the election of 1932?
Hoover’s inadequacies
By 1932 Hoover was extremely unpopular. His policies were not working as
he had failed to see it as the responsibility of government to stop the
depression. He was called the “do nothing president” and placards read
“hang Hoover”
Roosevelt’s strengths
His personality won over many. It was not clear what he was going to do to
solve the crisis but his campaign was energetic and optimistic.
Roosevelt won the election by a landslide. However he could not take
power until his inauguration some months later. The economy plunged
deeper into depression.
Mock question 6 marks:
Why did Roosevelt win the election of
1932?
How successful was the New Deal?
Roosevelt had promised America a New Deal – a programme of public
spending with the government taking a central role in trying to cope with
the effects of the depression. Many have said that the New Deal was
unconstitutional and the Supreme Court ruled against many aspects. It
did not solve unemployment but cut the numbers significantly. WW2
finally brought back full employment.
What was the New Deal?
In the first 100 days of power, Roosevelt introduced his New Deal….
Banks
Emergency Banking Act - closed banks until they were checked over
Farmers
The Agricultural Adjustment Agency AAA– destroyed surplus and aimed
to reduce production.
Unemployed
Civilian Conservation Corps CCC – providing work for the unemployed
usually in the countryside e.g. fighting forest fires.
What was the New Deal? Cont.
Industry
The National Recovery Administration NRA tried to agree fair prices for fair
conditions for workers. The Public Work Administration PWA aimed to use the
unemployed on large scale public schemes e.g. the bridges and roads.
Home owners
The government granted low interest loans to help people to pay their
mortgages.
Depressed areas
Tennessee Valley Authority TVA regenerated the Tennessee river region which
had suffered floods and soil erosion. Dams were constructed.
Alphabet Agencies
The sheer number of new government agencies was huge.
2. The New Deal after 1933
The Supreme court had challenged some of the
New Deal laws. Some claimed the New Deal
was helping the people too much like a
communist state. Others claimed to was not
doing enough. A second wave of measures were
introduced.
The Second New Deal
Works Progress Administration WPA – found
short term employment for 8 million people
Social Security Act established a national
insurance scheme (pensions, disability pay and
unemployment benefits.
The AAA had to close down but the
Resettlement Administration RA gave grants and
equipment to the very needy.
An American cartoon
entitled “The New Driver”
published in 1933
The figure at the bottom of
the cartoon represents
Roosevelt.
Mock source question
6 marks:
What is the message of
this cartoon?
3. Why did the New Deal encounter
opposition?
 Republicans were opposed to the New Deal as they felt it interfered in areas
which had nothing to do with government.
 They thought freedoms were being lost in a new socialist America?
 Taxes were raised to pay for the New Deal
 After his re-election in 1936, FDR tried to control the Supreme court. His
plans backfired and he lost respect.
 Father Coughlin – claimed the New Deal was not doing enough.
 Dr Francis Townsend – campaigned to get the Social Security Act passed.
 Huey Long – Governor of Louisiana he spoke for the poor and used every
trick in the book (some criminal) to get more power and improve public
services. A critic of Roosevelt he claimed he was not doing enough to help
the poor.
4. Why did unemployment persist despite the
New Deal?









Critics claim the alphabet agencies did not create real jobs.
Work was created for the sake of it.
Unemployment was reduced but not solved.
Employers resented the power of the New Deal especially unionism.
Strikes became more common and 80% were settled in favour of the
workers.
Many farmers had not been helped by the New Deal e.g. sharecroppers.
Large areas of the dust bowl were empty as farmers left to seek work in
America.
The poorest people were not helped to improve their position.
Black Americans were not helped directly. FDR did not wish to rock the boat
on the race issue.
In 1938 the New Deal was scaled down as the economy seemed to be
coping. However this lead to a further slump.
Mock 10 mark question
Did the fact that the New deal did not
solve unemployment mean that it
was a failure?