USA Review 1920 - 1973

1920s
Rich Businessmen – big profit from assembly lines (Henry Ford) / mass production / laissez
white faire / low taxation / Isolationism / Fordney McCumber Tariff
American New products - cars, telephones, radios, vacuum cleaners and washing machines.
s Hire purchase.
The price of grain collapsed which ruined many small farmers. As they couldn’t sell their food
Farmers for much money, some farmers were unable to pay their mortgages and were evicted from their
land. Plus the new machines meant that some farm jobs didn’t need a person to do it anymore.
In total, around 6 million Americans were forced off their land in the 1920s.
When the USA joined the war in 1917, some women went to factories, giving them experience
of skilled work for the first time. Women shared in the freedom offered by the car, had their
Women house work made easier by new electrical goods such as vacuum cleaners and washing
machines. Women were more daring clothes, smoked in public and drank with men. Women
would go out until late to nightclubs/speakeasies, dancing to jazz music with their fellow
'flappers'
Black African Americans who moved from the country to the cities brought jazz and blues music with
American them. 35% lived below the poverty line . Jim Crow laws allowed segregation. Harlem became
s the centre for talented black artists and writers
In the 1920s racist attitudes towards immigrants were made worse by an increased fear of
Immigra Communists (Red Scare). Some immigrants did come over with radical or 'anarchist' ideas.
Some published leaflets and held meetings calling for the overthrow of the American
nts government. The anarchists placed bombs in many American cities which killed many people.
Sacco and Vanzetti were accused of a crime they didn’t commit.
Radios and movies inspired the youth. Clara Bow and Charlie Chaplin for
Young example. $100 million tickets sold each week.
Gangsters/prohibition/moonshine/speakeasies
Worried about the moral decline of those influenced by developing cities. Disliked
Old
jazz, worried about prohibition and gangsters and the flapper youth.
African Americans were suffering from prejudice and discrimination in the 1920s due to Jim
The Crow. The Ku Klux Klan became a powerful political force. Between 1919 and 1925 over 300
South African Americans were murdered by lynching. There was a great migration where many
moved to the north and West
1930s
Rich white Suffered under the Great Depression. 25% of Americans

were unemployed. Wages were cut, redundancies were
Americans made and people were made homeless
Suffered through the Dust Bowl. FDR created the

Farmers AAA to support the farming industry by providing
loans/subsidies to solve overproduction problems
Paid less than a man. Expected to support their

Women families although there were no alphabet agencies
set up for women, only men
Black Discrimination continued. Racial segregation under

Americans Jim Crow Laws continued. Few opportunities for
black Americans under the Alphabet Agencies
Immigrant Continuation of the Red Scare. Immigrants also

s suffered with mass unemployment and
discrimination
CCC – Civilian Conservation Corps was set up for men aged

Young between 18-25. It was temporary work for 3 million young men
who were provided uniforms and accommodation
FDR wanted to establish support for the elderly

Old under the Emergency Relief Act
TVA – Tennessee Valley Authority was established

The South to provide electricity through hydro-electric dams.
1940s
Rich white 500,000 new companies were set up during WWII

Americans Henry Ford (General Motors) manufactured machine guns
as well as cars. $129 billion was made through War Bonds
Recovered during the 1940’s as Isolationism had ended

Farmers and they could now sell to the European markets and the
allies during the war
Lots of new opportunities in the workforce. Employment went from 12 million in

194018.5 million by 1945. Moved away from traditional roles and worked in shipyards,
Women aircraft factories and munitions. Rosie the Riveter was created to boost female
employment. Women joined WAVES, WAC and the Red Cross. They were paid 50-60%
of the wage that men earned for doing the same job
Over 1 million black Americans enlisted or were conscripted. They fought

Black in Jim Crow armies up until 1948. They were offered war work but it was
low paid, menial tasks with little promotion. Only 58 were promoted to
Americans officers in the Navy. Examples of military success – Black Panthers,
Tuskegee airmen
Due to the war, there was anti-German and anti-Japanese

Immigrants sentiment. Red Scare continued
The Draft was introduced and men between 18-45 had to

Young join the military
Old Many came out of retirement to support in the war effort
Tuskegee airmen trained in segregated units in Alabama. The

The South Great Migration saw 400,000 black American move from the South
to the North. This led to racial tensions and riots in the North
1950s
• Hire purchase, mass production
Rich white • TV
Americans • Cars
• 40 million extra in the population (baby boom)
• During the Korean war, farmers produced for foreign countries.

• Were prosperous
Farmers • Continued to sell to European markets as Isolationism was
discontinued
• Uni attendance went from 700,000  1.3 million

Pay went down to 2/3 of a man’s
Women •
• Contraceptive pill available only for married women
• No maternity laws to protect women
• Brown v Board of Education (1954)

Black • Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)
Americans • Little Rock 9 (1957)
Segregation Laws/Jim Crow Laws
•
• Red Scare – global fear of communism

• McCarthyism – spying on suspects
Immigrants • Deportations
• HUAC – House Un American Activities Committee (Phone wiring/tapping
• Blacklisting – Hollywood 10
• Teenagers emerged as a group. Targeted by advertisers

• Rock and roll generation/Elvis Presley
Young • James Dean/Marlon Brando influential actors
Weekly allowance $10-$15
•
• Rebellious
Old • Contributed to the baby boom

• Pensions not available
KKK membership rose in response to growing

The South • Civil Rights movement
1960-1973
Rich white JFK cut taxes so the public had more money to spend
LBJ continued this programme
Americans National minimum wage increased TWICE. More spending power
Baby boom of the previous decade meant there were 40 million extra
Farmers people to feed. Farmers made more money
Betty Friedan – Feminine Mystique

Equal Pay Act 1972
Women Roe v Wade 1973
Contraceptive pill available for ALL women from 1972
NOW – 1966
Protests against beauty pageants and beauty magazines
Civil Rights Act 1964

Voting Rights Act 1965
MLK
MX
Black Stokely Carmichael
Americans SCLC, NAACP, CORE, SNCC, Nation of Islam
Black Panthers/Black Power
March on Washington 1963
Freedom Rides May 1961
Sit ins/boycotts/methods of protest
Immigrants Anti-Asian due to the Vietnam War
JFK funded schools and the peace corps

Young Students joined SCLC/SNCC/CORE/NAACP
Didn’t like the protests groups – women and civil rights.

Old Medicare (JFK)
Freedom Rides
The South KKK membership spikes due to Civil Rights
Opposed JFK/LBJ’s Civil Rights Act (1964)
Extension – exam practice questions (USA)
Describe two problems faced by farmers in the

4 mark 1920’s
In what ways did the lives of African-

8 mark Americans change in the 1950s?

USA Review 1920 - 1973

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

USA Review 1920 - 1973

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

USA Review 1920 - 1973

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1920s

Rich white Suffered under the Great Depression. 25% of Americans

Suffered through the Dust Bowl. FDR created the

Paid less than a man. Expected to support their

Black Discrimination continued. Racial segregation under

Immigrant Continuation of the Red Scare. Immigrants also

CCC – Civilian Conservation Corps was set up for men aged

FDR wanted to establish support for the elderly

TVA – Tennessee Valley Authority was established

Rich white 500,000 new companies were set up during WWII

Recovered during the 1940’s as Isolationism had ended

Lots of new opportunities in the workforce. Employment went from 12 million in

Over 1 million black Americans enlisted or were conscripted. They fought

Due to the war, there was anti-German and anti-Japanese

The Draft was introduced and men between 18-45 had to

Old Many came out of retirement to support in the war effort

Tuskegee airmen trained in segregated units in Alabama. The

• During the Korean war, farmers produced for foreign countries.

• Uni attendance went from 700,000  1.3 million

• Brown v Board of Education (1954)

• Red Scare – global fear of communism

• Teenagers emerged as a group. Targeted by advertisers

Old • Contributed to the baby boom

KKK membership rose in response to growing

Betty Friedan – Feminine Mystique

Civil Rights Act 1964

Immigrants Anti-Asian due to the Vietnam War

JFK funded schools and the peace corps

Didn’t like the protests groups – women and civil rights.

Describe two problems faced by farmers in the

In what ways did the lives of African-

You might also like